# Walnut Burl



## beastmaster (Feb 1, 2011)

Today we dug up a probably 2000lb Walnut burl. I did the removal of the vary dead, but sound tree yesterday. My boss is convinced it may be vary valuable. He has sold them before in the past but his burl buyer connection is no longer in buisness.
Where does one sell a massive Walnut burl? His old buyer was a representative of Rolls Royce.
I checked on line and it seems like lots of sellers, but no buyers of Walnut burls. Our Excavator could barely drag it out of the hole. Thats where I get the 2000lb est. weight. We Craned it into a truck and didn't even bother tying it down. It wasn't going anywhere. It's heavy.
Anyone ever sell one or know of a buying and wants to share the info I'll pass it on to my Boss. Thanks. Beastmaster


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## buzz sawyer (Feb 1, 2011)

beastmaster said:


> Today we dug up a probably 2000lb Walnut burl. I did the removal of the vary dead, but sound tree yesterday. My boss is convinced it may be vary valuable. He has sold them before in the past but his burl buyer connection is no longer in buisness.
> Where does one sell a massive Walnut burl? His old buyer was a representative of Rolls Royce.
> I checked on line and it seems like lots of sellers, but no buyers of Walnut burls. Our Excavator could barely drag it out of the hole. Thats where I get the 2000lb est. weight. We Craned it into a truck and didn't even bother tying it down. It wasn't going anywhere. It's heavy.
> Anyone ever sell one or know of a buying and wants to share the info I'll pass it on to my Boss. Thanks. Beastmaster


 
Do mean the root or a burl on a tree that fell over and was buried? Walnut root is not always burled but has great grain and colors and seem easier to work with than the wood from above ground.


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## beastmaster (Feb 2, 2011)

This is a burl in the truest sense of the word. The tree was standing tell yesterday, but had been dead for maybe a year. I did the removal, then we dug up the burl.
The trunk was maybe 18 in. and ended in a large almost round black bark burl.(looks like a big growth) It was 3ft above ground and maybe 6ft across and shaped like a ball. There were 4 big roots coming off the ball maybe 16 or 18 in. underground, but no other roots.
Though time consuming, it wasn't really that hard to dig up. Nothing like a normal trunk and roots.
I've seen these before on walnuts, but not this big or round. Walnut trees are getting pretty rare in these parts. Most have been topped many years ago and are full of decay sitting in peoples yards. Beastmaster


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## ATH (Feb 2, 2011)

Try contacting some of the sellers to ask if they want to buy.

Local wood carving groups may be a good place to check out.

Maybe even try E-Bay.

I know of a guy in Illinois who is big into figured wood/niche marketing, but I cna't imagine it would pay much to ship 2,000 lbs from CA to IL.


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## RacerX (Feb 2, 2011)

Do you have any photo's? :camera:


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## PinnaclePete (Feb 2, 2011)

The original buyer was probably a broker for the sawmills, so that's where I'd start - just a few phone calls should get you started in the right direction. But it's got to be milled into veneer first to have any real market value.

High end cars, cabinant/furniture makers, private jet finishers, yacht builders, etc are the end users. There's a couple of jet finishers in town, and I'll go by every now and then and look through their "scrap" pile. Usually a motherlode of cut-offs I use for making boxes, pens and other small projects - unbelievable what some people throw away.

That burl should last years, so take your time and get the best $$$. Good luck.


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## John Paul Sanborn (Feb 4, 2011)

Several saw mills are the way to go, if it is the real thing they may bid against each other for it. Though the market is depressed the rarer woods usually always have a buyer.

The condition may be a degrading factor, with it being dead for a few years it may have started cracking.


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## treeslayer (Feb 4, 2011)

Call Winchester, they have a high end gunstock program I believe.


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## jefflovstrom (Feb 4, 2011)

Also, try posting this in the Wood carving and Turnig forum. Them guys never read stuff in this one.
Jeff


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## sgreanbeans (Feb 5, 2011)

Found this

Future Quest - Burl


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## 7oaks (Feb 5, 2011)

sgreanbeans said:


> Found this
> 
> Future Quest - Burl


 
Super link - answers all the questions. Wish I could find one of those burls! I'd retire!:msp_thumbsup:


Oh I am retired...:msp_wink:


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## lawrencetreeman (Feb 5, 2011)

In my Dad's retirement he is turning bowls. Just ship it to me I'm sure he would love to take it off your hands. Lol :msp_biggrin:


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## beastmaster (Feb 5, 2011)

sgreanbeans said:


> Found this
> 
> Future Quest - Burl


 The picture of the 2000 lb burl is half the size of the one we have sitting in the back of the crane right now. I keep forgetting to take a picture but I will soon.
Part of the tree(it had three leaders one trunk)was still alive but barely. That burl seems perfect. My boss is pretty shrewd and he seem to think its worth maybe 10,000.00 dollars. If so I'm going to start going on burl patrol around town. But with out a back hoe or excavator and a crane your not going to get a big one up and out. 
He had use be super careful not to nic or mar the burl at all getting it out.
He bid the job really low(removal and stump removal) and we had to replace part of an asphalt drive way to get it out, he's gambling it'll be worth it. I'll keep you all posted. Beastmaster.


