My 45 Year Wait is Over

[Baxter Smith]

Ever since taking jr. high shop back in the 60’s, I have wondered what the inside of this burl would look like. For those of you that have been waiting for the last 6 months, you won't have to wait another 6. Just not worth holding your breath!:D

Put it on the workbench yesterday and started contemplating some more. After getting nowhere and noticing there was a thin layer of rot under the bark in many places, I peeled it all off.
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Hoped there would be some instructions underneath. No luck. The surface decay seemed pretty thin but widespread so that pretty much ruled out any NE bowls.

Thought the most interesting grain might be near the roots so placed a template there.
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That was about as big as I thought I could hollow and still have enough for another decent sized “something”.
Cut it out on the bandsaw and mounted it between centers.
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Turned the top first, reorienting the blank several times to stay as close to the top layer as possible but get rid of the rot, or at least most of it.

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When it seemed about as good as it was going to get, I flipped it and did the bottom.

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The bottom was a little more interesting but turned it again and hollowed it out.

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Left it a little over an inch thick in most spots, a little less on top and bottom. Had to enlarge the opening some and make it a little thinner so I could reach the shoulder with the tools I had. Because it was a little over 13” in width, I found a fairly heavy wire and made a big C to use on the parts my various calipers couldn’t reach. I will need to refine both the wire and technique, if I want to finish it without the pierced look! (or get a lazer;))

Found my first pitch pocket in the burl. I am not sure whether to try and dig it out, then put some CA in, or leave it for now. Seems like a possible spot to crack as it drys though I suppose the pitch is an effective sealer. Any thoughts are welcome!
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The remaining large section got turned into a 10 inch HF with a more vaselike shape.

Sorry it wasn’t more colorful!
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Onion like was about the best way to describe it.
Anticipation is supposed to be half the fun though.

In hindsight, I think I would have just sliced it into more platters to take better advantage of the onion like grain and oval shape of the burl. Guess I will just have to go looking for another one.

No turning today! Couldn’t get motivated for anything more strenuous than cleaning up!

Hope you enjoyed the journey,:) and thanks for getting me started.;)

[David E Keller]

That looks like fun! I'll bet the grain and figure really pop when you get to finishing it.

As for the pitch pocket, I'd probably just leave it. Even if it opens up even more, you can always make it a feature.

[Jim Burr]

I think they are great Baxter!! But go ahead and get another burl and make plates!!! I really was drawn to the size and hope to get there one of these days!!! 13"...wow!!

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Baxter nice enough for now, I think the same as David, the grain does only show well when the piece is finished and very smooth, at least that's been my experience with hardwood burls like that, as for the pitch pocket (looks like a tension split to me) I'd keep a close eye on it, but again like David says you can make it a feature, though I think I would make a couple of staples and help that piece stay together, small holes are easier filled than a wide open split, but you might not need to use them, but I'm afraid it will open up a lot if not looked after.
Hope to see it in a couple of months again all finished ;-)))

[Tim Thiebaut]

Now just in case I am misunderstanding, you said you have waited to see the inside "of this burl", have you had that piece of wood since you were in school?

[Alan Heffernan]

Big and beautiful - I look forward to seeing this when it is finished. Like Tim, I am interested to know if you have had that wood since you were in school?? What tools do you have to hollow out such beauties?

[Russell Eaton]

Baxter I won't hold my breath but I want to see the piece finished. Nice job and you definately have more patience than I do.

[Rob Cunningham]

That's a good looking HF. (I see you haven't built a hollowing rig yet :D)
I agree with David and Leo, the figure should pop once you get some finish on it.

[Kieran Kammerer]

Looking great so far Baxter. I can't wait to try my hand at some HFs.

[Roland Martin]

That's going to be a good looking HF when complete, a large one at that. I'm curious also, is this green or has been drying for 45 yrs.:confused: I really like the form on this one.

[Fred Perreault]

Gosh Bax..... you don't look that old. Should you update your picture? :) :)

[Bernie Weishapl]

That is a good looking HF. Can't wait to see it finished.

[Baxter Smith]

That looks like fun! I'll bet the grain and figure really pop when you get to finishing it.
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Thanks David, I will leave it for now and hope for the pop!

the grain does only show well when the piece is finished and very smooth..., as for the pitch pocket (looks like a tension split to me) I'd keep a close eye on it, but again like David says you can make it a feature, though I think I would make a couple of staples and help that piece stay together, small holes are easier filled than a wide open split, but you might not need to use them, but I'm afraid it will open up a lot if not looked after.
Thanks Leo, the grain on the first two finished ones I posted about a week ago had that shimmer you mentioned to me in a post this summer. Hopefully these will take on more of the same on top. Its visible now on the bottom. May have to flip it and put it on a pedestal.:D I will try and remember to take it out of its bag off and on over the next several months and check. I hate to drive staples into it but I would prefer not to have a bigger feature than it already is!;)

Big and beautiful - I look forward to seeing this when it is finished. Like Tim, I am interested to know if you have had that wood since you were in school?? What tools do you have to hollow out such beauties?
Thanks Alan. If you missed the previous posts about this burl, I started them back in the summer after finding the top of the tree snapped off. I never mentioned my exact connection it until I started finishing some pieces a couple of weeks ago.

My Dad built a small 16x20 camp in 1960-61. This burl was on a tree right beside the path to the camp. It was a lot smaller bump at the time but it stood out and made it look a lot different than the other spruce on the island. I used to play around it/hide behind it and wonder what it was. When I took jr high shop in the mid 60’s I learned that burls were used in woodworking and that’s what the bump was. Never heard of anyone using a spruce burl, but have always wondered what it would look like inside. Although my previous turnings were from its outer edges, this was the first time I had cut into the meat of it. It is not nearly as spectacular as all the burls posted here but I do feel fortunate. With the help of all the turners on SMC, I learned to turn bowls and hollow forms a few months before Mother Nature did the tree in.

The tools are some homemade ones that came with a lathe I purchased before I got my present one. They are 7/16 square stock with 1/4 and 3/16 tips glued in at various angles. When sharpened and held correctly they seem to work quite well but have not used any others to compare them to. The homemade handles are a little short on a couple. A little more length and weight to the handle might make them easier to use, though for someone like me this size HF is pushing it.

That's a good looking HF. (I see you haven't built a hollowing rig yet :D)


Rob, my body is still noticing it too.:D I am getting the hang of the 8 and under ones as long as I dont try to go too thin but these are another story! I took your plans to Maine over Christmas and went over them with my brotherinlaw. He has worked for Mid State Machine for almost 30 years and can do just about anything when it comes to working with metal. The parts they make for rotary turbine tank engines, wind mills, gas turbines etc. are pretty impressive! Sme huge parts but all with incredible tolerances! We discussed what I could and couldn’t do with the tools I had in my shop. I just received some end mills they no longer used from him last week. He thought I could use them in my drill press to flatten the top of the post the articulated arm rests on. After researching the different tooling and parts I would have to buy to make something as complete as a monster system (and thinking about the unheated metalworking part of the shop and my crude metal working abilities) I decided it would be easier to get out my credit card. :o


That's going to be a good looking HF when complete, a large one at that. I'm curious also, is this green or has been drying for 45 yrs.:confused: I really like the form on this one.
Roland, it has only been drying since about March when those vicious Maine coastal winds;) snapped the top off.