How would you cut it?

[Norris Randall]

Hello All,
I just picked up this cherry laurel burl from a friend that got it from a "forester".
Don't know how long it has been cut, but it doesn't show much checking ..yet.

Please suggest what would be a good cut pattern, and other handling/storage etc.
My lathe will accept 12 inch material.

Thanks for each and every reply. Norris

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[Tim Rinehart]

Norris, kinda depends on what kind of forms you are comfortable with. Keep in mind, the best presentation of this will typically be to show off the burl just under the bark on the 'gnarly' area shown in last pic to the right side.
This area under the bark, where the burly eyes typically are, would be the 'bottom' of a bowl, or the 'top' of a hollow form or vase.
You could get something larger by by taking pic 3 and consider it the 'bottom' of a larger piece, but you will end up with one side having the burl and the other not. So...kinda depends.
Looks like a nice chunk of burl, nice score!

[Jeff Myroup]

I would slice the burl cap off and make a natural edge bowl.

[Roger Chandler]

I like the advice Tim Rinehart gave you above..........the area just under the bark will have the burl eyes, and that is the figure you want most to show in your turning. What type of form you chose will determine the way you want to cut.

[Chris Studley]

I would show tha blank to My wife to Illistrate that I need a bigger Lathe...

I would then Inform the Dog that He will have a roommate in his house this evening:).

[Tim Rinehart]

I would show tha blank to My wife to Illistrate that I need a bigger Lathe...

I would then Inform the Dog that He will have a roommate in his house this evening:).

Now there's a "thinking man's" solution!! Well played Chris!

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Nice score! This may not be of any immediate help, but a mentor of mine said, you can cut the blank into 3 choices. A) the biggest bowl, B) the most bowls OR C) the nicest bowl. It is usually an OR. For you, since the blank is big, and since it's a nice big chunk, I'd go with making as many as possible, but it is really hard to tell without really taking a look at what the wood had to offer.

Good luck!

Oh, you may consider option A, which may require you to have the Dog move over a couple nights.... That looks bigger than my lathe can handle....

[Kevin Bourque]

Cut it in half. Give me one piece and keep the other for yourself.

[Bob Bergstrom]

Get the most burl in one bowl without any plain wood present. Go for quality instead of quantity. Make something else from the cutoffs. My .02.

[Thomas Canfield]

Making a big bowl of the burl cap sounds best to me. I would take a 12" (or slightly less) diameter cardboard disk and see how that fit to the cap. I would then mark the 12" swing limit on the cap and also mark the center. I use a 2-3/4" Forstner bit to make a flat spot to use a woodworm screw in a Stronghold chuck or a 2-1/2" faceplate and use a bubble level to check the edges for best elevation and adjust the flat spot if required. Then you have to either use a chain saw to work the blank down to turnable dimensions.

[Norris Randall]

Thanks to all replies.
When the "cap" is mentioned I assume it is the section
shown on this new pic that is to the right side of the
mark added to the pic.
Am I correct?
Should I move the cut line right or left?
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[Thomas Canfield]

Norris,

I would move the cut line to the left and give yourself more thickness to work with. You can always shorten the height, but it is hard to increase without it looking like you had a boo-boo. If the bark is removed, then your piece will also get a lot smaller, and some bark will not hold on depending when the section was cut.

[Norris Randall]

235632235633
235631Thanks to all for your suggestions-comments. Now may I ask for a few more of the same?
I just cut as shown in the three photos. I notice the original cut is already checking.
Should I seal all cuts and wait (how long)---- OR get to work and rough out some pieces.
I just read a few posts about soaking in detergent/water bath. Thought I'd try that.
What say you?

[Brian Ashton]

I'm guessing its quite a rare piece and thus the decision for what to use it for needs to be a careful one... To buy a lot of time to make that decision if you have a chest freezer you could throw it in there till you decide. I had a freezer that I kept rare woods in for years - whole logs at times until I had the perfect project. Often times the wood was quite dry and crack free by the time I pulled it out to use from freezer burn.

[Norris Randall]

Brian, Thanks for this "new" information. I've never heard or thought of freezing as a way to cure a piece.
Now if I can locate a spot in the back/bottom shelf I'll see if I can slip a piece in for a "long summers nap."
It is summer "around" here in Alabama.

[Robert Henrickson]

If the original cut is already checking, you might be better off turning it now -- at least rough turning.