Very unusual Red Maple Tree

That's called a gloat, Karl

Ellis Walentine

Nice score, Karl. I'll take it off your hands if you can't come up with another plan.

Seriously, what is "maximum use" in your view? Most revenue? Greatest number of finish pieces? Dramatic large pieces?

You could core bowl blanks to conserve wood, for one thing. I suspect there will be nothing but curly stuff between all those burls, so you may have some wild furniture possibilities, too. You could sell it to a veneer log buyer and probably buy yourself a new truck with the proceeds. But, if you're going to keep it for yourself to turn, just be sure to keep it dead green. Most turning blank dealers dunk their blanks in melted paraffin to seal it completely.

My two cents.

Ellis

PS, a couple more cents...you could also pay it forward like Charlie Belden did here a couple years back or pass it around like John Jordan did with his beloved maple a while ago and get a bunch of accomplished turners to do their own interpretations with the material. Better yet, let's make it a contest and get some esteemed turners to judge it, and some sponsors to contribute prizes. Have a little gallery here on WoodCentral. No end of possibilities.

Re: That's called a gloat, Karl

John K Jordan

>>>Nice score, Karl. I'll take it off your hands if you can't come up with another plan.

Good idea, Ellis! You can drive down to visit and we'll head over to Memphis with a trailer to help poor Karl with his "problem". What are forum friends for?

Karl, I've sent an email to you with the name of a woodturner and tree service guy in your area who might be able to advise. He's real nice guy, too.

JKJ

I agree with Ellis, and would add

Keith Newton

That harvesting in Spring will make the bark easier to remove, which is nice for getting a look at the surface so you can see the density of bud spikes, and swirls.

Also, I would try to keep the parts as large as I could manage. Otherwise you may find you've cut right through some of the best stuff before you really found out what you have.

As far as the figured wood between cluster burls, it will be greatest, near where the burl starts, so don't cut right up close to the edge.

I like to take a 20 oz waffle face framing hammer out to knock off a little bark. If you strike the bark at about 45º in the right place, the bark will shear at the cambium layer. Some burls don't have lots of great figure, but will just be a big lump, however maple isn't usually one. But knocking a little bark off to take a peek can give you an idea what is under there, and either add to the excitement, or not.

Is it hollow? Looking for big holes where storms may have knocked larger limbs allowing air, insects and animals inside before the scar could heal makes it likely. Drumming with a hammer can tell also.

Re: Very unusual Red Maple Tree

Bob Macgregor

Would I be a spoilsport if I asked if this was on your land, rather than, say, in a state park or something?

Re: Very unusual Red Maple Tree

Barry L Elder

Leave it alone and let it grow for another 100 or so years!

Maximum cash? Sell to veneer mill

Dick Coers

Cutting it into lumber would not yield well, there are a lot of single burls. It's my opinion that woodturners are a frugal bunch. They are used to getting free wood to turn. Marketing would take a major effort requiring a lot of photography work. No idea if you sell a lot of turnings, or what you turn. So if you don't turn a lot, sell the tree as it stands. Let the veneer mill send a timber buyer and logger. The mills prefer to cut the tree themselves or from a skilled feller. If not cut or dropped right, there can be some major loss.

I have a similar red maple tree on my land

Mike Foster

Not nearly as dense with burls, but still a tempting tree to take down. It is pretty large, and doing so well that I hate to do that, but may do it the next time I have a logger in our woods (we actively manage our 120 acres of woods). I'll post a pic of it if I get one in the next day or so. Your tree is definitely sweeter.

Re: I agree with Ellis, and would add

Karl_TN

The tree actually looks very solid. I'm thinking about harvesting the tree in early spring after the winter kills back the poison ivy in the ravine. I might try knocking some bark off when I'm back in the area. I just wasn't sure how easy it would be to know the bark off a disfigured tree if it's burled like this.

Re: Very unusual Red Maple Tree

Karl_TN

Bob, Luckily this tree is on some family land so I've already staked my claim to it.

Re: Very unusual Red Maple Tree

Karl_TN

But only tell you the location, right??

Re: Red Maple Tree - Close up of trunk

Karl_TN

Here's two close up pictures of the trunk. Much of the main trunk seems to be more undulating that I expected for a bunch of burls. I'm now wondering if the entire tree is just one big burl after seeing all those leafless twigs coming out of the bark.

Re: Red Maple Tree - Close up of trunk

Dick Coers

If that was the case, it would be a record holder. I'd bet on multiples based on the upper trunk.