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## John Paul Sanborn (Feb 5, 2011)

lawrencetreeman said:


> In my Dad's retirement he is turning bowls. Just ship it to me I'm sure he would love to take it off your hands. Lol :msp_biggrin:


 
That is the problem with (us) turners, we want all the wood for free, then expect to be able to sell the vessel for top dollar


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## lawrencetreeman (Feb 6, 2011)

Yea he gets all his wood free from my jobs, Lol Probably has close to 100 bowls finished in his shop. He's not the type to go to shows to try and sell them. I'm working on setting up a store on Etsy for him. Just not real sure how to price them. Lol


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## sgreanbeans (Feb 6, 2011)

beastmaster said:


> I'm going to start going on burl patrol around town.


 
Me too, seen one last year, foolish me, didn't know they where worth money, now if I can only remember where it was! Dont think it was near that size tho


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## SDB777 (Feb 6, 2011)

RacerX said:


> Do you have any photo's? :camera:


 
Hmmm,










Scott B


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## M.D. Vaden (Feb 6, 2011)

Is it like a small version of this 9 foot wide maple burl?






View attachment 171310


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## 7oaks (Feb 6, 2011)

WOW! that maple burl is beautiful. Wonder what it looks like opened. I have a friend who makes slab tables from maple burls. If I have time I'll uploaad a pic.


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## 7oaks (Feb 6, 2011)

*Slabbing maple burls*

Okay I made the time. :msp_wink:

Here he is slabbing a burl. His favorite saw is an old 066 with 42" bar. Each slab takes him about 3 minutes to cut. His chains are amazingly sharp full skip (he says it allows the chains to clear out). He uses a unique downward 30 degree angle on the teeth. He used to be a chain tester for Carlton.







Here he is with the pile of slabs he has curing in his shop.


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## jefflovstrom (Feb 6, 2011)

Wow!
Jeff


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## John Paul Sanborn (Feb 7, 2011)

That is some good cutting, I do worse with my Alaskan Mill.


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## 7oaks (Feb 8, 2011)

John Paul Sanborn said:


> That is some good cutting, I do worse with my Alaskan Mill.


 
Yeah he is impressive!


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## sgreanbeans (Feb 11, 2011)

Yeah, that was cool! Would be interested to learn more about how he sharpens those, can u elaborate?


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## Toddppm (Feb 11, 2011)

That guy has some skills to cut those freehand and keep them so straight! That's the kind of guy that I'd want to hang out with as much as possible to soak up his knowledge.


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## brookpederson (Feb 11, 2011)

Dose anyone know how figure or burls form?? I know some trees like maple, birch and walnut are more prone to it, and there are many different kinds. Like " birds eye, fiddle back, flame and pocking."
But I found a cottonwood tree at our local compost site that was completely full of " figure". Whoever took the tree down cut it into 24" rounds to lift by hand I guess, and dumped it all. I'm always on the lookout for treasure at the compost site weather it be firewood or saw logs for the sawmill, and I see these rounds with funny looking grain patterns.  
4 truck loads we hauled out, all of it was fully figured. About 1400 board feet @ 20.00 to 30.00 a bf. Most of it we cut into turning chunks, then slabed the rest for table tops. 
I will post some pics later today of some chunks and some pieces we have done.


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## brookpederson (Feb 11, 2011)

Here ya go! 
Cottonwood plater
Apple table table base w/ cottonwood table top
cottonwood vase


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## buzz sawyer (Feb 11, 2011)

Very nice! Glad you saved that.


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## 7oaks (Feb 11, 2011)

Brook...
That is some absolutely beautiful wood and even more creative use of it. Absolutely beautiful. As Buzz stated - glad you saved it.


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## 7oaks (Feb 12, 2011)

sgreanbeans said:


> Yeah, that was cool! Would be interested to learn more about how he sharpens those, can u elaborate?


 
For slabbing he uses a full skip chain with normal sharpening angles. He said he uses a full skip because it allows the wood chips to clear the bar faster.

On his cross cut chains he sharpens then with a 30 degree downward angle instead of the normal 30 degree upward angle. It makes the top edge of the tooth kinda concave. Very unusual. I've talked with a NW logger friend of mine who says he is familiar with that filing method and used it some out in Oregon.



Toddppm said:


> That guy has some skills to cut those freehand and keep them so straight! That's the kind of guy that I'd want to hang out with as much as possible to soak up his knowledge.



:agree2: I wish I had more time with him. He does some beautiful custom furniture. He gets burls and other unusual wood from all over the states and some from So America.


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