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Thread: Playing with a free burl:)

  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
    Posts
    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!!
    Attached Images Attached Images
    scott P.
    2013 Desktop/spindle/VCP 11.5**
    Maine

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

    Default

    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
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Kennebunkport, Maine
    Posts
    4,419

    Default

    Awful nice words for this "Hobbyist" Joe THANKS!!

    When Dad visited last night he agreed with my friend from OZ that the "Grand Canyon" should be cleaned up and left as Mother Nature left it.
    Anything that moves with 90psi, or a bamboo skewer easily will be removed and then burnished on that big Maple slab.
    Judging what I got done in 2 hours this morning...I won't lack for something to do while something is cutting

    The smaller burl doesn't have much in pattern, BUT the chatoyancy(Cat Eye Fire) is GREAT
    The worm holes will be brushed and hand sanded burnished with all the bark off.
    Really haven't done much with VCP9, and it really showed....but this is roughly what I'm thinking....except smoother and tweaked.

    Definitely was what I needed to get out of my slump!!
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    scott P.
    2013 Desktop/spindle/VCP 11.5**
    Maine

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Kennebunkport, Maine
    Posts
    4,419

    Default

    And from VCP.
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    scott P.
    2013 Desktop/spindle/VCP 11.5**
    Maine

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    ny
    Posts
    834

    Default

    Nice pieces, going to look good when you are done. make sure to follow up.

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