I milled up a big Black Walnut burl for someone on shares. My share was two slices, 3" thick.
Check out the colors and grain moments after the top slab was lifted off.


The colors fade a bit as the surface dries, but a light sanding and a clear finish will pop the colors right back out.

The Balrog stands in for scale. We had to cut the two flat spots to get it in between the posts of the sawmill, so a hair under 40" wide at that spot.

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The screen that I am using is fuzzy as all get out, so I can't read the overall length but I think it was 59" or so, maybe a few inches more for the longest possible length, tip to tip.

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Regarding the fuzzy screen, Isildur PIF'd a good working computer (Thanks again brother!) but Dread Princess is using it for the time being, so fuzzy screen it is. I know where my bread is buttered.

Must have been a bright sky overhead.

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The colors are all muted when the surface dries, but you can still see the exquisite grain patterns in this old burl.

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I surely wish that I had known this nice couple a few years ago... This was a burl that had been sitting for several years, and I pulled out about 10 of these Ponderous Beetle larvae. The chickens that got them ate well.


The following 2 pics are of a different set of Ponderous Beetle larvae.. Last winter I think. (Because I didn't get good pics this time... Too busy milling.)

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The burl was rotted quite a bit (you can see the middle sections that are completely gone, but surprisingly, the rest of it is solid. The beetle larvae were doing a number on the insides, and I expect that in 4-5 years it would have been completely gone.
Some people love the larvae tunnels when doing woodworking projects with fancy pieces of wood.

That kid is fearless. Them bugs don't skeer her NONE!

BTW: how much ice cream did you have to pay her to get her to stand in for scale?

Too bad about having to cut the flats into that thing, but I bet you'll make something nice. Even though you're limited to one arm.

I felt bad after one of them actually bit her. They're big and strong enough to draw blood.


She does it for free.
But she also gets a bowl of ice cream any day that she wants, along with a lecture about food being the building blocks of our bodies, and how eating healthy can help on the path to living a fulfilling life.


Too true... I had planned on building a bandsaw capable of 72" between the guides this winter, but the latest news from the doctor may put those plans off for 6 months or so.
I really can't afford 4 to 6 months of being incapacitated. Fack.

Pretty cool!

Should be able to make enough money off that to pay for that surgery. Beautiful wood.

OK, second time I've heard about surgery. I musta missed it, wassup?

What the hell?? Damn them larvae bite people. I would have burned everything in a 20 mile radius. Then nuked it.

Sweet burl! Have it processed into flitches and veneer something....maybe a table or some cabinets, or refinish a piano or something...maybe a hope chest? Don't waste a slab with figuring like that making a slab top chair or end table.

The slab in the first pic was the best one, if memory serves. I was given 2 out of 7 for my work, and those two both have the rot spots through the middle.
I don't know enough about veneering to be confident that I wouldn't mess up the whole thing.

Either you know of a better market for burl slabs than I do, or know of a cheap surgeon. Clue me in Matt.

I love this scene.
https://youtu.be/k8md2G2nzR0




Man, I felt terrible about that. I really did. I was playing with the grub to the horror of the Dread Princess, and it couldn't get a bite on me. Thicker skin on the hands, I guess. Took a nibble of the Balrog. She was annoyed to the point of crying.

Have you ever held a Ponderous Beetle larvae in your hand? They're impressive with their heft. Pretty strong little buggers too.

I kinda feel weird saying this....but thats some goood looking wood. If you have any left over, send me a coupla pieces so i can send it to this guy https://www.culinagrips.com so he can make some custom grips for my model 27-2.

cool stuff!
The colors are amazing!

Dang Bro, that grub is damn near a meal by itself!!!
Nice piece of wood, just astounding. I had a good time welding wood the past 20 or so years...

I will keep you in mind... There was zero left over from this big burl though. The couple that brought it over were very careful to take every cubic inch available, including a bag of the sawdust.


That first big slab (first pic in thread) was really astounding... I do not know that the two slabs that I have are of the same coloration. I kind of doubt it in hindsight.
I hope that that couple treats that slab with the proper care and feeding.


No kidding! I don't know how many of you have held a near mature Ponderous Beetle larvae in your hand, but it has heft and strength. I bet that early cavemen actively looked for these handfuls of protein. Maybe I'll fry one up the next time I get into a log that is infested.

What do you mean by "welding wood the past 20 or so years" ?