Guillaume Breton Posted January 16, 2013 Report Share Posted January 16, 2013 I was pretty happy saturday, i went to this "wood collector" near where i live and, in his basement, its was complete chaos ! wood everywhere, but not any kind of wood. all rare pieces, beautiful burls, curl bubinga, amboina burls, birds eye *insert species here*, i mean, every rare twist of every exotic wood. Through this mess (hoarder kind of mess, piles on piles, everywhere!) i dig up a very big Big Leafed Maple Burl. He had it for 25 years (so i guess its dry!) and i was able to make a deal, 100$ for 35 pound. the burl didn't seem to be exceptional (but its the only one i could afford!) so i took a guess. a couple pepper mills and bowls and i should make that 100$ back quickly. Today i started to cut the piece and make turning blanks, i will probably try to make at least 1 natural edge plate with the rest and 3 pepper mills. i was happily surprised of the grain, its not jaw dropping but its more than i expected. For my first burl, i'm happy. it was an adventure. I'm still in school and short on $$, so for me its a "big" deal. nothing special turning burl i suppose ? if the burl is 25 years old, could it still be more humid in the center still ? should i care to put some wax on the pieces i wont be turnign right away ? tyvm ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRBaker Posted January 16, 2013 Report Share Posted January 16, 2013 Man, that is some spectacular grain. Please make sure you post some pics of your finished products. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted January 16, 2013 Report Share Posted January 16, 2013 If you don't have a moisture meter you can weigh the pieces on a accurate scale, (postal, digital kitchen, ). Let it sit for a few days and weigh it again. If the weight stays the same it is at a stable moisture content. I got a nice little digital scale at Costco for $20 -$30 or so. You can keep it in a plastic bag to slow the drying down or reseal it. Your shop might have dryer conditions than his basement , but after so many years the wood surely isn't green anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guillaume Breton Posted January 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2013 thanks wdwerker. I was wondering if there was any "known" finishing techniques for burl, to make the burl "pop" kinda like we make the figured wood pop. i could try the same technique i guess, but is there anything else that you turners know about ? tyvm again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted January 20, 2013 Report Share Posted January 20, 2013 Grain pop techniques work across the board.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guillaume Breton Posted January 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2013 Grain pop techniques work across the board.. any board ??? kidding. i will certainly try it with a darker stain or dye and see what it does ! tyvm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted January 20, 2013 Report Share Posted January 20, 2013 when you sand dont use wax i use it to help cool and aid in sanding it will get in the groves and cracks in the wood. try using oil its easer to clean out or even little water on your wet/dry sandpaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guillaume Breton Posted February 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 things i made with that burl so far ! 1 natural edge 12 inches bowl 1 pepper mill i took the picture before i applied the glossy finish on the pepper mill, its very shiny now i like it ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris H Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Looks great! I love the natural edge bowl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRBaker Posted February 6, 2013 Report Share Posted February 6, 2013 Guillaume, that looks fantastic. Thanks for posting some pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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