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A burl is made up of a tree’s bud tissue that has not sprouted into foliage or grown into a twig. It has a woody or barked surface. As a burl grows, it incorporates the tree’s undeveloped buds that surround it and folds them into its expanding form.
What is burl wood worth?
High-quality burl wood can run $5 a pound. A large trunk can clock in at 10,000 pounds, so “you have to put out $50,000 before you even cut it.”Jun 22, 2016.
What is special about burl wood?
The grain patterns in burl slabs are incredible. Often, the most burly pieces are old growth, meaning they have no sapwood and are considerably older than second or new growth pieces. These old growth pieces have distinct coloration, burly grain, and could also have mineral staining or voids.
How can you tell if wood is burl?
Burls can be identified by sight and touch. Walk near trees to observe their roots. Normal roots grow outward from the trunk and have a long, snakelike appearance. Examine the tree trunks. Touch the bark on the suspected burl if you can reach it. Look up and observe the tree branches.
Why are burls expensive?
The surprising story behind the beautiful, rare wood. Because the grain is twisted and interlocked, burl wood is extremely dense and resistant to splitting. Burls have become so valuable that poachers have even been known to cut them from the side of trees in national parks, such as the ancient redwoods in California.
Can you cut a burl without killing tree?
Skip Living Trees You should never cut burl wood from a living tree. Excising a bit of its trunk can kill the entire plant. No matter how beautiful a burl you have found, you need to skip it if the tree’s still alive.
How long does it take to dry a burl?
They are very dense, so air drying would take forever. But it’s not necessary, nor would I recommend waiting the standard 1 year per inch of thickness for a burl to air dry.
What do you do with a burl?
A single burl block can be resawn and mounted on a substrate to make a small-to-medium sized veneered panel, or added as an inlay into a larger project to contribute visual interest. Luthiers often use burl tops for guitar bodies or headstocks, and turners love burl pieces to make smaller items like pen blanks.
What are the big knots on trees called?
Tree knots are also known as “burls”. Burls form on the outside of trees as a reaction to stress.
Why do burls grow on trees?
A burl results from a tree undergoing some form of stress. It may be caused by an injury, virus or fungus. Almost all burl wood is covered by bark, even if it is underground. Insect infestation and certain types of mold infestation are the most common causes of this condition.
What is the rarest burl wood?
Camphor Burl, Cinnamumum camphor, is a rare burl from Southeast Asia that is highly prized.
How much are oak burls worth?
Most burls, especially layered burls, are not particularly valuable. On the other hand, a larger eyed burl in good condition should bring $25 to $200 depending on size, species and condition. I have had burls up to 8 feet in diameter, and many in the 4-5 foot range. Those can be worth $500 or more.
How much is a black walnut burl worth?
Depending on texture, weight, and size, the walnut burl can cost as much as $3,000 to $30,000. When you buy it from the store, the price you may have to pay may range from $2.00 to $1.80 per pound for the first and the second 1000-pound respectively.
How much is cherry burl worth?
Cherry burls, like most other species, can be quite valuable because of the variations of the reds in the wood combined with cherry being a very good to work with for pretty much any sort of woodworking. I have seen pricing range from $0.25-2.00 on green wood by the pound to $10-25 per board foot.
What makes knots in a tree?
As a tree continues to grow, its lower branches tend to die off and their bases may become overgrown and enclosed by subsequent layer of trunk wood. This leads to the formation of an imperfection in the tree trunk that we refer to as a knot.
What is cherry burl?
Cherry Burl is a domestic wood that is usually considered to be in the same class as mahogany for usage in the United States. It is described as wood for fine furniture. The stiff and strong wood is reported to work easily with both hand and machine tools.
How do you treat wood burls?
Clean burled wood that is sealed with polyurethane by adding mild dish soap to warm water. Dip a clean, lint-free cloth into the solution and wring it out until it is damp. Wipe the surface of the burled wood, and then dry it with a second clean cloth.
