Thread: Need info from a woodworking expert

I was once a college student and I don't remember having a lot of money or a place to store a band saw. I would look for a small reputable cabinet maker in your area and have him saw it for you. Tell him exactly what you are trying to accomplish, shoot the bull for a while and he will probably saw your pieces for a very low price. Just my opinion for what it's worth. Good luck with your search..

Yea I was looking the other day, and there are a few nearby. I'm going to make some calls next week. I have a feeling it won't be too expensive, hopefully free. Here's the wood in question.

Nice, is it stabilised burl?

Yes it is, but I'm still new to wood stuff, so I don't know how I would be able to verify the claim. It is from a reputable ebay seller, so I'm assuming it is legit. I am going to get a brush made in similar burl. I am wondering if I should try my first go at a CA finish on less desirable wood or just wing it? I'm so excited to see it all come together.

Although I have never worked with burl, I do recall another member saying it was brittle, and should be backed with another veneer. The only razor I have in burl has ebony veneer for that purpose.

I went this route because my TI razor has buckeye burl scales, and they are solid. It seems I have some more research to do before I commit to this. Thanks for the input.

You have to be careful working with burl. The irregular grain pattern that gives it its beauty can also make it crack, break, and fly apart on you. Stabilizing it with a wood hardener, glue, epoxy, or whatever makes it workable with a lower chance of it breaking apart while working with it. For thin sections like razor scales, backing it with a solid veneer is a good idea.

Those TI scales look like they were stabilized with epoxy under pressure.

Check with the place you bought your burl from and see if it is stabilized and what type of stabilization it has.