Processing wood burls | EVERYTHING ELSE OFF TOPIC | Forum

billyO said
Hello all.  I'm wondering if anyone in the NWBA does any treating/processing of smaller wood burls (ie. for knife/tool handles).  I've been reading a little about vacuum drying but don't have the equip. 

Thanks in advance.

Hey Billy:

Hope all is well with you!  You need to talk with Martin Brandt  phone 541-954-2168... He has been doing this stuff for years... We once were on our way to a blacksmith conference and Martin had us pull off in Portland to go to an exotic wood warehouse... Or as my brother called it, " an erotic wood warehouse".  He spent a few hundred bucks on some rather small, (in my opinion) chunks of wood... He then, when he gets home, does the magic; cuts them up for knife scales; stabilizes them with some sort of magic stuff he soaks them in...

He is a fantastic knife maker, however, when he goes to knife shows, he does have a few knives with him, but he makes most of his money at the shows selling supplies to knife makers... Give him a call... I'll let him know you might...

Lynn

billyO said

 

 

Thanks Lynn, I'll probably try this weekend or early next week. 

On a related note, on another forum it was suggested cutting the burl into 2"+ slices with the grain, but, after de-barking it looks like cutting with the grain will yield one chunk at 4" long and 1-2 others at less than 4", but cutting across the grain will yield one 6" chunk and one 4".  Any thoughts anybody?

I think it will be most gorgeous cross grain cut... Just my humble opinion...