# Walnut Burl



## hautions11 (Nov 19, 2012)

Anybody ever seen a burl this big? My son is 6 foot tall and it as least 3 feet wide. I keep thinking of how to best cut a tree like this.


















I really do not know a lot about burls but people get real excited about them. This one is REALLY HUGE, I think. Comments from Burl aficionados.

Larry


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## Da Aardvark (Oct 11, 2012)

Tenn Tim!!!!!
Greg!!!
He Needs You!!!!


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## Tennessee Tim (Dec 15, 2010)

I haven't cut many burls...not sure if this is a burl or growth.....but that one looks to be able to cut nicely either direction...a few coffee table tops I'd go plain live edge flatsawn across it, but will only produce a few slabs......if you saw some of the back log off, you could mill as bookmatch and gain more slabs that would be suitable for dining tables......either way I don't think you could go wrong....DAREN CHIME IN...You've cut more beauty than I.

Have a Blessed and Prosperous evening in Jesus's Awesome Love,
Tim


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## hautions11 (Nov 19, 2012)

Thanks Tim. From my very inexperienced view, the rest of the tree would have to be cut down well above of the burl, since it almost touches the ground. That method would allow the burl and the trunk to be cut off still intact and give the ability to cut the log up in the fashion that you mentioned. Does that sound logical? Thanks.


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## Da Aardvark (Oct 11, 2012)

I don't come after these issues from a cutters standpoint and can't envisoin how hard it is to make cuts I could use. I'm the end user of Gnarlywood, live edge crazy grains finds like this.
A smaller kitchen table is 6' x 3' so it would barely make it on it's biggest slice, for a table to tightly seat 6 (rule is 1 person per 2 running foot). That piece could bookmatch with 2 pieces (3' x less than 6') end joined making a table 3' x 9'ish after the cuts are squared off and end joined. The left over burl can make coffee tables. But you gotta have that minimum 3' for a kitchen table.
Not to say a center piece can't be added to widen it out, from straight grained walnut but not optimum.

Now I'm not a cutter but I would be laying this flat and slabbing off the burl pieces and keep going down into the log to see if some of the internals are also gnarly. I suspect some is. That said, us live edge table type builders want slabs as wide and long as we can get. Ultimate would be walnut slabs of 4' wide by as long as we can get, up to 10-12' We can jion together slabs, but if they come to us in 1 piece, they are of more value to us.

Also we need a 2" minimum thickness, and we plane down to 1.5" or so. Burl has a mind of it's own so if you cut it, you might want to cut it at 5", let it dry and then re-slice later. It's very hard to keep these straight during drying. I buy them semi dried, get them home, add a tube steel lag bolted frame to the backside and hope like hades, it won't take off on me. Especially thinner pieces. The value of this burl-esque piece will be high.
Especially walnut/Black walnut.

Below and into the page, you can see table 3 tops I've done with walnut....all 6ft long (too short in my opinion)

http://gnarlywooddesigns.weebly.com/-for-sale.html


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## Tennessee Tim (Dec 15, 2010)

hautions,

Yes the tree will have to come down. It's tough to cut most burls off without damaging the tree.

As the cuts it's a matter of opinion. Are you going to be using the wood or selling???? This log could be cut either way I suggested and still be beautiful. Some like full through and throughs......and other prefer bookmatch....I personally like both so I'm no help there. 

Let us know what you do and Please take and post pictures. 2" is the minimum thickness I'd slice it. 

Have a Blessed and prosperous day in Jesus's Awesome Love,
Tim


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## hautions11 (Nov 19, 2012)

*Burl*

Thanks Tim. I may use some small pieces, but someone who makes tables, gun stocks etc, would make a lot more use of the big pieces then I would.Looking at the tables Da aardvark makes, I can see some 28" wide blanks using some of the tree trunk. Since it is near the base, the basic tree should have some good figure in that part of the base, even without the burl. I really want to get rid of this tree, as it drops lots of stuff and I have 22 more walnuts in the yard. I will have to see who really wants it.

Larry


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