Stabilizing Pacific madrone burl?

[DMcIvor]

Hi Turners-

I recently acquired a slice of green Pacific madrone burl. I rough turned a small bowl and had enough left over to make a small brush handle. The purveyor had warned that the burl needed to be "stabilized." I figured this meant alcohol soaking (which is what I did), slow drying buried in sawdust, or one of the various standard tricks we resort to.

After about a month both pieces are still intact, but I can't believe how and how much they've both moved. The different grain types in the burl move to very different degrees, and so the dried surface looks something like the skin of an avacado. The bowl form is quite distorted and I'm glad I left plenty of wood to correct the shape.

My question is, Is there a better way to stabilize Pacific madrone? It turns beautifully and looks exquisite, so I'd like to keep turning it, but I'd also like more control over the process!

Don

 

[Steve Worcester]

Madrone burl is noted (and sought after) for the exact properties you are talking about.

Since it does mover so much, the only way to get a clean and smooth surface on a dry piece is to twice turn it. Turn thick, dry by whatever method you like, and turn when dry to final thickness.

 

[-e-]

madrone is commonly boiled to stabilize

 

[S. Clark]

Boiling is the prefered method. I haven't done it but several of the members in our club have and they report good results. 2 to 3 hours is what they say. Otherwise, turn it thin while green and then just let it go. Even with burl, if you balance the grain alignment properly you'll get uniform shrinkage. I've experienced checking and cracks by leaving it thick enough to return.

 

[Hugh]

Dale Larson of Oregon turns beautiful Madrone bowls. He boils the rough turned bowls for about 4 hours I think. Christian Burchard turns a lot of Madrone burl and he just turns it very thing (1/16" or so) and then lets the wood do what it is going to do. They end up being beautiful vessels.

I have rough turned Madrone Burl and then boiled for 3 -4 hours - then left in the hot water overnight - then taken out and allowed to dry. Takes about 4-6 months like a normal rough turned bowl. The end product is very stable with few cracks appearing.

Next time you get some Madrone burl - do an experiment and rough turn a couple of bowls. Boil one and just coat the other with Anchor Seal. Watch them as they dry. I kept my control (unboiled) piece for an example of how Madrone likes to dry. Dale Larson has given a couple of demos at the AAW Symposium on working with Madrone. Good demo if you get the chance to see him. Christian does demos on turning Madrone burl thin and is a good demo also.
Hugh