Burl Slab Question

[Jonathan Spool]

I just picked up a huge Big Leaf Maple burl stump. Around 6-7ft in diameter at the base and 6 ft tall. The bottom is solid with no rot or apparent gaps, so I am thinking of having a couple slabs cut off for future table tops. Being that the burl is the full diameter of the tree, the center consists of the growth rings and pith. All of the circumference is burl. Is it possible to slab a full diameter piece like this (perhaps at 4" thick) and not have it split?

[Jamie Buxton]

It is extremely unlikely. Bruce Hoadley's book Understanding Wood is a great education in the physics of wood for any woodworker.

[Harvey Pascoe]

I would also say "no", its going to warp and split but there is quite a bit of literature on ways to deal with that from old timers like George Nakashima. Try looking in the old FWW magazines which have many articles on working with thick slabs. Basically, the way to work with that wood is to design around the inevitable and find ways to stress relieve the wood and to incorporate that into your design.