One big mutha burl!!

[Fred Voorhees]

Now mind you, I'm not even sure that "burl" would be the right terminology for this huge thing on this tree - though I'm pretty sure that that is what we would call it. I'm sure someone can inform me what we would call such a thing.

I have known about this growth on this tree for probably fifteen to twenty years. I had rode past it on a back road numerous times on my way to and from different work locations and it has always seemed to be this size. I always wanted to snap a picture of it and today I finally did. I hadn't seen it in quite a while and wondered if it was even still there. But, riding up the road today, I saw it when I was still maybe 100 yards away!

I set my digital camera on the timer setting so that I could get over to it and pose with it to give it some scale. I also took a quick measurement and it almost tops out at nearly six feet across.

I am also not sure what species of tree it is and would be interested in someone telling me what they think about the species. I'm sorry to say that today I saw the first evidence that the tree is well on its way out. As you can see in the one picture, the upper reaches of the tree look as though rot has set in and it is well on its way to dieing. Also, on the opposite side of the burl in the picture, it is exibiting obvious signs of rotting away. Pity because I can only imagine what beautiful things could be possibly created with the wild grain structure inside.

[Jim Becker]

OMG...Fred, old buddy, old pal...that sure is a burl and an incredible one, at that! I sure wouldn't care what species, either... Of course, that's a living tree on presumably someone's private property, so it's likely not going to find it's way into our shops. Oh, well...Of course, you should keep your eye on it...just in case.

[Cliff Newton]

I'm no tree surgeon, but I'm pretty sure that poor thing has a cancerous growth and must be put out of it's misery

[Mike Mastin]

Its hard to believe that someone with a chainsaw has not tried to rustle that bad boy before now

[John Shuk]

I think you should inform the property owner that their tree may have cancer and that you could perform a "burlopsy" to find out. What a mother of all burls that is. I'm kind of leaning toward Oak with that tree. Best would be to get a leaf in the spring.

[Jim Dunn]

Kinda looks like something that's growing on my mother-in-law

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Any chance you have talked to the property owner? If it looks like the tree may be dieing anyway, you may be able to harvest that thing!

[Mike Mastin]

I think you should inform the property owner that their tree may have cancer and that you could perform a "burlopsy" to find out. What a mother of all burls that is. I'm kind of leaning toward Oak with that tree. Best would be to get a leaf in the spring.

It looks like a Red Oak to me. Oak burls are typically not the premier burls that people seek out, but if its free, there are always bowls to turn!

[Donnie Raines]

That would make one heck of a bowl!!...anyone here got a lathe that big???...

[John Shuk]

I've seen pictures of a lathe that uses a toyota transmission for spped control.

[Steve Inniss]

Fred, Wow. From afar, it looks like red oak to me too. You should have a look at the majority of leaves at your feet there in the pic - particularly, groups of leaves on the bottom of low spots.
Since the tree is on the decline and the living portion will only last a season or two(or so it looks from the pic), I'd ask the owner about it. They may want the majority for firewood anyway - and before it goes punky, to say nothing of a bowl from part of the burl. It also may be close enough that it is part of the road allowance.

Nahm once hads on a guy from Washington state who turned monster stuff on a custom lathe. He used a forktruck and or hoist to mount the pieces, the lathe turned at only @ few - like 10 max RPM and the "gouge" was actually a router (running of course) that he manipulated mechanically into the piece.
-Steve

[Lou Morrissette]

WOW!!! If we could find a lathe big enough, we could turn the worlds most decorative hot tub.

Lou

[Andy London]

That is an amazing one, we have some pretty massive ones here in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, my buddy, a full time turner, turns mainly bases for tables with burls, some are 6' across. I picked up a few myself and had them milled, he had some bigger than my truck