What can I do with this Burl

a bench/chair of sorts?

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

try carving it into a sign or something. a router would do a good job but if you do it by hand tools are gonna have to be razor sharp

Hmm?? No clock, no table, no cut. I guess about all that is left is an almost a wheel for a wheel barrow :=))

-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.

Karson

I see a table … a table …thats it. Round the points a bit if you need to.

DAN

-- work from your heart and your spirit will live forever

Send it to me!!!....seriously, if a table is out of the question….then perhaps as inlay material, as a box, resawn for vaneer, as turning material – pens, plates, shallow bowls…....a decorative panel in a door….course most of those require some cuts…

I gotta stop, Im drooling all over my computer….

-- Woodworking.....My small slice of heaven!

Karson,

I see it as a piece of art. Really, planed and smoothed flat, then oiled and waxed, I think it would make a beautiful wall hanging.

-- I love the smell of sawdust in the morning....

Why not build a table top around it? I think it would look really cool as sort of a giant inlay in a dinning room table.

-- When you give someone a chance it may well be their last.

Why not build a table top around it? I think it would look really cool as sort of a giant inlay in a dinning room table.

Now I like that idea…and make the table a totally contrasting wood to high light the burl.

-- Don S.E. OK

Wood burn an ancient treasure map on it and then mount it on a wall and tell stories about looking for the lost treasures? uh, thought I’d try something off the wall… sort of speak… :) like a backboard for darts?

Well, could you ship it to your buddy for another platter turning? duh, just how many pens sets could you make from it? Did you mention the wood flavor.. like use it to smoke some meat on the BBQ?

Most logical would be a low coffee table or butcher block for the kitchen. Yes, for safety you’d have to lose the sharp corner-edges… We have one with sharp ends… and I wouldn’t trust it if we had youngsters in the house. Actually, I really don’t trust myself around it.

Try cutting a big piece out of the center and leave a ring of the outside edging? Use two different pieces for projects that retains the basic natural beauty? For a beautiful piece of wood it may be a bit awkward to use.

-- Al H. - small shop, small projects...

ding ding ding .. I think we have a winner!! using it as the base/centre .. nice idea

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

you could… give it to me, i think thats a pretty good idea
;P

-- My signature is awesome.

Sorry Buddy. I have no ideas to throw to you. It is an interesting shape so maybe you could do something to enhance that. An island shape of sorts.

-- Rich, Nevada,

I believe that keeping it as one piece would be better than making pen blanks from it. I’ve not really thought about removing the pointy spikes because that is one of the things that makes it so unique. A wall hanging might be the thing to do. I’ve got a friend that has a 36” thickness sander so i could probably get it flat. and a little thinner so I’m not hanging 80 lbs on the wall. (I don’t know if that is what it weights) If maple weights about 4lbs per bd ft this might be 8-10 bd ft maybe less. So between 25 and 40 lbs.

Keep the suggestions flowing we might be on to something here. I also like the idea of making another table outside of this one. Maybe with a glass top. How much does a 4 X 8’ sheet of glass cost. It would be tough to put in a leaf though.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Karson, I have a piece similar to this and not as large that I finally decided could beocme the feature top on a few boxes.
I think I have a pic around tht shows the idea I have for the rest of it.

I’ll have to check

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Sorry Karson, I couldn’t turn that, but someone could.

-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com

Might spoil the look for a big project Karson but you could make a heap of nice pens.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

I’d make a wall clock out of it , it would be super easy to hollow out the back to make it lighter ,I would use a router to do the job!!! Then I’d fill the voids with Brass shavings to make it look like gold coming through the burls voids..

Put the right lighting on it to show off its greatest attributes and there you got one outstanding looking clock.

Karson did I hear you say that the person who comes up with the best Idea gets a free piece of burl.. {:o)

-- Rj's Woodworks,San Jose & Weed Ca,

I know Bigwoodturner could turn this for you , he turns alot of big projects !

-- Rj's Woodworks,San Jose & Weed Ca,

You can make a good “Duck Call” out of that burl. Just cut a 3” diameter hole in the center, Hold it up to your face and holler “Here Duck, Here Duck” :-).

-- Flarda - "If you are not confused, you are probably not paying attention".

i would hate to see it cut from its natural state…a glass cover is a good idea…maybe you could do some turquoise inlay in those cracks…....but dont cut it up…...grizzman

-- The Grizzone

actually i like the idea of burning an old treasure map on it (dustyal) using that sander that your freind has and bringing it down to a thickness you could handle…..yep thats deffently a good idea

I like that one too!

-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.

HEY KARSON< SEND IT TO ME> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>PLEASE…..............................LOL

I’d find a good use for it. I might even come and get it….................

-- Jerry--A man can never have enough tools or clamps

What about a large shallow candy dish? maybe with dividers for holding different candies/or keys or change or whatever you would put in something like that. I remember my grandmother having a large round coffee table with shallow compartments in it or maybe i really just remember the candy?

Buff it to a fine finish and hang it on the wall. I looks beautiful.
If you can hang a cabinet then you can hang this on a wall. Use cleats on the back side and attach the cleats to a stud on a wall.
Too nice, waaaaay too nice to cut into pieces.
But, if wall art isn’t your thing, what the hell, cut it into pen blanks. It’s your wood, and nobody else’s!

-- Andy Brownell

I’ve got wood for 10,000 blanks as it is now. I don’t need too many more.

