Alaskan Birch Burl HF

[Don Robert]

Here is the birch burl HF I mentioned in Steve's post about his birch burl bowl. I've put a dime in the picture for judging relative size. The turquoise-filled crack is visible in one of the pictures. There were three bark inclusions in the burl. These add to the character of the piece, IMHO - but I'm probably biased. Finish is Minwax Tung Oil to "pop" the grain, followed by shellac to promote adhesion, followed by a WB pre-catalyzed conversion varnish (about 7 coats, sprayed off the lathe), and then rubbed out.

While in Alaska, I had seen several burls but I didn't have any time to look around to buy or acquire one. We had dinner with my cousin the night before we flew back to AZ and he had three burls in his garage that he had cut off of logs in the "fire wood" pile on the army base. Didn't seem to know what he was going to do with them (he is a "flat work" man, and has no lathe). I offered to buy one and settled for a free one - what a negotiator my cousin is! We trimmed it down so it fit in a $9 pre-paid USPO shipping box. My cousin mailed it the day we left and it arrived three days after we did, still wet and unchecked. After turning it spent a few hours in DNA and then went on the drying rack for three weeks. The dried rough out was extremely hard.

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[David Walser]

Don,

You did a great job with some very nice wood. I had no idea birch could be so pretty.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Beautiful hollow form Don! Great looking wood and finish! Really like the contrast of the bark, turquoise and the chatoyance. Looking forward to seeing more of your work!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great looking HF out of some great looking wood. Well done.

[Don Robert]

Thanks for the comments, everyone.

Steve, I had to Google "chatoyance," so thanks for putting a new word in my vocabulary. Keep us up-to-date with the birch burl bowl.

[Chris Barnett]

That could have kept someone warm for maybe...what, 5 minutes up there! Instead you turned it into something to enjoy for a long, long time. You gonna let cuz see a picture of how you treated his firewood? :D Perhaps someone could get the gov to proclaim no burl burnin' in 'Laska' . Might get her a few woodie votes.....'gin...might not.
Your bowl looks like polished onyx....nice.

[Dan Oliphant]

Very nicely done. Great finish too. Now you need to send it back to your cousin, just might turn him into a turner.