Everything You Need to Know about Working with Burl!
The word “Burl” has been floating around within the penturning community quite a bit lately, and we, here at William Wood-Write, are here to tell you why!
Whether you know what burl is, but don’t know how to begin turning it, or you’ve never even heard of burl, worry not! In this article, we’ll break down what exactly a “burl” is, why they are so valuable in the penturning community, as well as recommend a few stunning kinds of burl for different pen and project kits.
What is Burl?
First thing’s first: A “burl” is a knotted, round growth on the side of a tree. Burls occur in a tree when the grain has grown in a deformed manner, and is typically (unfortunately) the result of some sort of stressful event such as infection or injury. Fortunately for us pen turners, burls have been discovered to be extremely advantageous!
Burls come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from fingernail-sized knots to 8 metre-wide slabs, and are becoming increasingly valuable in the world of woodworking and penturning due to the unique, twisting grain patterns that are revealed when burl is turned or carved.
Why is Burl so Valuable?
Ultimate Durability
As many of us have learned the hard way, some exotic woods have the tendency to split along the grain.
Exotic wood such as Purpleheart, Redheart or Kingwood, although near and dear to our hearts, are more prone to splitting during the turning process because of their straight grain.
Burls like our Exceptional Redwood Lace Burl and Maple Burl, on the other hand, have twisted, intertwined grain patterns that vary from piece to piece. Burls are less prone to splitting during the drilling and turning processes, however the knots within them are at risk of blowing out. This is why we stabilize pen blanks. By impregnating them with resin under pressure, we “stabilized” or reinforce the wood grain patterns, reducing the likelihood of blowout while keeping that gorgeous wood pattern intact.
Truly Unique Figuring
One of the primary reasons burl is so valuable in the world of penturning and woodworking is because every burl is absolutely unique in shape, size, colour and figuring. Think of it like a diamond; You could go to the ends of the earth trying to find two identical burls and it just won’t happen.
As us penturners know, one of the most special things about turning a handcrafted wooden pen is that each finished pen is unique, and nothing adds to the true individuality of a hand-turned pen like burl.
Whether it’s a Chrome Lip Balm Holder Keychain Kit paired with a 1″ Maple Burl Pen Blank or a Titanium Gold Budget Cigar Pen Kit paired with a Stabilized Buckeye Burl Pen Blank, any pen or project kit turned with burl is guaranteed to be an absolutely one-of-a-kind handcrafted piece.
Working With Live Edges
One of the most exciting things to do with burl is combining live-edge pieces and epoxy to create breathtaking, unique piece of furniture. Many woodworkers utilize large slabs of live-edge burl to create both smaller side tables as well as full dining tables that have an undeniably natural look and feel.
The side table pictured below is a slab of live-edge Cottonwood Burl coated with C-Coat Two-Part Epoxy Coating, created in-house. Not only does the crystal clear Epoxy coating provide the piece with ultimate protection against wear, tear, and water damage, but the glossy finish that epoxy provides adds a depth and intensity to the pattern of the burl itself.
Burl-Acrylic Fusion Blanks
Since burls grow in a deformed, irregular fashion, the resulting pieces of wood often contain holes, wonky edges and may even be totally misshapen. Fortunately for those of us who enjoy creating our own blanks, irregular burl pieces are ideal for creating hybrid pen blanks!
Rather than tossing away a Buckeye Burl Pen Blank because it’s misshapen and unsuitable for turning, Wood-Write’s talented resin-pourer, Cyndi, turns unusable burl blanks into stunning hybrid pen blanks! We call them Fusion blanks.
Since burls vary so much in colour, shape, and size, there are endless possibilities of burl-acrylic combinations to play with! Go for a contrasting piece with our Inkwell Blue Fusion Pen Blanks, made from a combination of a very dark blue acrylic and Maple Burl, or a blended piece with our Yukon Gold Pen Blanks, made from a combination of bright yellow acrylic and Live Edge Maple Burl!
If bright, unusual colour combinations are more your speed, try our Tanzanite, Mermaid Dream or Dragon Fruit Pen Blanks! These eye-catching blanks are made using Stabilized Purple, Blue and Pink Box Elder Burl, respectively, and are paired with bright acrylic to create truly one-of-a-kind designs.
William Wood-Write offers a huge selection of Fusion Blanks made with various different types of burl, and we are frequently adding to the collection. Whether you’re making a Deluxe Salt and Pepper Set or a Budget Mini Stylus, Wood-Write is here to provide you with the highest-quality, most unique pen and project blanks!
Our Favourite Burls!
While many types of trees grow burl, there are a few kinds of burl that have served us well time and time again. Every burl listed below is available in-store at William Wood-Write and on penblanks.ca! Each type of burl is available in various forms including pen blanks, burl project blanks, burl bowl turning blanks, ring blanks, knife blocks and live edge burl caps and pieces!
Maple Burl
One of our absolute favourite types of burl is the tried and true Maple Burl. Maple trees are known for their strength, and the burls that come from maple trees are consequently very dense and strong themselves. The durability of maple burl, in addition to its swirling reddish-white grain pattern, makes maple burl ideal for both small and large turning projects, like the Pour Spout Bottle Stopper pictured below.
Buckeye Burl
Buckeye Burl is known for its strikingly beautiful figuring, with colour ranging from darker blue-blacks to lighter yellow-whites. Buckeye burl is, while still quite hard due to the grain of the burl, a porous wood, making this burl a breeze to turn. Buckeye burl’s distinctive contrasting design patterning is sure to pair wonderfully with any plating you choose, like it does with the Blue Titanium Pill Holder kit pictured below.
Redwood Lace Burl
Redwood Lace Burl is often likened to snowflakes; While the signature design features and reddish tone of redwood lace burl remains similar throughout the species, no one piece is like another. Patterning in redwood lace burl ranges from lighter brown spotted knots, to deeper swirling grains.
As evident in the photos below, you never know exactly what kind of patterning you’re going to get when you purchase redwood lace burl. Not only does this make for a fun surprise when your package arrives, but the unique, deep patterning of redwood burl results in gorgeous and extremely unique handmade projects, such as the Lifestyle Stainless Steel One-Piece Ring pictured below.
Red Mallee Burl
Red Mallee Burl is an extremely rare native Australian burl that contains vivid reddish colouring and deep, swirling figuring. What makes Red Mallee unique, however, is this burl’s strength and durability. We, here at William Wood-Write, have found that Red Mallee blanks tend to be harder in density, and thus extremely durable in the long-term.
This means that Red Mallee burl is ideal for projects that will be handled frequently and face potential damage, such as the Budget Round Top European Pen pictured below. Just make sure you bring out your sharpest carbide chisel for this dense exotic wood!
If you’re more drawn towards brownish hues, check out Red Mallee Burl’s sister species, Brown Mallee Burl!
So, now that you know everything you need to know about burl, its time to find the burl piece, cap or blank of your dreams and create a truly next-level handcrafted project! Visit William Wood-Write in-person or online at penblanks.ca to choose from our huge burl selection and begin your love affair with burl today!
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