Replies

1. 
   fdampier | Apr 21, 2002 04:43am | #1

   I've never seen willow that was anything worth the effort.  But what the heck I'm a biggoted old cirmudgen. I hate elm, I hate cedar,  I dislike a few others which for political reasons I'll choose not to elaborate.

     But I do like burls, heck love burls.  who knows,  try it you might like it!  what'ca got to lose?

1. 
   sschefer | Apr 21, 2002 05:20am | #2

   Hey Frenchy, you ought to see the two 8' x 24 6/4 old growth redwood that I salvaged out of an old barn this afternoon. Recycled wood is something I'm all for by the way. This stuff has a beautiful patina but would be hard to work with as it is. I'm planning on ripping it down and planing it to a full inch thickness and see what it looks like.

   As far as this willow burl is concerned, Jon Arno can probably answer this with the most authority. I personally think that it would take about a 100 years to dry it sufficently to do anything with it. My experience has been that willows are real water hogs. People commonly plant them around leach fields to help out soil perculation. Its also one of the reasons you see them growing so well around lakes and streams.

   Steve - in Northern California

1. 
   fdampier | Apr 22, 2002 09:00pm | #4

   Steve,

     Why rip it?  what if you just planed it to show the wood underneath? There are lots of things I can use 6/4 for that 4/4 won't work as well.  In addition have you considered just cleaning it and leaving the history in the wood?    It's just soap and water and elbow grease and you might wind up with some lovely wood with charcter that can't be faked... 'Sides 24 inch anything is getting very rare now days.

     Ah, what do I know?  Justa thought,  chances are I'd run it thru the planer too, just because looking at the wood coming out is one of my favorite things.

1. 
   sschefer | Apr 24, 2002 07:56pm | #6

   Frenchy, there are some splits in it so I was going to rip it and cut them out. However, you have given me some ideas now about cleaning it. I don't think its durable enough to serve very well as a table top or something along those lines. But then again, if I was to frame it in bread board style, I wouldn't worry about the splits, I'd just consider it character. I haven't done anything with them yet.Steve - in Northern California

1. 
   fdampier | Apr 24, 2002 08:41pm | #7

     Steve,

     I know what you mean.  I have a house full of wood with only a vague idea of where it's all going.  For example My first thought when I looked at all that beautifull  burl was to do a floor of it.  I mean I have more than enough so why not?  after a lot of thought I decided that if I just took 8 of my widest boards that are 22 inches wide  by 11 feet long and used it in a picture frame around   hard maple that would be much more dramatic.

     Then I have all of the rest of that burl to use as   jam extensions, counter tops etc. stuff where people would really notice it.  Often I notice my first idea may have a nugget of a decent idea but it needs refinement.   It's not that I'm wrong but there may be better use down the road.  I guess the trick is to not jump at the first idea but refine and let time go by.  If it's still great when you're ready then do it that way but be open to other thoughts.

2. 
   Mike_H3 | Apr 09, 2021 08:08am | #11

   Can I be your friend?

2. 
   Armin110 | Apr 22, 2002 03:50pm | #3

   Bengst, Willow burl is awsome, the growth rings are large and the figure is outstanding. On the down side it contains lots of water and drys way to fast so keep it covered when not working on it. If you want to turn it do so while green, wear a face shield with wipers, be prepared to get a bath in willow juice. Good luck.

3. 
   jonsherryl | Apr 22, 2002 11:03pm | #5

   Jeffrey, you didn't mention what kind of willow. The willows differ quite a bit in terms of color. Most of them are bland figured and creamy yellow in color. However, our native black willow (Salix nigra) is a beautiful wood, relatively soft (just a little denser than white pine), fine textured, similar to cherry in color and exceptionally nice to work with, since it is easy to cut and shape. It's quite strong for its weight and resists splitting, so screws and nails hold well.