Re: Red Maple Tree - Close up of trunk

Karl_TN

That's what's so odd about this tree. The trunk is this way all the way around and most of the way up. Here's another view of the trunk.

Re: Very unusual Red Maple Tree

Barry Irby

Good luck!

There is tree in a yard near here that has a similar tree, except it is MUCH bigger, 4 1/2 or five feet on the stump. It does have larger lower limbs like many yard trees, but I drool everytime I go by. I thought about buying the house to get the tree. (I wish) I am pretty sure its hollow. I see some openings in it that are drooling. I just hope that someday somebody gets some goo wood out of it.

Re: Very unusual Red Maple Tree

dick hines

As great as the wood may be in the tree I would let it live until it HAD to be CUT for some reason.

Re: I agree with Ellis, and would add

Brad Vietje

And harvesting it in WINTER, before the sap rises, would make it much easier to RETAIN the bark on all those natural-edge bowl and vase opportunities in there! With a little experience cutting up burled trees, you can tell where the good stuff lies -- everywhere in this tree! I almost always go for a bark-on piece if possible, then I still have the option to remove the bark if I can't keep it on.

I disagree with the whole veneer log argument. Most of the highly figured burl heads would have to turned away to almost nothing before you could get reasonable slices of veneer -- at least for a rotary veneer mill. If there's someone who will process that into many straight slices, you could opt for that.

A good diagram of how I would process a tree like this is found in Robert Chapman's excellent book Woodturning: A Fresh Approach, in which he demonstrates making natural-edge vases from each burl head. Also great material for someone who likes exceptional burl hollow forms.

Great find, whatever you do with it -- good luck!

Safe spinning,

Brad Vietje

Newbury, VT

Re: Red Maple Tree - Close up of trunk

Brad Vietje

I won't start an argument with Dick about selling it for veneer, but one factor in cutting it down/up for turning stock is there's a LOT of excellent material there, so it would be full-time work for perhaps a month to "process" all that wood by rough turning, waxing, drying, etc.....

If you don't have a lot of time on hand for turning and processing all this, a lot of it could go to waste to checks and other issues if you can't get to it quickly enough (like the sapwood turning gray-ish instead of nice and light).

One potential option (if you have a generous soul and a big heart) would be to share a good deal of this with other turners, carvers, and such in your area, not just to be a swell guy, but with everyone creating works for a good cause such as a benefit auction for a children's hospital, Beads of Courage, Empty Bowls project, etc... You could help a very deserving cause raise a lot of money, or just do a terrifically good thing -- work that is sorely needed.

Just a few thoughts...

Brad Vietje

Newbury, VT

Re: Red Maple Tree - Close up of trunk

John Jordan

That's not all that unusual except for the locality. Its a basic red maple burl tree, and it could have some worm (ambrosia) stripes in it. I've have had quite few trees or partial trees just like it. It will be very nicely figured with lots of eyes-its a dormant bud type of burl. You can count on that.

Now is the best time to cut and turn it, as the bugs and fungi will not affect it in the winter months. It is VERY prone to staining an ugly gray/brown in the warmer months. It will never be better that when its fresh. Cut it and share it or sell it. I would buy a 4-5 foot section of it.

DON'T cut it into "blanks".

I have lots of photos, but I would need to resize them.............

John

John

Dormant bud type of burl

Karl_TN

The trunk doesn't seem to have the 'pins' like I've seen on YouTube & Google images. Wouldn't a 'dormant bud type of burl' have pins (showing up as a rougher bark)?

What did you mean by not cutting it into blanks? Would a complete coat of wax not stop some of the cracking just long enough to get it shipped? My wife would appreciate if I could make my hobby start covering more of the expenses. I was hoping to sell some blanks on eBay in order to buy more woodturning tools. I might consider parting with a larger section when the time comes.

Club members like myself donate our extra wood for ticket drawings that's held each club meeting. This money from the ticket sales goes toward expenses like bringing in great demonstrators like yourself.

Anyway, I've got a lot of cherry, walnut, pecan, sugar maple and hackberry on hand (from recent storm damage or people giving me wood) that needs to be processed that'll keep me busy all winter. I might just wait until next winter since I'd hate to see any of this maple tree go to waste.

Thanks for all the advice.

Re: Dormant bud type of burl

Brad Vietje

That's a great idea -- cut it when you are all geared up to make the most of it. Good luck -- looks like some really nice wood!

Safe spinning,

Brad Vietje

Newbury, VT