burl harvesting ?

[Steve Russell tucker]

IMAG0113-1.jpgIMAG0115-1.jpgIMAG0109-1.jpg So I have access to this tree with these giant burls on them and as always I have a few questions... 1. how should I cut them off to maximize the burl and 2. since I am positive they are way to big for me to turn on my lathe ,can I sell them? like is there a certain place I should try first does anyone have any experience with selling burls or should I just stick with craigslist and Ebay? as always thank you all for your time
Thank you ,
S.

[Wendell Steele]

Is the tree dead ?

[Steve Russell tucker]

No sir it is not ,its on my dads land and long story short ...its in the way ,I was just trying to help him out by seeing what, if any market there would be from something like that .

[John K Jordan]

What kind of wood? What size? Note that the useful figure in some large gnarly burls may not extend far from the surface.

Harvesting burls is tricky business. You never know what you will find - amazing burls or a worthless mess falling apart from ring shake, bark inclusions, rot, and critters. Some burl-like growths are useless overgrowth by a tree repairing damage.

It is easier to decide how to cut a large single burl but a jumble of burls can be a puzzle. Best way I know is to cut the tree, evaluate, take a guess and make a cut, re-evaluate, etc.

Marketing is a whole other issue. Shipping a heavy burl is so expensive that only spectacular burls are worth it. I have seen people make a business shipping thick slabs cut from giant burls across the country for use as table tops, etc. Very expensive. Smaller burls, not so much, even if you can find a local buyer. I know a guy who tried to make a go at selling wood on the internet and eventually gave up. Maybe Craigslist, depending on your area, or wholesale chunks to a dealer? Take the best pieces to your turning club, cut so they can see the figure and well waxed? I find nice wood has more value to urban turners who may not have access to free wood.

[pause here in this reply while I ran out to catch a horse and tried to figure where he jumped over the fence!]

Selling burls may also be complicated by a sawmill practice in some areas - I know a local sawyer who throws burls in a corner and gives them free to anyone who wants them.

Moving green wood my also trigger regulations in place to prevent the spread of disease and pests - I would check first.

I personally don't cut trees from my property unless a storm or new road or barn takes them down. I like living trees, but even if I didn't and had an excess the return on logs is so small it's not worth the trouble. I once had some beautiful large red oaks come down and with a great effort cut and hauled and loaded on my big trailer. The sawmill offered me $60 for the lot. Soon after that I bought my own sawmill!

JKJ

[Pat Scott]

2. since I am positive they are way to big for me to turn on my lathe ,can I sell them?

You can always cut a bigger piece into smaller pieces that will fit on your lathe. That's what I'd do anyway.

I'm no expert on burls or harvesting them, but these burls look like a bunch of little bumps is all. Trying to cut off each individual bump/burl might be a pain and not worth it.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

I am willing to bet there is no highly figured wood in those trees. The growths are small and most likely not burls but scars from bark damage. The only way to find out is to cut and thereby kill the tree. Probably not worthwhile financially.
faust

[Dan Hintz]

I know a local sawyer who throws burls in a corner and gives them free to anyone who wants them.

I... hate... you... (where do you live again, and what is this sawyer's location? )

[John K Jordan]

I... hate... you... (where do you live again, and what is this sawyer's location? )

No problem, sometimes I hate myself, especially when use cocobolo for kindling. (It burns so well)

i'm in east Tennessee. The guy who showed me the pile of burls is local. I picked up a small cherry burl - the other one was too big to handle. He said some guys with lathes stop in regularly. I haven't been back to see him since I got my own Woodmizer sawmill.

You might check with sawmills in your area and northern VA, etc. Others may do the same. Woodfinder.com lists sawmills all over and the WoodMizer web site will pinpoint their customers who choose to be listed.


JKJ

[Dan Hintz]

I just can't believe someone in the wood selling business would give away burls...