# Have VERY Large Burl at Base of Silver Maple



## benyamin (May 21, 2014)

I have a mature Silver Maple with a huge burl at the bottom.

We live in Tennessee, right between Nashville and Chattanooga. On property, we have a huge Silver Maple tree what is quite large at the bottom. Our contractor reminded us how much something like this could be worth for a woodworker.

The tree is a bit more rectangular than round, but the bottom burl is just gigantic. Here are some diameters:
Circumference: from 22' at the very bottom to 27' on up below the branches
Diameter: 9'

Some images:



























We are hoping that someone would want to buy this incredible tree for the use of the burl. While it is grand, we would rather it be put to use than for weather to destroy it.

Thanks everyone!


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## Tony_S (Dec 16, 2009)

That's a helluva tree….but I don't see a Burl anywhere.

Google "tree burl" (images)


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## benyamin (May 21, 2014)

I was told by a local guy that the bottom part of the trunk, where all the branches start going out, is called a burl, too. The diameter down there is huge, with all the top of the tree coming from it. Larger than a normal maple, it has a unique shape and much more potential with the top trunks "sprouting" from that area.

Would be great for a couple of very large table tops.


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## bobasaurus (Sep 6, 2009)

Sorry, but that isn't a burl. It's just a big trunk, though it would probably make for some neat lumber with compression ripples, etc. A burl looks more like this:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Burl_quercus_robur_bialowieza_beentree.jpg

or this:

http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/7929/20121122/natural-selections-burl-wood


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

Nope, not a burl. Awesome tree, though.


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## Woodendeavor (Apr 7, 2011)

Silver maple does not make the best lumber. It is a soft maple and in my experience it twisted when it dried


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## hairy (Sep 23, 2008)

Another name for a tree trunk is bole.


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## benyamin (May 21, 2014)

Thank you hairy! So, we have a huge bole!

I still believe it would make a couple of nice, really large slabs for some unique furniture.


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## Crank50 (Jan 31, 2014)

I agree with the above posters that you bo not have a burl, but there should be some interesting crotch grain in there. Unfortunately, to utilize the most interesting grain you would have to saw vertically. But, vertical cuts would preclude making a big oval or irregular round slab.

Best use might be turning blanks. Bet there are some interesting bowls and vases in there.


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## FellingStudio (Oct 17, 2013)

That is a large tree with lots of lumber in it.

Before you start getting big ideas about striking it rich via selling that lumber consider the realities of getting that lumber out of the tree … it will take a decent amount of labor and some heavy machinery just to cut it down and get it to a mill. Milling and drying will again take labor and heavy machinery, not to mention time.

Silver maple is a soft maple. Not the most desirable maple in the world, but properly handled there could be some real nice lumber there. The big question is whether it is worth it or not to cut. Obviously if the tree is near the end of its life for some reason, you want to take it out, but otherwise I would encourage you to seriously consider the value of the tree as a tree vs as lumber, and consider the costs involved in turning it from a tree into lumber.


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## CreekOne (Aug 23, 2014)

That would make some realy nice veneers! Knife cut veneers from that would last for ever…


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