Help with small burl?

[Roland Martin]

My buddy brought me this small maple burl from whem he was felling trees for firewood. I could use some help in determining the best way to cut this up and mount. It's only about 3" from the center of the pith to the outside of the burl. I'm thinking a NE bowl. Any suggestions would be helpful, thanks.

[David E Keller]

I'd probably lop the stick off of both ends and put it between centers with the 'branch' portion near the tailstock. If you do that, you can get rid of the bark and form a tenon in the plain wood that's likely to be found in the branch. I see a hollow form, but that's about all I ever see in a burl.

[George Guadiane]

I'd probably lop the stick off of both ends and put it between centers with the 'branch' portion near the tailstock. If you do that, you can get rid of the bark and form a tenon in the plain wood that's likely to be found in the branch. I see a hollow form, but that's about all I ever see in a burl.
This sounds SO familiar!

[Baxter Smith]

Nice problem to have Roland. I turned my first Maine maple burl this fall and mounted it as David suggested. The swirls on the top were pretty. Mine didn't have any "eyes" to speak of, or spikes on the outside surface. This one doesn't look to be quite as big so unless you wanted holes in opposite sides of the HF, it might be small. Don't have any good advice but I am looking forward to seeing what you do with it!

[Curt Fuller]

I had a very similar sized and shaped burl from scrub oak. I did what David Keller suggested and turned the thing whole without cutting.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?134047-Scrub-Oak-Burl&highlight=gambel+oak+burl

[Barbara Gill]

With small burls I have had the most success with retaining the figure by turning the outside of the bowl/hollow form toward the outside of the Burl.

[Roland Martin]

I'd probably lop the stick off of both ends and put it between centers with the 'branch' portion near the tailstock. If you do that, you can get rid of the bark and form a tenon in the plain wood that's likely to be found in the branch. I see a hollow form, but that's about all I ever see in a burl.

Thanks David. Seems though the smaller a burl is, the harder it is to figure out what to do with it. I was thinking of a small bowl, but the more I try to figure how to do that, the more confused I get. Damn rookie:D. This is what makes the Creek so great! Thanks again.


I had a very similar sized and shaped burl from scrub oak. I did what David Keller suggested and turned the thing whole without cutting.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?134047-Scrub-Oak-Burl&highlight=gambel+oak+burl

Thanks a bunch for the pictorial, Curt, and nice burl by the way:)