Burl Harvesting?

[Brian Thompson, Oklahoma]

I have two oak trees with great big old burls on them and I was wondering if anyone here has any ideas as how to harvest one and process it?

Thanks!

[Michael Weber]

I'm curious as well so bumping this up. Is it possible to harvest a burl without killing the tree?

[Myk Rian]

I'm curious as well so bumping this up. Is it possible to harvest a burl without killing the tree?
Sure is. You cut the tree off on top of the burl, then cut the burl off. Put the tree back on the stump. Use lots of band aids.

[Gary Herrmann]

We've got some forestry folks on the 'Creek, so hopefully they'll weigh in.

I'd think cutting a burl off a tree would be like removing a branch - it's going to wound the tree. The more removed, the bigger the wound. But trees do recover over time. When cutting a branch off, I believe you're not supposed to go any deeper than it's collar.

I guess you could slice the burl off with a chainsaw at the level of the trunk and see what happens over time.

[scott vroom]

Not sure how much, if any, "how to" info can be found at this site, but drill into some of the species and you'll find some beautiful burl pics.
http://www.australianburls.com/AustralianBurls/Burl_Harvesting/Harvesting.htm
Several examples:

[Brian Thompson, Oklahoma]

I appreciate all the replies. I am new to the forum and was wondering, how does the Lumber Yard forum work? Or is it just restricted? Thanks again for the replies. I just want to harvest these burls without destroying them or wasting them. Bandaids, Really <G>?

[Chris Fournier]

Burls are not like apples, they aren't fruit! I realise that the OP has not expressed this opinion.

Unless the burl is very tiny you can't cut it off and keep a living tree per se. Burls are fascinating and varied but my experience with maples and ashes in Ontario is that you need a very large burl to get the great figure through and through.

Regardless, the burl will only get better as it gets older until the tipping point where the tree falls to decay. A healthy growing burl gets better and better.

If you are ready to harvest the tree simply cut the burl out of the tree and I would err on the side of taking boring old tree trunk to get all of the burl. If it is a large burl you will likely have to use a chainsaw with a long bar to begin breaking it out into slabs.

The $64,000 question is how thick should the slabs be? Often times the figure dictates the breakout. If the burl is large and exquisite then you could likely make the most $$$ selling it to a veneer mill, otherwise I would likely cut it as 3" or 4" thick stock. Problem is that everyone wants heavy burl cuts but they are too cheap to pay what this rare find is worth. The heavier cuts cost more and you can rule out the cheapskates as potential customers and you are left with the problem of reaching the craftsman who will pay the big bucks for quality! To max the $$$ you will have to advertise and be patient, your return on investment could take several years.

Or you could tell me where this tree is... Midnight Chainsaw CO. Kidding.

[Brian Thompson, Oklahoma]

Thanks for the info. I had thought of cutting the tree above and below the burl and painting the exposed ends. I just didn't know if I should cut the burl while it's green or leave it solid until it had dried for a time. I don't plan on selling it. I would be gready and keep it all to myself <G>. I can't afford to buy them, but I could have it slabbed at the saw mill...

[Dan Hintz]

Brian,

You must be a contributor ($6/yr) to access The Lumber Yard. Be aware, however, that it's an off-topic forum, not a place where we discuss lumber.

[Mike Mastin]

Brian as a rule "burl caps" especially in Oaks, hold very little "eye bud content". The Oak burls generally have swirling grain patterns inside, but not much in the way of "eye buds". The best burl comes from trunks where the burl is totally surrounding and growing inside the trunk of a tree and not an appendage from the trunk. There are always exceptions to this but in my experience this rings true. The burl from a growth on the trunk will only be to the depth of the trunk surface, as it is typically a surface affliction on the actual trunk.
Cutting a burl off can be done, but the risk to the tree is never worth it, if you want to keep the tree due to possible infections and damage to the tree by removing said burl. Maple burl caps are usually better in regards to "eye bud content" vs Oak and other North American species. Walnut burls are typically the swirling type of grain inside with some eye bud content here and there.
If the tree needs to come down then I would say go for it, otherwise I would leave it as is. Just not worth the risk to the tree.

[Brian Thompson, Oklahoma]

The tree with the biggest burl is a pretty good size tree. I plan on having the tree processed as well as the burl. I would like to have the burl for the difference of the grain, plus the fact that it came off our property. I am planning on digging the stump up and having the guys down the road cut up the burl and tree for me. I just want it because it's different. Might make a good focal point on some furniture. We want to use every part we can. I may let the other two grow some more. I didn't know they would kill the tree. Thanks for the info!