Mini Burl

Lot's of types of trees have mini burl or burrs. As far as I know no one out there does anything with the little ones only the big burl. I've shown what they look like on various trees below. I've also found them on pine and fir trees but they're usually are not round and are softer, but the shapes are interesting sometimes.

Tulip Tree

Some sort of Maple

Some type of Alder (I think)

Smooth Barked Oaks (Not so easy to see it in this picture, it's above the leaf)

After I pop them off the trees I skin them right away as it gets pretty hard when they're dry. Don't try to rush the drying of them as they'll crack. I just keep them at a constant temperature while drying. Some are harder than others but they are all very hard. They tend to shatter instead of splinter if they are smashed with a hammer. The grain grows spherically on these burl layer by layer like a pearl and they connect to the tree through thin little needles. They are pretty easy to pop off the trees with a screw driver or the like, using the same to remove the bark. Large burl are made up of lots of little burl all grown together making the amazing burl grain. Though only a few types of trees that grow burl will grow large clumps of burl good for turning and whatnot.

Assorted burl (before they are sanded)

I used to use a dremel tool to sand them one by one then with sand paper to finish them off. Now though I've made a bulk sander out of a grinder and a cardboard canister. It's kinda like a rock polisher but for burl.

Assorted burl (after being sanded)

Finlay here's some of the things I've made with the burl. A burl bead necklace made of various types of burl wood. A little fertility charm that Sarah commissioned after seeing one on a PBS show. And a skull charm likewise commissioned by Sarah.

Also I've mad some burl rings that I like. The wood is strong enough that I can sand them pretty thin but the kids still managed to brake theirs. Though mine is a bit too tight and It survives some serious pushing and pulling to get it on and off.

Sarah's (Maple), Aaron's (Oak)

The burl doesn't take a stain that well. I ended up just boiling the burl in bees wax and polishing them. Heating the burl like that caramelizes the natural sugars in the wood and brings out all the various colors.

The tools I have consist of a fairly recently acquired drill, a dremel tool with some attachments that came along with it that Sarah got me some years ago and sand paper. Also a hand grinder that I was given while helping someone move, this I used to make the burl sander.