BIG Spruce Burl. Suggestions on what to do?

[Baxter Smith]

I have read a variety of posts on "How do I cut up this burl?" and know there is no one answer but....:)
Just wanted to pick your collective brains! My imagination is limited and experience is nonexistent! What would you do with this piece?
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(No I won’t send it to you!)
Given the following:
Powermatic3520 with a 20 inch swing but I could turn bigger off the end.
Oneway coring system but I would have to start with a 19/34 inch bowl or less.
Oneway 4 inch faceplate if I start off the end
As is, the blank weighs about 90 pounds

Mounting:
If flattened on the back side, would the 4 inch face plate be adequate with 8 screws that penetrate 1.5 inches? Or should I attach a larger plywood disc to that and then use long screws outside of the area that eventually might be the bottom?

Could I flatten an area on the top and attach the faceplate there with 8 long screws. This would be the inside of the bowl/bowls or opening of the potential HF? Similar to the small one I made out of a smaller section

The burl on this tree seemed to be 3 smaller burls that had grown together. I cut off the smaller one and made the HF from it. One of the two remaining burls, one is larger than the other on this piece. Based on the two pieces I have done so far, most of the color seemed to be right under the bark and caused by the beginnings of decay. I can’t see that in the remaining piece at this point. The grain in these burls is pretty onion like.

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I could split it into two but I am more inclined to go big, though I could be persuaded to do otherwise.
NE nested set
NE with a big HF cored out of the center
BIG HF though that might be a challenge with the tools I have!
Nested bowls with the pith either at top or bottom of the bowls.
Seems like a lot of rambling! Those are just some of the thoughts I have had over the last 6 months.:D There are more I am sure! Bring them on!

[Art Kelly]

I'd do a big open-style bowl so you could see as much of nature's artwork as possible, ala Rude Osolnik.

This is when you really need a McNaughton... Tough to turn much of that into waste.

Another $0.02.
Art

[Curt Fuller]

If you were to mark the center of the flat side and use a compass to draw a circle, it looks like the largest diameter circle you could get without voids would be under 20". So a set of cored bowls wouldn't really waste much of the wood. On the other hand, my experience with burls is that the most interesting wood usually is found near the surface so you would end up losing a lot of the best wood. Then there's also the consideration that although a 20" bowl is really spectacular to us turners, to everyone else it's almost too big to be practical. I also like your idea of coring a couple bowls and leaving the inner piece for a nice HF. I've had the same dilemma when cutting into a burl. The difference being that I have a 14" lathe so leaving it whole is seldom an option. Another option would be to cut it about 2-3" thick and parallel to the flat side and get a nice slab for a platter. Platters are a good way to show off a nice piece of wood. That would leave you with the rest of the wood to make a slightly smaller set of nested bowls and maybe a few scraps for pen blanks.

[David DeCristoforo]

Comon, Baxter... I'm disappointed. How could you squander this excuse to get a bigger lathe? Scheech!

[Jim Burr]

But Baxter...your such a generous guy!!! I'd go the split route. Core 1 half and HF the other...IMHO only...but I cant wait to see what happens!!

[Baxter Smith]

I'd do a big open-style bowl so you could see as much of nature's artwork as possible, ala Rude Osolnik.

This is when you really need a McNaughton... Tough to turn much of that into waste.

Another $0.02.
Art
Thanks Art, needing more tools is not what I was hoping for!:D I see your point though about the McNaughton and wanting to show off natures artwork.

If you were to mark the center of the flat side and use a compass to draw a circle, it looks like the largest diameter circle you could get without voids would be under 20". So a set of cored bowls wouldn't really waste much of the wood. On the other hand, my experience with burls is that the most interesting wood usually is found near the surface so you would end up losing a lot of the best wood. Then there's also the consideration that although a 20" bowl is really spectacular to us turners, to everyone else it's almost too big to be practical. I also like your idea of coring a couple bowls and leaving the inner piece for a nice HF. I've had the same dilemma when cutting into a burl. The difference being that I have a 14" lathe so leaving it whole is seldom an option. Another option would be to cut it about 2-3" thick and parallel to the flat side and get a nice slab for a platter. Platters are a good way to show off a nice piece of wood. That would leave you with the rest of the wood to make a slightly smaller set of nested bowls and maybe a few scraps for pen blanks.
Thanks Curt. You made lots of great observations on the relative size and what was possible. I never thought about slicing off a platter on the bottom and really liked that idea. Unfortunately the bottom isn't flat. I ended up cutting off some at an angle for the HF I made. Flattening it out edge to edge would leave me with about a 9 inch thick piece. Taking off a 2 inch slab would leave me with less than 7 inches. It would then be close on coring out much of a piece for a hollowform and having a big bowl.
Comon, Baxter... I'm disappointed. How could you squander this excuse to get a bigger lathe? Scheech!
David, when I cut this burl, I had planned on turning it outboard on the lighter weight version of yours. Coring wasn't even a possibility! Don't be telling me I need to go CL shopping again!:D Hopefully this piece will be on the lathe tomorrow. All this thinking is getting to me.

But Baxter...your such a generous guy!!! I'd go the split route. Core 1 half and HF the other...IMHO only...but I cant wait to see what happens!!
Jim, that is the rational thing to do. I could (potentially:)) end up with another pretty HF and a little nested set. Though the wood is soft enough so they would dent pretty easily when stacked. I just hate to go rational on this.

[Rich Aldrich]

Baxter - You might want to consider coring it so you get more turnings out of the burl. This is my number one reason for wanting a coring system.

[Roland Martin]

WOW, Baxter!!:D I'm feeling a bit humbled asking what to do with my little 5" "bump":o
I don't feel qualified to help you on this, but it sure is awesome just looking at that "MAINE" burl. Can't wait to see what comes out of that beauty!

[dan carter]

I doubt I would make a biggen. We are tempted, that is for sure. I don't know if you have turned many 20" or not. I use 3 3/8 ledgerlocks (trusslock) bolts and a 6" faceplate. Bowls that large need quite a big table, but the female persuasion likes big bowls to store their yarn/handicrafts so it is whatever floats your boat. Big bowls sit ingalleries for awhile around here. A couple HF's, nested NE's and multiple smaller items would be my vote. You may have cutoffs from this and many needs for those smaller pieces in the future. Because of the history and where it came from would be the main reason to me to turn really big one. Anyway, good luck. Looking forward to what happens with it.

[charlie knighton]

i like to do hf so i suggest you make a couple of hf, looks like you could make some finals out of that also, your other projects with this wood were beautiful, you are a wood hound, thanks for sharing