Work in Progress - Spruce Burl Form
Part 1 - Getting Started in Design
| This spruce burl is fairly old and pretty dry. I start by sitting it on my wood buck and flipping it over a few times to get a feel for the wood and its size and shape. It is obvious from this side that there is a good depth of burl although one can not assume anything about interior grain at this point. |
|
|
| However, from this vantage we see a branch with the burl wrapped around it. This type of spruce burl, wrapped around the branch and not the trunk, tends to have a lot of action in the grain. There are also holes where some type of grub has lived and a possibility of bark inclusions and holes or "negative space." |
|
| With some careful repositioning on the saw buck I use an electric chainsaw to remove the extra bits of the branch. This can be a nerve wracking exercise and you may wish to tie the wood down in some fashion before the cuts. |
|
| Another flip and the last piece of branch is ready to go. |
|
| The wood is ready to go on the lathe, except for the loose bark. Actually, some of this will need to be worked off with a chisel and it may be easier on the lathe itself. |
|
| With the burl on the lathe it acts as a holder and the loose bark is easily removed with a standard carpenter's chisel and a light mallet. |
|
next woodturning contents wood turning home
© 2006 copyright Darrell Feltmate, Around the Woods, Wood Turning Techniques