Buckeye Burl

[Ken Glass]

Hey All,
Here is a Buckeye Burl that I received yesterday from California. It is 16" x 13" x 3". I really like the Burl Cap side and want to turn something showing the Burl up and not turn most of it away on the bottom, if that makes sense? I was thinking of turning a rimmed bowl either centered or offset on the burl side. I am not sure it would look alright with just a rimmed bowl and the rest of the face in burl cap. I would like some opinions and ideas and a reference to a burl turned that way would go a long way in my decision making for this one. Thanks.

[Tim Rinehart]

Ok...first off, nice looking chunka buckeye! I love the stuff.
I'll throw something out that I would consider, were it my piece and wanting to show off some of the burly knots.

Whether you waste block or tenon into the piece is your call...I'd probably use a waste block as the BEB can be pretty soft and give way on jaws.

The cut side is your bottom and I would shape to roughly an irregular hemisphere (i.e bowl bottom). Then turn just a smallish bowl in center of that section (or offset for drama!), leaving a big rim around of the gnarly stuff.

Just one idea!

[Ken Glass]

Tim,
Thanks for the response. If I understand your idea, it is to use the knotty burl side to shape a bowl into, whether offset or not and use the flat side as the bottom, correct. If so, that is how I wanted to do it, but haven't seen any done that way, have you? Here is an example of a Red Mallee I turned a few months ago, but it is reversed of what I was going to do. I want to leave almost all the knotty portion of the Burl on outside the turned bowl area. Has anyone seen the configuration?

[David DeCristoforo]

I made a small platter with the "burl side up". I don't know if this is what you were envisioning or not...

burl_platter_2.jpg

[Tim Rinehart]

I made a small platter with the "burl side up". I don't know if this is what you were envisioning or not...

burl_platter_2.jpg

By Jove...I think that's it! Have any side shots of this piece David.

[Ken Glass]

I made a small platter with the "burl side up". I don't know if this is what you were envisioning or not...

burl_platter_2.jpg

Yep, that's what I'm looking for.. David, like Tim said, do you have any side/bottom shots?

[David DeCristoforo]

Here's a "side shot". I don't have any of the underside but I may have a chance to take one....

burl_platter_3.jpg

[Ken Glass]

All,
I would like to leave the knotty Burl intact as is, except, for the area of the rimmed bowl. what do you think, Good, bad or ugly?

[Bill Wyko]

That looks like a burl I was bidding on and lost. A real beauty for sure. Can't wait to see what you make.

[Jamie Donaldson]

It appears that the center bark inclusion goes all the way through the cap, and it's unfortunate that the blank was sawed flat on the 2 sides. This is an example of the hard design decisions that must be applied to each individual burl project.

[Rick Markham]

I made a small platter with the "burl side up". I don't know if this is what you were envisioning or not...

burl_platter_2.jpg

That looks like a Holy Platter to me (That's super cool by the way!)

[Ken Glass]

All,
After pondering the design over and over, I think I might take the logical route and turn the flat side into a bowl, and will leave as much Burl on the other side as I can. I might stand it up and display it with a front back view, but after I start turning it, that might change too. One things for sure, it will be fun.

Bill,
I did get it off eBay for the bargain price of $21, but I'll let you know if it was a bargain after all, after I try and turn it into something. I have been trying to envision something from it for a couple days now.