Maple Burl – 3 Ways to Turn Burl into a Masterpiece

Creating beautiful masterpieces out of maple burl can be a fantastic experience, as you turn that burl into a decorative bowl or other pieces. Working with a quality exotic wood source, you can get some quality maple burls that can be used in various woodworking projects. What is a maple burl? Essentially, a burl is a wart that has grown off the tree. As you cut into a burl, you can end up with various grain patterns that you are not likely to get with a traditional piece of wood.

However, it can also be challenging to get through the thick bark to the wood.

With that in mind, here are three ways to turn your maple burl into a masterpiece.

Create a Wooden Burl Bowl

When you take a maple burl and cut into it, you find a variety of different grain patterns and spalting, which occurs when fungus gets into the wood. Now you do not want it to dry out all the way because then the burl will start to crack and make it hard to work with. Once you have a hunk of the maple burl that you want to work with, then you can start to turn the burl, shaping into a beautiful bowl.

Once the bowl is created, you need to be sure that you seal it, protecting the beautiful grains and whirls to be found within the maple burl.

Turn It Into Boxes

Depending on the shape of the maple burl and how you remove the bark, you can decide whether there is enough material to create a box. Your box could be shaped to hold a variety of unique items or souvenirs. Plus, you can still incorporate all the different natural shapes and grain patterns, making it a unique piece for your home or a gift for a friend.

Cutting your burl also requires you to cut boards 25% thicker, so that you can account for any shrinkage that might occur due to the drying process.

Embracing the Imperfections

As you create bowls, boxes, or other artistic ideas, the best part of any maple burl is the imperfections that have become part of the wood. Please take advantage of those imperfections and highlight them as you shape the wood. Remember, the goal of using a maple burl is to find the things that will make your piece unique and highlight them.

When cutting your maple burl, be aware that your cutting direction can make a difference in how the grain pattern appears. These burls typically have an eye figure or a random, swirling grain. With the eye figure, you end up with eyes or radiant lines throughout your boards.

As you can see, there are a variety of things that you can do with a maple burl. As you cut them apart, you will be surprised by the beautiful grain patterns and colors that have been captured in this unique piece of wood. If you are looking for a beautiful maple burl to use in your next project, contact us today!

Global Wood Source is a family owned and operated lumber yard and mill specializing in exotic woods from around the world and rare domestics. We personally acquire and inspect each piece of log and timber obtained from forests and jungles worldwide.