Around here the primary hardwood available (Other than the odd yard tree that someone takes down) is "paper birch" which can be pretty plain in it's usual form, but when you are lucky enough to find burls, the figure can be amazing.
I go in search of more exciting pieces of wood and burls whenever possible once the sap is down for the year. This burl is the latest......
I wish they could be found closer to the road, but most require a good hike and a pack board to retrieve.
This one was so symmetrical, I barely had to knock the corners off to mount it on the lathe.
Quite stunning figure!!
Very fortunate to have a member in our turning club with a Woodcut coring system, who was kind enough to core these for me......
All put away in paper bags now and the waiting can begin.....Good thing I have a rotation of seasoned wood now.