What to do with this MONSTER ?

[Kristian Sharman]

I have this huge Ash Burr and I want to know what I should do with it ? It’s 820mm L x 720mm W x 440mm H.

 

[Lazurus]

Give it to me to mount on my VB36

 

[MARK.B.]

Blimey that's quite a lump, gave myself a hernia just looking at the pic's

 

[Garno]

You can always post it to me

 

[Droogs]

Make the most of it and get it cut into veneer slices

 

[Sachakins]

Some beautiful turned Vase and bowls.

 

[paulrbarnard]

How about a candlestick or a pen?

 

[Cabinetman]

This is one I did a few years ago, I agree it’s not easy to think what you can use them for and this is just sort of a thing to put your keys in it’s about 500 mm long. Ian

 

[Orraloon]

I have a large burl waiting to dry out a bit. Not quite that big but still rather hefty. A eucalyptus of some kind. My plan for it is to take a slice about 75mm from the flat end to make a small side table and then the rest should fit on my lathe for a large bowl.
Regards
John

 

[SimonStevensCanes]

This is one I did a few years ago, I agree it’s not easy to think what you can use them for and this is just sort of a thing to put your keys in it’s about 500 mm long. IanView attachment 105433

that's beautiful, I love the contrast between the highly polished/finished surface and the hand gouged bowl

 

[Cabinetman]

that's beautiful, I love the contrast between the highly polished/finished surface and the hand gouged bowl

Thank you, yes that was the idea, there was a defect just there which is one of the reasons why I took that out. There was another grotty bit on the edge which I cut off to make it the same width as my planer, then finished off with a smoothing plane. Ian

 

[marcros]

I have only used burr pen blanks and boards containing burry patches.

Is there a chance that it isn't burry inside and is quite boring? It is a question in general, it has always made me slightly hesitant with buying such things. I have only ever seen finished items and have no idea if the maker has discarded half of the burrs along the way in creating them.

 

[Cabinetman]

No Marcros, if you look at the surface on that one I made those brown splodges go all the way through and form the spikes on the outside surface – twigs I suppose you could call them. But there is often a sapwood area around the outside that is plain and can cause problems. You can see a bit of it on the end of mine near the scooped out bit. Ian

 

[OldWood]

I have an even bigger elm burr I paid £25 for - and then wondered when I did manage to get it home "how the hell am I going to use it?" Eyes bigger than ... etc.

There was a bit of hope that I would get some realistic suggestions in this post !

Ian, I'm wondering how you got such a good finish on that - and please don't tell us you have a lathe that can turn 500mm !
Rob

 

[Cabinetman]

Three posts back, cut a grotty bit off the edge which made it possible to put it over my planer, then finished it off with a sharp number 4 smoother.
Rob I have one that is not quite as big as the OP's but it’s shaped like a double humped camel, it’s been in the workshop for quite a while, very dry now and the bark picks off nicely when I’m bored lol. Far too big to go over the planer, but I still think I shall make a coffee table out of it, big holes running right through it from what would be the top makes it that bit more interesting I suppose?

 

[SimonStevensCanes]

there was a defect just there which is one of the reasons why I took that out

I love how being forced into to things by the medium can result in something so much better that you'd never have thought of otherwise

 

[baldkev]

I have an even bigger elm burr I paid £25 for - and then wondered when I did manage to get it home "how the hell am I going to use it?" Eyes bigger than ... etc.

There was a bit of hope that I would get some realistic suggestions in this post !

Maybe chainsaw to take the top off, then set up a couple of rails and a router sled at the appropriate height to flatten? You could then spin the top that you cut off over, temporarily silicone some blocks / offcuts in place to prop it up fairly level and use the router sled to flatten the offcut too?