Thread: Stub Tail Restoration Project

Originally Posted by TwistedOak

very nice finished product. Where do you get those fruit tree burls?

I live near a half dozen or so orchards and farms. This peach burl came from my aunt's property in Georgia, my cousin was nice enough to mail it to me.

I get apple, pear, plum, cherry, and fig (not for scales, but for models) from local farms. Just call and ask them if they have any downed trees that you can get some wood from. They all let me take as much as I can cut and carry whenever I go. The best time is NOW because they are already planted for the season and the trees they clean up are usually drying for chips or other people like me.

Other burls such as Elms, oaks, maples, pines, cherry tree (not the fruit lol), ash, walnut, and crab apple - I get from my father's property in upstate NY. I am getting ready to take down another 6-8 burls next weekend.

I have had this drying in the back since December...I will cut it around July, finish hardening it with wood hardener and use it for various projects. The soon to be wife wants another jewelery box and a standing mirror frame. After that I think a small table for the in-laws.

As is it stands 3.5 feet tall, 37.8 inches diameter, and looks very burly on the cut ends. Mmmmmmmmmm...skinny elm burl.

IOW I won't be able to get any because I can't dry fresh cut timber in my apartment here in chicago...

Originally Posted by TwistedOak

IOW I won't be able to get any because I can't dry fresh cut timber in my apartment here in chicago...

You dont need to air dry it, you just need to be able to cut into slabs. Then take the wood hardener, pour into a large mason jar, submerge wood entirely, close jar, wait for all the air bubbles to go away (24-48 hours depending on the wood), then take wood out of jar, let air dry for a week. Slabs are hardened and ready for use.

Its important to cut fresh then place in jar, the wood if it has been cut and sitting will usually begin to curl or check. Curling is fine because it can be made flat again with water and weight pressure, but checking = garbage.

If you get a really pale wood, such as Poplar, then you can buy color (I use a mild clothing dye) to mix with the wood hardener and the wood will absorb the color and hardener together so that you wont lose color when sanding. I did this with some poplar burl and I used golden dye, the wood looked great as a veneer on a cedar chest I refinished a few years ago.

Beautiful burl work, and the restore is pretty swell too.
How does it shave?

BTW- which 'wood hardener' do you use? thanks

I have not honed this razor yet, I am thinking of sending a few razors next week to be honed since I dont have the stones to do it myself.

I use Minwax products usually. Its like $10-15 depending where I buy it.

I appreciate that all of your guys are really liking my wood...its good for the ego.

As my late great uncle used to tell me, "If you cant have some fun with a dirty joke...well then you probably arent that much fun at all."

So you're saying if I get the wood hard immediately then I can work with it sooner? The color of your wood is what I like the most...

Do you cut the slabs down to 1/8" yourself or take the trunk somewhere to have it done?

I cut the burl myself this time around. I "rented" a bandsaw from Home Depot. Now by "rented" I mean that I bought one, used it for a week, and took it back because I dont have the space to keep one permenantly. I recommend the same for anybody that is living in an apartment.

Curling will usually become noticable within 7-10 days depending on its environment. If you want to keep it from curling put the wood in a bucket of water until you are ready to harden it.

If the burl is whole, or if you are working with a large chunk of burl it curling wont happen, but checking might. If checking occurs you can cut through it and evalutate what you have after cutting to desired thickness, then soak in the hardener.

Example:

I cut this burl last month, approx. 9" L x 16" W x 7" Thick. It still looks the same as when I cut it and is far from cured/dried.

Today I will cut the wood into slabs that are about 3/16"- 1/4" thick x 9" L x 7" wide.

After cutting the slabs I will submerge them into the hardener for 2-3 days, then air dry for a week.
---If I leave the wood out and let it start to air dry it will curl.

Use slabs accordingly.

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The color of the burl I used here is its natural color enhanced by some light oiling, usually if I am looking to keep the wood "natural" then I use some good ole' Canola oil, submerged for a day (I love to dunk things). Air dry and then CA for a finish. This method may not be the most traditional, but the oil give a sheen to the burl which makes it look 3D and crystaline up close.

Again with the dirty jokes - My fiancee will yell up to me in the attic "What are you doing up there?"

The many answers include (but are not limited to):
Polishing my wood
Dipping my wood in something to make it harder
Playing with my log/wood
Soaking my wood in oil
and my favorite - My hands are full of wood right now, give me a few minutes to finish up.

She replied "My dad is here, should he come up and help you out so you can finish faster?" ---- I really do love her. lol