   On the down side, the willows are rather unstable and difficult to dry. Also, they have very poor decay resistance and sticker stain easily. Burl will be even more difficult to season than ordinary stock. Go into it with the anticipation that you'll have to scrap a good portion of it due to checks and distortion...but it's still well worth the effort.  Put lots of weight on top of the pile to minimize distortion (100 pounds per square foot wouldn't be the least bit excessive.) The willows spalt easily because of their poor resistance to fungi...so, maybe you'll get lucky and end up with some beautifully marbled burl.

4. 
   Garynkim | Apr 09, 2021 05:00am | #8

   I thought that the willow tree we had might be sick, but my son and daughter-in-law told us that what's on it is burl. We're going to have to have it taken out because there is a big crack in the sidewalk between it and the house, so it's becoming a real problem. Is it worth anything? And, how do we go about finding people that might be interested in it? Pics attached.

   
1. 
   lat_axe | Apr 09, 2021 06:21am | #10

   My advice is to knock down that house and take out the road & pavement so the tree can be enjoyed in its full splendour, without it's growth being inhibited by human detritus. Remove them ugly concrete blocks around the trunk whilst you're at it! :-)

   The worth of that tree is in it's handsome nature, not in any dollars you might exchange bits of it for. It won't make nice furniture so why murder it?

   Lataxe, probably a pink-livered tree hugger.

5. 
   rob_ss | Apr 09, 2021 06:16am | #9

   TBH I would have started a new thread....

   Can't speak for the USA, but I suspect it's not much different from NZ. If you are lucky, the local woodturners will happily remove the tree for you, probably for little to no cost.

   Whilst burls are beloved of turners and some woodworkers, they are probably not really worth much money - there are many trees and fewer people interested in using burl.

   Still, if you put it on the market, you never know, someone may want it and think it's worth a punt.

6. 
   stantheman | Apr 09, 2021 03:45pm | #12

   Tell us where you are.

7. 
   Garynkim | Apr 10, 2021 01:20am | #13

   Thanks for the input. We're wanting to get the house ready to sell. If I was a buyer interested in the house, I'd look at that crack and then the tree and say "NOPE, I don't think so.... Maybe, if you pay to take the tree out and pay to make sure there's no damage under the house". So, we're trying to be pro-active and get it done beforehand.
   We're in Elk Grove, CA (Just south of Sacramento).

8. 
   _mj_ | Apr 10, 2021 12:46pm | #14

   In that case and since it's such a pretty tree why not just redo the walk? I think the property has great curb appeal with that tree there.

9. 
   Garynkim | Apr 10, 2021 06:34pm | #15

   We've been told it's possible that the roots have grown underneath the house and have possibly become entangled with the plumbing. So, we're trying to figure out who to call to determine if that's indeed the case. And also, who might be interested in the tree.

1. 
   rob_ss | Apr 11, 2021 05:28am | #19

   Most sellers would keep the tree and simply sort out the path to make it even. Buyers are very unlikely to ask why you fixed it, but they will ask why it is broken.
   The tree adds a huge amount of kerb appeal - IMHO, removing it is bonkers.
   If you want to 'do the right thing' by any future purchaser then have someone dig down under the path and remove any roots that are there. They will NOT be deep.

10. 
    _mj_ | Apr 10, 2021 07:38pm | #16

    I have a tree outside the house that was pushing up my sidewalk. My concrete man chopped out the offending root and poured a reinforced 6" reverse curb underground next to the tree when the walk went back in. Not so close to affect the house though. The tree seems to have weathered it well enough. He asked about removing the tree, but I would miss the shade it gives me.

    Good luck!

11. 
    Go_Bills | Apr 10, 2021 10:00pm | #17

    Walnut Burl is a delicacy.
    I cant speak on the "Willow"

12. 
    Garynkim | Apr 11, 2021 02:15am | #18

    Ahh.... Thanks for the advice. We'll have to look into that option.
    And our tree definitely gives us a ton of shade, so we would miss it too.