Glen McLeod
11-25-2005, 11:41 PM
Hello folks
I've been a browser of this site for a while now and just decided to register and possibly get some ideas for my project.
In my yard I have a big old maple tree that was badly burned many years ago. I'm assuming somebody tried to kill it by getting a fire going under the roots. As a result, the tree healed itself by forming burls just above the roots and kept on growing.
I have watched the burls grow over the 19 years that I've lived here, and put up with constantly cleaning up under the giant tree. The time has come when I need to remove the tree to relieve the pressure of cleanup. The burls are approximately four feet high and grow all the way around the tree, but there is an opening on one side and the inside is hollow. It measures 30 feet around the outside of the burls.
I'm carefully hand digging around the roots below the burls and will cut the roots off. It's close to being ready to cut the roots and remove it. I'll store it in an outbuilding and remove all the rotten wood from the inside and bark from the outside. Then I will decide what to make out of it.
Because of the fire the burls are just a shell of approximately 6 inches in thickness, so I'm thinking it will dry pretty well. The idea I have for it is to have the entire piece upside down and place a granite slab on top to make a bar.
I have a picture that I'll try to send on my next post, I tried already but ended up losing everything I typed, so I'll play it safe and send this post first.
I'd appreciate any advice and input that you wood working experts may have. Thanks.
Glen
I've been a browser of this site for a while now and just decided to register and possibly get some ideas for my project.
In my yard I have a big old maple tree that was badly burned many years ago. I'm assuming somebody tried to kill it by getting a fire going under the roots. As a result, the tree healed itself by forming burls just above the roots and kept on growing.
I have watched the burls grow over the 19 years that I've lived here, and put up with constantly cleaning up under the giant tree. The time has come when I need to remove the tree to relieve the pressure of cleanup. The burls are approximately four feet high and grow all the way around the tree, but there is an opening on one side and the inside is hollow. It measures 30 feet around the outside of the burls.
I'm carefully hand digging around the roots below the burls and will cut the roots off. It's close to being ready to cut the roots and remove it. I'll store it in an outbuilding and remove all the rotten wood from the inside and bark from the outside. Then I will decide what to make out of it.
Because of the fire the burls are just a shell of approximately 6 inches in thickness, so I'm thinking it will dry pretty well. The idea I have for it is to have the entire piece upside down and place a granite slab on top to make a bar.
I have a picture that I'll try to send on my next post, I tried already but ended up losing everything I typed, so I'll play it safe and send this post first.
I'd appreciate any advice and input that you wood working experts may have. Thanks.
Glen