Thread: Yellow Box burl

Hello

I was cutting some Yellow Box firewood with my boss today and found that the butt of the tree has what I would call a "burl" right around it.

The butt is pretty nasty with rocks and dirt, so we will only be able to get a piece about 18 or so inches wide and about half the circumference of the butt (the butt is at least 4 foot or more through). I will try and get the rest later, but this piece will do for now.

It will be too heavy to take away from the tree as one piece, so some surgery will be called for. It looks like there could be some nice timber in there.

What is the best way to cut the block once we get it out of the tree, to best utilise it for turning blanks etc. There are a couple of burl shapes that will be cut off for bowls (turned or carved).

Being Yellow Box, it is a long way from dry, so it will have to be waxed and nurtured but I don't want to cut it up incorrectly and ruin what might be very nice figure etc (it might have none, but that won't be evident one way or the other till it's cut up)

It is so uncommon to find a Yelow Box of this size around here that is accessible and free and for it to have this "burl" makes it less common, I want to make the best use of it without stuffing it up.

I hope I'm making soem sense. I didn't have a camera with me so I don't have pics. I might see if I can find an image on the net that is a representation of what I have.

Thanks