Wild Cherry Burl - Rough Out or Turn Thin?

[Baxter Smith]

Looking for some advice again!

3-8-08 Wild Cherry Burl 004.jpg

Cut a wild cherry branch about 2 weeks ago that had several small burls on it. I immediately anchorsealed the ends and no checking is evident in the branch ends. I am going to try and turn some of this tomorrow. My searches have come up with wild cherry burl is very prone to checking. (Just what I like!) So-any suggestions as to how to proceed? Turn it thin as fast as possible then bag it, or rough it out then anchor seal it and bag it. Thought I might turn off the dust collector while turning and have the CA bottle open.

I will only get some very small bowls or plates but any other suggestions for orientation NE at the top, pith side at the top etc...

Need to go change the oil and rotate the tires on my wood hauling van!

Thanks as always!

[John Keeton]

Baxter, no advice on the burl. The one piece I turned for a goblet was dry - beautiful stuff, though!! If I were doing it, I think I would turn it thin - quickly, and then coat with BLO and shellac. I had great success on a thin walnut goblet I turned (no burl) doing that. It didn't move at all, and was dry within a week.

But, others with more experience may have better thoughts.

But, let me add, you are individually responsible for the increase in lumber prices!! You are harvesting wood faster than most mills!

[John Shuk]

Finish turn it and let it do it's thing. I just got a bunch of those this winter as well.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Baxter I have turned a couple of cherry burls. I turn them thin and then saturate them with Antique Oil. Soaking them for about 10 to 15 minutes. Both turned out well but did move a little but not bad.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Baxter - checking occurs when the wood dries to fast. One way to slow that process down is to have a spray bottle of water next to the lathe and if the wood is starting to dry out - spray it. Once you have it however thick you want it - then DNA, anchorseal or whatever you normally do to control the drying process. Even if you turn it to finished thickness - be sure to slow down the drying process or it will check!

Good luck!

[Baxter Smith]

Baxter, no advice on the burl. The one piece I turned for a goblet was dry - beautiful stuff, though!! If I were doing it, I think I would turn it thin - quickly, and then coat with BLO and shellac. I had great success on a thin walnut goblet I turned (no burl) doing that. It didn't move at all, and was dry within a week.

But, others with more experience may have better thoughts.

But, let me add, you are individually responsible for the increase in lumber prices!! You are harvesting wood faster than most mills!

Thanks John. I will go with the turn thin and BLO on the first one. Doing it quickly enough may be the problem.

Finish turn it and let it do it's thing. I just got a bunch of those this winter as well.

Thanks John. Hopefully at this time tomorrow it will be "doing its thing".

Baxter I have turned a couple of cherry burls. I turn them thin and then saturate them with Antique Oil. Soaking them for about 10 to 15 minutes. Both turned out well but did move a little but not bad.

Bernie, thats what I have used on almost all of my apple, plum and birch bowls and vases that were turned thin. Between that and the bagging for at least 6 weeks in a cold area they havn't cracked. Will try the AO on burl II.

Baxter - checking occurs when the wood dries to fast. One way to slow that process down is to have a spray bottle of water next to the lathe and if the wood is starting to dry out - spray it. Once you have it however thick you want it - then DNA, anchorseal or whatever you normally do to control the drying process. Even if you turn it to finished thickness - be sure to slow down the drying process or it will check!

Good luck!

Thanks Steve. Will keep the spray bottle handy. One should be "in the bag" tomorrow.

[charlie knighton]

Baxtor,

you have 4 pieces, you may want to try the cardborad barrels or cardboard box method. i would not anchorseal with the cardboard, just some dry shavings. i turned a piece of box elder into hf that aged for 8 months in a cardboard barrel, no cracks, it turned very well

i have put cherry but no cherry burl in the barrels and it cracked thru the sapwood and the heartwood was fine, if anyone would care to send me some cherry burl i would and could do the experiment, and report back

[Allen Neighbors]

Turn it thin as fast as possible then bag it, or rough it out then anchor seal it and bag it. Thanks as always!

Baxter, don't know if this'll help you or not, but when I'm turning something green, and want to turn it to finished thickness, as soon as I get the outside shaped, I spray it with soapy water. I have an old 409 spray bottle, that I keep full of soapy water (Ivory clear dish washing detergent)... a mixture of about 90% water/10%soap. I keep the outside of the piece wet with the soap mixture, while I'm turning the inside. Keeps it from cracking -- at least until it's finished.
The soapsuds don't dry as fast as just plain water.

[Baxter Smith]

Baxtor,

you have 4 pieces, you may want to try the cardborad barrels or cardboard box method. i would not anchorseal with the cardboard, just some dry shavings. i turned a piece of box elder into hf that aged for 8 months in a cardboard barrel, no cracks, it turned very well

i have put cherry but no cherry burl in the barrels and it cracked thru the sapwood and the heartwood was fine, if anyone would care to send me some cherry burl i would and could do the experiment, and report back

You didn't include your address! I anchorsealed a bunch of apple pieces yesterday and stuck them all into a big cardboard box. Temperatures are on the rise here which may not be a good thing for my green wood supply.

Baxter, don't know if this'll help you or not, but when I'm turning something green, and want to turn it to finished thickness, as soon as I get the outside shaped, I spray it with soapy water. I have an old 409 spray bottle, that I keep full of soapy water (Ivory clear dish washing detergent)... a mixture of about 90% water/10%soap. I keep the outside of the piece wet with the soap mixture, while I'm turning the inside. Keeps it from cracking -- at least until it's finished.
The soapsuds don't dry as fast as just plain water.

Thanks Alan. Does the leftover soap have any effect on the finish you apply later? I can see how it would be beneficial if you were rough turning. Does final sanding at the end take off any residue?

[Allen Neighbors]

No harm to the finishing process... at all... and actually smells good, when sanding.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Hi Baxter, nice looking little burls, the splitting is not as bad as with the regular straight grained wood.
As the grain (if you can call it that), goes every which way, and so the shrinking does the same thing, you will get a lot of small short splits if any, if you finish turn it thin and let dry slow you will get very little splitting in most cases, rough turning it and slow drying will probably give you a bit more splitting, still not bad, that is one of the good things with burls, the turning can be more of a problem in getting a nice smooth surface right off the tool, it'll be more sanding probably, just give it your best shot, and have fun, they should be nice pieces in what I can see there ;-))

[charlie knighton]

Baxter,

pm sent