But thanks for the comments for a wall hanging.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Gee, it looks like it would make lots n lots of cane handles . . .

If you want to keep it as a large one piece item then the table top or how about a lazy susan? The edges can be trimmed down to be somewhat round, but also leave some of the organic shape of the live edge, just smooth it down enough to eliminate the rough or sharp edges. Place a sturdy piece of glass over it that overlaps the wood a couple inches to keep from bumping into the uneven wood.

A wall plaque (no clock face) would be nice if you can trim off the awkward. It would be a handsome display over a fireplace or mantle.

-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe

I agree with RJ on this, you’ve mentioned about a clock, lighten it up, and in the cracks, fill with a thickened epoxy ( such as cabosill, which thickens epoxies or resins) sand flush to the wood and then apply gold leaf to create a gold layer, buried into this beautiful wook. Then finish. Write me for more info if your interested in doing it this way. – Dan

-- Dan Wiggins

As long as your going to make a wall plaque out of it ( you might make it usefull ) and add some none obtrusive clock hands Etc.
You could make the hands and hour indicators out of wood say walnut Etc.
Hey just a thought I could make some really nice Hour indicators out of stone.

-- Rj's Woodworks,San Jose & Weed Ca,

Maybe a great big grandfather clock with the burl mounted as the face.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

I know you’re reluctant to cut it up, and I’d be too, but I say cut it into some larger chunks and turn them into a few bowls or trays. I think a clock would be a waste of wood, just my opinion. The table would be neat, maybe see if you can get the base made from wrought iron, if you know a blacksmith. I think the glass top would make it look nice, as far as the price goes, it’s going to depend on the the thickness, I’d go with at least 3/8th inch thick. Call any local glass shops.

-- "At its best, life is completely unpredictable." - Christopher Walken

Karson that would look great idea!

-- Rj's Woodworks,San Jose & Weed Ca,

I agree that this piece is waay too nice to make cane handles. But the scraps would make a nice one!

I’m sure what ever this becomes, it will be beautiful!

Peace and creativity to everyone!

-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe

You know Karson I still have those two 33”X 7’ pieces of glass I got off craigslist last summer. I will donate one to you if you wanted to make a table.

-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com

I still don’t understand why some of you think by making this into a clock would be a waste of wood? I think imbedding a round premade clock wouldn’t look right but by adding hands and some hour indicators I don’t see how that would be a waste of wood.

-- Rj's Woodworks,San Jose & Weed Ca,

Mike that is a great offer. I’ll need to think about that.

Would you deliver it?

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Hey Lew,

Did you think you would make so many lumberjocks drool over themselves like this? What a treat to see some nice wood. You better lock up your storage area good and tight!

Please pass me another napkin.

I think the clock idea is good, if done right. I’d like to see RJ’s rendition, as I really like his stone & fossil displays.

I have visions of a major object d’art with the piece hanging over a mantle. Just looking at all the intricate grain detail would have me staring at it for hours.

-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe

If you did a clock in a wall hanging, it really wouldn’t need any hour marks, just a couple of hands. Every one who could tell time by it knows where the numbers are anyway. You could even make it into a piece of art on a stand or hanger of some sort. Maybe a modern abstract human form holding it while loking it over.

-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.

Sun dial would be good too.

-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.

final answer… go with the iron legs and a 36 inch round glass top, exp: http://www.glasstopsdirect.com/glass-round-36.php and elsewhere… not hard to come by.

Top projects edges… still see the wood… and it would be functional… might need a large space… such as in that new kitchen… THE kitchen table?

-- Al H. - small shop, small projects...

Karson, Give your wife a kiss and then make a table out of it. Soften the edges without removing its natural beauty and give it a thick bar coat. From the photo its a beautiful piece…

-- Never board, always knotty, lots of growth rings

I like dustyal’s idea. I was thinking along these lines when I ran across his post. You keep it whole, show it off, protect any little ones, and did I mention show it off?

-- Insert clever tag line here

Karson, I would fill all the voids with crushed coral or inlace and sand it down to 320 grit. Flood it with Danish oil and then apply several coats of gloss wipe on poly. This piece would make a beautiful wall hanging and is to nice to cut up into pieces. You could also apply bar top finish to the piece to really make it shine. One other thought is to make a frame that would surround the piece, fill in all the voids with a decorative material and then flood it with bar top finish. You could then use it as a table and it would have no exposed edges. My vote though would be a wall hanging.

-- Those that say it can't be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Would you come and get it? It’s free…......

-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com

I made a end table for my daughter a few years back from a slab of claro walnut. She still uses it.

-- work from your heart and your spirit will live forever

I see a great table top!!

-- Matt, Houston Texas

turn it

-- http://www.furnituremann.ca/

table…shine it up…

-- Matt, Napa, CA...fun is beautiful...just trying to have some fun...

Well, I have to give another vote for turning it. A piece like that would make a very elegant piece of wall art. Wish I had a chunk like that!!!

Hutch

-- I hope the volume of shavings one creates is directly related to the probablility of one's success, cuz if so I've got it made!!

Karson you are such a tease!!!! I wish I had your problem. I think a wall hanging would be perfect. Inlaying would look nice as well as clock hands. Perhaps use the same inlay material as the number indicators. I can’t waite to see what you choose to do with it.

Rick

-- If at first you don't succeed...Don't try skydiving