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Thread: Playing with a free burl:)

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Kennebunkport, Maine
    Posts
    4,419

    Default Playing with a free burl:)

    Met a guy at Leo's unofficial meet and greet last summer...not a Shopbotter(DIY), but hit it off.
    Brian has been dropping burls as gifts, and I've been stuck in bed for a month, so first time back in shop I decided to surface the biggest burl to max thickness just to see what I had to work with
    First thing was it was 1" too tall for my shortest bit...timber framing chisel made short work of that.
    Then changed my VC "safe Z" to .01", and in my VCP material set up I changed Z1 and Z2 and home position to .02".
    Eyeballed the thickest point and my cutters CEL, and set my Z there.
    With the Whiteside 1.25" mortise bit the Desktop easily handled 3IPS .2" pass depth at 30% stepover at 15K.
    I just MN'd down with a one pass pocket toolpath so I could see what the grain was doing.
    NICE to get back into cutting, and see grain emerge!
    The tree side has major holes and bark intrusions, and thinking maybe trying infill ala Steve G.
    Going to go over it with dental pics/etc. removing loose bark while it moves to its final shape, so I can go final depth depending on if it wants to be a side table with live edge Black Walnut legs I've surface that were firewood.
    Heck...Maybe it wants to be something else
    Made me smile while it was cutting!
    Sorry so long winded.
    scott
    Hey, I'm easily amused with free burl at every visit
    Attached Images Attached Images
    scott P.
    2013 Desktop/spindle/VCP 11.5**
    Maine

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Novato CA
    Posts
    223

    Default

    Beautiful! Thanks for the post, it put a smile on my face.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    Andover Maine
    Posts
    38

    Default

    Burls just fall off of trees around here; but it takes the artist to bring out the natural beauty. Looking forward to what next you bring out of it. Thanks.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Posts
    94

    Default

    Waiting for a pic. of the final product. Nice piece of wood. Jerry

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Kennebunkport, Maine
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    4,419

    Default

    Thanks guys
    Brian...when and what time of year did that burl fall off the tree at the sight of you with your chainsaw?
    Shame the "Grand Canyon" is 2" deep, and the burl is 2.2"
    Jerry..You might have to wait a bit...still playing with ideas such filling the canyon and bark "rivers" with molten Tin, OR all kinds of crazy ideas that will gell while it's acclimating to the house and me removing 2.5" of it.

    Of course the perfect use for it would so that both sides could be seen
    scott
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    scott P.
    2013 Desktop/spindle/VCP 11.5**
    Maine

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Kennebunkport, Maine
    Posts
    4,419

    Default

    Brian,
    What species of tree was the first burl you gave me? Yellow Birch?

    That crazy method of linseed waxing the bare wood/floating in water for 24 hours/freezing for 48 hours/ and then setting in the sun in 80-115F greenhouse for 3 weeks loosened most of the bark wonderfully
    Insects had gone crazy just under the bark, and I'll probably use 3M 400G radial bristle discs to burnish after I get the loose stuff and the rest of the bark off.
    Taking the bark side down let me spud most of the bark off with those Ebony wedge scrap shapes.

    I mucked up when I flipped it and used 3 year old rockler CA on the carrier board
    Super light .03" passes at 3 IPS, and then almost as I was totally finished I saw it move!!!
    It was solid when I started, but then loosened up???
    Shifted it and reclamped...but I'll wait a couple hours before I finish it, OR reglue?

    This one definitely wants to be bowl.
    I'll probably take a pic and then put it in my App Data Wood folder so I can Play with it.
    Probably a circular array with the fluting toolpath /smooth/100% and then trim vectors to the shape.
    FUN!!
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    scott P.
    2013 Desktop/spindle/VCP 11.5**
    Maine

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Norman, Ok
    Posts
    3,251

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    Scott,

    I'm one of your fans and read and re-read all your posts.
    Your a bright light for all of us.

    Joe

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    Andover Maine
    Posts
    38

    Default

    Scott,
    Presume you are referring to me. It could have been yellow birch. When I come across burls, I seldom am concerned with species. However, I can be more selective when bringing them to you. Camille likes what you've done with them. As to the one burl being too low for the Grand Canyon, I can certainly provide you with some thicker should you want. Are those carved whales in the photo? Were they made using those Chinese TBNs you recommended to me (and which I find work well at a good price)? I've located a couple of models on Thingiverse, but although realistic have too much undercutting IMHO to come out well when machined on a 3-axis machine. I do especially like the ones in your photo.

    agreeing with other commenters: certainly look forward to seeing what's next.
    regards,
    Brian.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Posts
    94

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by scottp55 View Post
    Thanks guys
    Brian...when and what time of year did that burl fall off the tree at the sight of you with your chainsaw?
    Shame the "Grand Canyon" is 2" deep, and the burl is 2.2"
    Jerry..You might have to wait a bit...still playing with ideas such filling the canyon and bark "rivers" with molten Tin, OR all kinds of crazy ideas that will gell while it's acclimating to the house and me removing 2.5" of it.

    Of course the perfect use for it would so that both sides could be seen
    scott
    Hey Scott no grass growing under your feet. Keep it up.:

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Kennebunkport, Maine
    Posts
    4,419

    Default

    Another visit from Brian....another Yellow Birch burl
    Shade under 2" thick finished.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    scott P.
    2013 Desktop/spindle/VCP 11.5**
    Maine

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