24 Cherry Burls

[Baxter Smith]

Back in mid February, a good friend who also happens to be a consulting forester, called and said he was going to be meeting a farmer that wanted some land cleared a few miles from my house. He wondered if I wanted to ride along. There was some sawtimber, but one section had a little scraggly cherry that was small and would become chips/mulch. After meeting the landowner, we were given permission to cut any of the cherry burls that were on the property.:)
Only having a pole saw in his truck at the time, he cut a small tree and I brought home a couple little ones. Turned a thin vase and HF which are now drying.

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Last Friday morning, 10 minutes before I was to leave for Totally Turning in New York, my friend called again. He was riding out to the property in a few minutes to meet the loggers who were bringing in their equipment. We could go out and cut some burls if I wanted….. before they became mulch. With a 300 mile drive in front of me, I reluctantly declined. He texted me later that day and said the loggers would set aside any tree with burls. :)
We went back yesterday and retrieved a few.;) Some had already been dropped. This one looked like a good place to start.:D

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Didn’t think I should let the crotch and butt become mulch, so along with 4 burls, it almost made the trailer looks like it was already 1/3 full.
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I have been thinking about a bigger trailer for almost 25 years but it keeps hanging in there …. and there is the back of the van. Found a decent sized holly to cut as well.


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Went home and unloaded then came back for another. Is that a gloat or an admission of some kind of illness?:rolleyes: Stopped after the second load since it was getting dark and the pieces were feeling heavier!
This morning started early with unloading and a couple ibuprofen.. not necessarily in that order…

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and anchorsealing the ends.
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The ibuprofen was still working this afternoon, so I went back and cut up a few pieces to work on tomorrow. The two crotch pieces look like a good place to start!

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If anybody feels like taking a drive, you are more than welcome to a few burls. May not even get to one this week. You have 24 pieces to choose from though some are better than others. They just grow on trees around here.

[Greg Just]

Wow - that is quite a haul. Can wait to see what you make.

[David E Keller]

Well, let me be the first to say.... YOU SUCK! Free cherry burl and a giant holly tree! Great haul!

[Cathy Schaewe]

Nice! I have a lot of cherry, but can't find any burls on them for anything! Great haul!

[Ken Hill]

:DGo ahead Baxter! You find wood. C'mon LOL!:p

[Michael James]

Nice haul, Baxter! Must be mother nature's way of compensating you for the beatings you guys take in the winter.:)

[David Reed]

this is very obscene - murdered all those hard working cherry burls. You should be ashamed.

[Dan Forman]

Great haul, I'll be over in a few minutes!

Dan

[Donny Lawson]

Excellent haul. Those Cherry burls should make for some great pieces. I would like to see whats inside.

[John Keeton]

Baxter, if only you were closer!! You really scored on this one - great friend to have, BTW!!

[Roger Chandler]

Me thinks the man leads a charmed life.................every time he turns around he step in burl!

[Roland Martin]

Wow, nice haul Baxter. Bet we'll be seeing some great turnings in the future.

[Fred Perreault]

Baxter.... aren't you just a wee bit embarrased? :)

[Steve Schlumpf]

Wow! Quite the gloat! Sure glad to see you get the wood vs becoming mulch! Looking forward to seeing what you turn out of it!

I can only imagine how sore you must be about now! Sure know I would be! If you get more - be safe!

[Russell Eaton]

That is borderline on wood porno! Nice haul, and hope the back feels better soon.

[bob svoboda]

Great gloat, Baxter. Can't wait to see some turnings out of that stock.

[Jim Burr]

Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas all in the same day!

[Jeff Myroup]

Great haul Baxter. It should keep you busy for a while

[John Hart]

I would normally feel bad for your soreness.....But I ain't gonna. ;)

[Tim Rinehart]

Baxter, you da burl man now! Great pic series, as usual from you, and what a fantastic haul. Very generous of you to offer up some burls to the creekers...wish I were a bit closer too.
Have fun, I'm sure you know how fast that stuff checks/cracks. I would do a double coat of anchorseal, especially if the new blend (AS2), to make sure it is well sealed.
Have fun with all that purdy burl!!

[Baxter Smith]

Nice! I have a lot of cherry, but can't find any burls on them for anything! Great haul!
Cathy, the burls are pretty common, but the nice cherry trees are pretty scarce!

Well, let me be the first to say.... YOU SUCK! Free cherry burl and a giant holly tree! Great haul!
Thank you David!:D

Great haul, I'll be over in a few minutes!

Dan
Glad to hear that Dan, if it takes a little longer, no problem. There will be some left.;)

Baxter.... aren't you just a wee bit embarrased? :)
No. Well only a little!:D

Baxter, you da burl man now! Great pic series, as usual from you, and what a fantastic haul. Very generous of you to offer up some burls to the creekers...wish I were a bit closer too.
Have fun, I'm sure you know how fast that stuff checks/cracks. I would do a double coat of anchorseal, especially if the new blend (AS2), to make sure it is well sealed.
Have fun with all that purdy burl!!
Wish everyone was closer too. All the ends got a second coat of anchorseal yesterday. I may even add a third since most are going to go into storage for a lot longer than I usually try and keep stuff!


Great gloat, Baxter. Can't wait to see some turnings out of that stock.
Thanks Bob. You never quite know what you are going to find in one of these burls. Just like everything else though. The first crotch piece I turned this morning had a rotting limb running right through the middle of it. Wasn't visible from the outside except for a small lump that I thought might be the beginning of another burl. So rather than a crotch platter, I ended up with this.
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The second one went more as planned. No much feathering but perhaps when it dries and I finish turn it deeper.
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Doesn't look exactly like the shop we have seen posted recently does it?;):D My helpers have already got it shoveled out so I am all set for the next ones. After a short tractor ride of course.

[David DeCristoforo]

OK... now I'm envious!

[Bob Bergstrom]

I think it is time to put a limit on the size of gloats. How is the next guy going to compete against this one. Baxter you got us all envious.

[Brian Effinger]

Wow! You weren't kidding about the cherry burls in your area. Great haul, but I have to agree with David - you suck, man! :D

[David E Keller]

I think it is time to put a limit on the size of gloats...

I think this is a good suggestion. Some of the folks on here are getting up in the years, and this much burl in one place is like a wood turner's stress test!

[Thomas Canfield]

Looks like a lot of good turning ahead. That 18" template on the crotch looks too small but shows the size. That was a lot of work just getting home, much less sealing, and then the green turning is ahead of you. Good luck.

[gary Zimmel]

Nice haul Baxter. That should keep you going for awhile..

[Baxter Smith]

I would normally feel bad for your soreness.....But I ain't gonna. ;)
Thats ok John. Who needs sympathy when "you got burl".:D

Wow! You weren't kidding about the cherry burls in your area. Great haul, but I have to agree with David - you suck, man! :D
Brian, I am just sorry I didn't have it before last weekend. I would have loaded up the back of the minivan and sent you guys home with a few. Some will still be here in the fall. I am sure your wife wouldn't mind getting seasick just so you could have one. She can even have one too!;):)

I think this is a good suggestion. Some of the folks on here are getting up in the years, and this much burl in one place is like a wood turner's stress test!
Bob and David, I apologize for any stress I caused! It won't happen again....... But if it does, I will only take a picture of half of it at one time.

Thanks for your comments. Hope you enjoyed the show and didn't get overly worked up.:)