Burr Elm

[alexf]

Been keeping my eye on this tree for the past couple of years

Council cut it down yesterday and fortunately I happened to pass so got hold of a fellow turner and collected it. Here is my share. Now all I have to do is find somewhere to store it.

 

[henton49er]

Alexf,

I have plenty of room in my wood store, if you would like to deliver it!! :wink: :wink:

 

[stevenw1963]

Jammy s@d!!

I have plennty of storage too lol

 

[andersonec]

The first thing you must do is cut it longitudinally and get rid of the central pith otherwise it will start splitting from the centre out.

Andy

 

[EnErY]

let it split in my wood store im not proud :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Bill

 

[Roger C]

Hello from the pictures it looks as if the tree is dead,if so then there is no need to split. However if there is some moisture seal the ends and keep in log form and reseal every 3 months. Why I say this is some of those pieces will make lovely hollow forms and not only bowls. Regards Roger C

 

[alexf]

The first thing you must do is cut it longitudinally and get rid of the central pith otherwise it will start splitting from the centre out.

As you can see from the photo I had to split most of it longitudinally before I could lift them into the car. I am not really interested in the centre of the logs, it's the burrs which I will be using.

 

[andersonec]

Hello from the pictures it looks as if the tree is dead,if so then there is no need to split. However if there is some moisture seal the ends and keep in log form and reseal every 3 months. Why I say this is some of those pieces will make lovely hollow forms and not only bowls. Regards Roger C

Depends how long the tree has been dead Roger, for something that size to be dry it would have to have been dead for a long long time, no matter if you seal the ends in log form, they will almost certainly still split certainly due to shrinkage as the moisture is lost, let me know in two months if it has.
If it does start to split it will almost certainly travel outward into the burrs, the central (2 inch square) core must be removed to guarantee preserving your timber.

Andy

 

[alexf]

The tree has been daed for a number of years and the centre had already split before it was cut down. I have now cut the burrs off the large trunk and sealed the cut part. Some of the branches with burrs have been left "in the round" and sealed but I know they will still split however I will still manage to salvage a lot of it.
I find that even if the burrs split the splits are short and I can then fill them with sawdust, copper or brass powder and make a nice feature of the splits.

 

[rileytoolworks]

That should make some lovely turnings, but

Been keeping my eye on this tree for the past couple of years

made me spit coffee all over my monitor as my wife says I'm stalking a local tree!

All the best.

Adam.