How to Harvest a Burl

How to Harvest a Burl

I have a large eucalyptus log with a burl on one side that projects three inches and measures 16 by 28 inches. The log section is 18 inches in diameter. What is the best way to harvest the burl for future turning?

Richard Jones: Saw it through and through, aka plainsawn, so that the burl is the first or last plank cut.

Tim Inman: Harvest it with a saw in one hand, and a bucket of waxy sealer in the other hand. Immediately after cutting the burl, seal that cut side. Seal it again. Seal it again in a week. Store it where it is cool and out of the sun. Be patient. I have one about that size I cut from my Grandmother’s giant maple tree in 1979. It is doing fine. I’ll find something worthy of it one of these days and see how it turns.

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