Cutting Burl - How do I do it?

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Old Blue

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I have lucked into an English Walnut stem. It's about 27" on the bottom and it widens out to about 3 feet in the center wide spot. This is a yard tree and the wide spot may be a graft joint.

The center wide spot has a burl sticking out about 12-15 inches from the stem and is about 18-24 inches long where it connects with the stem.

One side of the stem has a lot of smaller burly knots along it.

Is there any way to go about slicing this stem to give the best use of the burl?

Any suggestions for slice thickness or uses for burl slices?

As my luck usually goes, two of the main limbs off the crown were cut off a long time ago. One is rotted and there is rot in the center of the stem at the base - maybe one third of the diameter in the center extending up may be 1-2 feet up or so it looks.

I will be finding some rot and will find out just how much when I slice it. It looks like I will cut it tomorrow on Sunday.

Any advice or suggestions are welcome.
Thanks in advance.

Old Blue
Where they are gonna find a way to tax hobby milling as soon as they find out about it. In..................
Kali-bone-ya
 
Well, I got a serious case of A$$whip from that MOFO walnut stem. Actually I don't think "walnut stem" is the most accurate term for the demonic SOB from he11.

It would be more accurate to refer to it as the concrete receptical or metal pipe cloaking device. I have heard about some of the BS that can be found in yard trees and now I have experienced it first hand, multiple times.

I am having a hard time believing just how little usable wood that such a large stem can contain. If I can ever shake this case of arboreal disfunction, I may post a few picks of the demonic ba$tard stem from he11.

I can't believe how much of my life I wasted on this thing. I toasted 4 milling chains @ 123 links ea and two of my little 20" crosscut chains.

The only bright spot is that I am now experiencing chain sharpening trial by fire, and am actually getting the hang of it (many thanks Bob - I owe you a serious beer or two)

Rant off. Done pissin and moanin for the moment. (warning multi beer post)

Old Blue
Where they'll start taxing chain sharpening activities any minute now. In....................
Kali-bone-ya
 
I have lucked into an English Walnut stem. It's about 27" on the bottom and it widens out to about 3 feet in the center wide spot. This is a yard tree and the wide spot may be a graft joint.

The center wide spot has a burl sticking out about 12-15 inches from the stem and is about 18-24 inches long where it connects with the stem.

One side of the stem has a lot of smaller burly knots along it.

Is there any way to go about slicing this stem to give the best use of the burl?

Any suggestions for slice thickness or uses for burl slices?

As my luck usually goes, two of the main limbs off the crown were cut off a long time ago. One is rotted and there is rot in the center of the stem at the base - maybe one third of the diameter in the center extending up may be 1-2 feet up or so it looks.

I will be finding some rot and will find out just how much when I slice it. It looks like I will cut it tomorrow on Sunday.

Any advice or suggestions are welcome.
Thanks in advance.

Old Blue
Where they are gonna find a way to tax hobby milling as soon as they find out about it. In..................
Kali-bone-ya
Blue,
I just picked up an Oak burl from a friends ranch and plan to mill it as soon as I get my mill back together. I was luck on this burl as it was above ground. I have a second one still at the ranch I just didn't have time to get, next trip up there. So I shouldn't have problems with hitting metal since this is from a big ranch.
jerry-
Burl 1a.jpeg

Burl 2a.jpeg
 
Are you sure the burl is English walnut? Most English walnuts in the orchards in California are grafted on black walnut root stock.
 
You should really consider getting a bandsaw mill on that burl. You don't want to waste any of that wonderful burl. Yes, many west coast walnuts are English stock grafted to American black root stock. Any way you "slice" it, it should wind up spectacular.
 
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