A Find

[LovelyLadyLux]

Now this may not look like much to many but these are treasured and sought after here on the Island. Luckily enough today I came across one and just couldn't resist and had to snap it up

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Now the creative juices are flowing and, as a diamond, I've got to figure how to cut to get the max out of it

Thoughts??? Ideas ???

[Grandad]

??? I really cannot see what it is LLL ?

[Horus]

Me neither? is it a Truffle of some kind, or some sort of exotic fruit?

[Hurghadapat]

Well white truffles are always eaten raw so you could literally shave it over whatever you decide to cook,ideally shaved with a truffle shaver or you can use a mandoline,but if all else fails just use a veg peeler.Whatever you do with it enjoy it as they are usually expensive to buy.

[Ruby Slippers]

Is it a special piece of wood? If so, I could see how creative one would need to be to get the best out of it! Definitely intriguing LLL!

[LovelyLadyLux]

@Ruby Slippers wins! It is a burl and then shaped up they're absolutely gorgeous. A burl is a growth that happens on a tree where the grow rings are deformed but they leave the most beautiful patterning you've ever seen in the wood. They're highly prized and most of the really big ones are long cut down and out of the bush now. I used to have two entire tables made out of burl slabs. Both were red cedar and when polished and waxed down absolutely lovely. Had a clock face as well but I didn't really prize them as everybody had them and had their furniture made out of them.

Now you find smaller burls like this one but it should make a gorgeous bowl. This guy might need a bit more drying but once it is ready it can be turned into the most fantastic bowl with tons and tons of wood grain.

[Ruby Slippers]

I'd be extremely interested to see the finished product, LLL!

[Hurghadapat]

Well I was totally wrong then.
In the UK we call them a burr.

[Horus]

It still doesn't resemble anything I see in the woods, we do get 'Burs' but they are usually a large knobbly half round bulges on the tree trunk, looks like it will make something nice though

[LovelyLadyLux]

We probably have lots more trees here than there so probably lots more burls. I've never heard them called bur or burrs and the burrs we get here are round prickly weed things that stick to your clothes.

In the olden days the burls were huge and sometimes big enough to be made into a kitchen or dining room table. Originally they were sanded and polished but then guys got into fibreglassing them which IMO took away lots of the appeal. The wood grain patterning is what creates the appeal.

I'm going to keep this one high and dry 'til this spring then I'll get it to a bowl maker aka a guy with a lathe.

[Ruby Slippers]

LLL, could you put some photos on of finished products? I know they wouldn't be yours but still interesting to see.

[Horus]

RS if this link works this will show a typical wooden bowl and for LLL you can see that we call them 'Burrs'
http://www.jonathanleech.co.uk/my-work/ ... 1sQAvD_BwE

[Grandad]

RS if this link works this will show a typical wooden bowl and for LLL you can see that we call them 'Burrs'

That worked H If LLL had given an indication of size I think we may have guessed what the object is.
The images in the link show some very clever turning skill. I used to have a lathe and did a bit of wood turning but I never achieved anything like that. Lovely grain patterns.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Yeah I wasn't going to give a size cause was having pulling everybodies leg re: showing a photo of a brown lump. I recognize them but then I SEE them here.

I have this bowl - it has what is known as a 'live edge' but the grain isn't terribly outstanding

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This is also a burl and a little old lady down in Oregon painted the scene on it based on the lines & grain of the wood in the burl. It also has a live edge and is basically called a 'slab' here. Might not look like much in this picture but her work and artistic abilities is really first rate leaving lots of depth, shades and shadows in the actual picture itself.

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This is a little wooden box carved out of a burl. Have had it for eons but lots of wood grain in this one.

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All in all Horus' pictures showed them best. Bowls are often carved with huge raw edges that are jagged but really show the wood off.

Woodworking is quite a 'thing' here and right now one of the interior design styles is to make shelves and mantles out of really large slabs of wood (not burls) with the bark edges which they call 'live edge' showing. Jury is out of these for me as personally I think I prefer so see a flat finished edge showing the wood vs bark but it is a 'thing' here re: interior design. The price also reflects how popular are as a 2" to 3 or 4" slab sufficient to make a mantle is a ridiculously expensive project.

[Ruby Slippers]

Absolutely beautiful, LLL, especially the painted burl.

[FABlux]

I agree, would love to see the finished article. How big is yours LLL? Is a great deal lost in the turning process?

[LovelyLadyLux]

The unfinished burl is about 14" long. Hard to say how big the bowl will be as it'll also depend when they start the cuts if there are holes or rotten parts too.

The painting IS beautiful. I've had it for probably close to 20 yrs now and it is truly beautiful. I used to have (and I'm talking 45 yrs ago) LOTS of wooden things but wood was the only product we had plenty of and so everything was made out of it. I recall actually being happy when I was finally rid of it and I no longer had to fall over table legs that were made out of tree roots!

Now I have a few things but am thinking more and more I really truly DID like all the wood stuff I had years ago. Maybe I'm just being nostalgic...….???