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Saw Technique for Harvesting Burls
Question
Forum Responses
 Click here for higher quality, full size image From contributor K: I have turned many white oak limb stubs overgrown with callous. White oaks repair themselves very readily. Sometimes the tree is taken down before the healing is complete, and then you can't make a sound bowl out of the stub. Can still be interesting and I manage to sell those as "art." A true white oak burl is something I would be interested in. From contributor N: I have been a turner for maybe 25 years, and the way I like to cut and keep them, is to cut at least one foot above and below the burl, then rip off the opposite side of the pith. A big burl was a smaller burl when the tree was smaller, so it will project inwardly as a cone. However, besides that, above and below where the wood bends out from the normal wood will usually have heavy fiddleback figure, which can actually be the best part. Sometimes an oak burl will just be a huge loop of not very interesting wood. Also, if there is any end checking over time, I like for it to happen away from the best part.
From contributor V: Every burl is different. In general, plainsawing is the best method to reveal the best grain pattern. As mentioned, some are just swirling masses that do not have anything very special in them. I have sawn hundreds of burls amounting to well over 20,000 pounds worth. Each species here in New Jersey has its own characteristics. White oak is one of the more rare burls, but like others said, overgrown knots can burl over and grow outwards. These do have beautiful burling grain the same as a true burl, but are not exactly a true burl. I have found white oak burls to either contain fingerprint swirls, multiple bark inclusions, or radiating curly grain. Below is a picture of my biggest white oak burl yet that I cut up about a week ago, and harvested about 3 months ago. It was a bit punky but was full of swirly grain in fingerprint patterns.  Click here for higher quality, full size image This white oak burl, which is very rounded and had little bark texture (weighing in around 225 pounds) had no eye patterns and was just radiating curly grain in a sunburst pattern. Still beautiful, but not what I was anticipating.  Click here for higher quality, full size image Would you like to add information to this article? Interested in writing or submitting an article? Have a question about this article? Have you reviewed the related Knowledge Base areas below? 
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