I noticed what looked like a burl on an old cherry tree in my back yard, so decided to cut it off. Not having a chain saw, I used an old pruning saw; it took about an hour and a half (with rest stops). Next time I'll rent a chain saw. It weighed about 7.5 pounds, and measured roughly 12" x 10" x 7" thick. Here's a picture of it after it came off the tree:
I e-mailed Mark at burlsource about cutting it into blocks for knife handles. He said he'd be happy to do it, but the postage would be fearful. So I went to the Sacramento Woodcraft store, where a guy named Adam agreed to cut it up for $40. He also told me it's a bunion, not a burl (it doesn't have the "pins" that create the birdseye effect in burls). I picked it up today; here's a pic of it sliced like a ham:
The inside was actually way better than I expected; it has growth bands and even some rays (I have no idea what the proper terminology is). I'll let it dry completely for several months, cut it further into handle-sized blocks, then send it off to K&G for dyeing and stabilizing. Here's a final picture of what the inside looks like:
It's going to be hard to wait.........
I e-mailed Mark at burlsource about cutting it into blocks for knife handles. He said he'd be happy to do it, but the postage would be fearful. So I went to the Sacramento Woodcraft store, where a guy named Adam agreed to cut it up for $40. He also told me it's a bunion, not a burl (it doesn't have the "pins" that create the birdseye effect in burls). I picked it up today; here's a pic of it sliced like a ham:
The inside was actually way better than I expected; it has growth bands and even some rays (I have no idea what the proper terminology is). I'll let it dry completely for several months, cut it further into handle-sized blocks, then send it off to K&G for dyeing and stabilizing. Here's a final picture of what the inside looks like:
It's going to be hard to wait.........