Kiln drying Burl

[kevin nee]

I had a Burl sliced up at the bandsaw mill a couple of months ago.
A local kilm has told me they will have some room at the end of the month.
I put this under a tarp and it is stickered. My question is should I chain saw
cut off any checking and anchor seal the fresh cut ends? This has been cut
in slabs 1 to 5 inches thick and it is red oak. It is a good size Burl.

[William Bachtel]

Red Oak Burl cracks easy, as you will find out, epoxy is your friend. Now about drying it, I wood anchorseal all sides and stick it, but do not cover it because it will mold. I wood put it under cover sheet metal, a porch is good. Enjoy

[Reed Gray]

Kiln drying is an art. Not all wood species will dry well together in a kiln. Generally they want all the pieces to be the same thickness. I would not put anything in the kiln that is over 2 inches thick, unless they were rough turned, which would probably be the best option for most of the burl. Also, burl doesn't dry like normal dimensional lumber. At least ask the kiln operator if they have any experience drying burl.

robo hippy