Box Elder Burl Bowl

The process of turning a beautiful burl bowl begins with a chainsaw.  Often the irregularly shaped knob from the side of the tree sits in the workshop for years until it is dry enough to turn.  Brian studies the burl and shapes it so that he can mount it on the lathe and sculpt it to its final form.

The grain of a burl is unknown until the tools begin to carve away the bark and the intricate patterns and colours are revealed.  Box elder has a very fine texture and often produces beautiful coral-coloured streaks.

Brian decided to create a bowl shape from this burl and used a very sharp gouge to make a graceful rounded form.

Brian then flipped the burl and attached a chuck to the bottom so that he could carve out the top.  He drilled a depth-finding hole and as the lathe rotated the burl, he turned out the interior of the bowl.  Already the bark inclusions, spalting and red streaks are visible.

A few inches of bark were left on the edge of the burl and the final sanding, oiling and buffing were completed.

The finishing process can take up to a week as the bowl is allow to dry between coats of oil and then mounted on the lathe for further applications. The result is a lustrous food-safe finish that enhances and protects the wood.

The final box elder burl bowl is a delight to behold.  The character of the forest is evident in the bark live edge, the intricate figuring and the dramatic natural colouring of the wood. 

This final photograph, taken by Kelly Hollinshead, demonstrates the inherent beauty of this rare and unique piece.

http://www.kellytheshutterbug.com/

Cutting Up A Burl

A neighbour on Rebecca Lake called Brian on Thanksgiving weekend about a dying yellow birch tree that had been cut down.  It had huge burls that went half way around the trunk.  The family had always loved the tree because of the rounded protuberances and they called it the "bum tree".

It took three hours to cut the burl with the chainsaw.  Brian worked around the defects, punky and rotten areas to find the pieces which were solid and had potential to be turned. 



The slabs and chunks have interesting grains, colour and bark inclusions.  Our neighbour kept the largest flat slab to make a table and Brian has pieces which will eventually be beautiful bowls and platters.

The drying process for green wood takes a couple of years.  To ensure that the wood dries slowly and doesn't split, Brian coats the cut surfaces with a waxy sealant and stores them in a dry area.  Patience is a virtue for a wood turner.