# Softwood burls



## mywoodshopca (Apr 24, 2010)

I was contacted recently by a guy asking if I wanted some burls he found while hunting. They own 10 acres that they will be clearing within the next year so he told me to come take all the burls If I want them.

I went to look today and there is a lot of burls in just the short distance I walked today. They are all softwood at this end but the other end is hardwood (next trip). 

Today I only grabbed one softwood burl, its about 18" across by about 9" deep.

How are softwood burls for turning to vases, bowls, etc?


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## David Keller (Apr 24, 2010)

Should be fine...  Some soft woods are harder than some hardwoods, so the description is not really accurate.  You don't need the structural integrity of really hard wood for vessels, so you should be fine.


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## mywoodshopca (Apr 24, 2010)

Thanks David.

These are spruce and fir burls.

I counted about 30+ in the 10 minutes I was there today.


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## David Keller (Apr 24, 2010)

If you get tired of turning them, give me a shout:biggrin:

Aspen burl is one of my all-time favorite woods to turn, and I'm pretty sure it's classified as a softwood.


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## Mark (Apr 24, 2010)

Nice find. Enjoy the Burls..


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## Mack C. (Apr 24, 2010)

David Keller said:


> If you get tired of turning them, give me a shout:biggrin:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## David Keller (Apr 24, 2010)

Thanks, Mack.  I'd forgotten the deciduous factor.  It does illustrate the point about some hardwoods being rather soft...  Cottonwood is another that comes to mind as well as box elder(Manitoba Maple in Canada I believe).  All of them can be beautiful when turned.


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## PenPal (Apr 24, 2010)

In the discussion re Hardwoods v softwoods I am reminded of the great anomoly Balsa Wood is a true Hardwood.
Regards Peter.


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## Sylvanite (Apr 24, 2010)

Mack C. in Brooklin (Whitby) ON said:


> Any tree that loses it's leaves in the winter time is classified as a deciduous tree and therefore is a hard wood tree.


Except for tamarack.

Regards,
Eric


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## MesquiteMan (Apr 24, 2010)

The difference between hardwood vs softwood has nothing to do with whether or not they are deciduous.  It has all to do with how they reproduce.  Softwoods are gymnosperms and hardwoods are angiosperms.  Angiosperms have protective membranes of some sort around their seeds while gymnosperm seeds are bare.


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## Jgrden (Apr 24, 2010)

MesquiteMan said:


> The difference between hardwood vs softwood has nothing to do with whether or not they are deciduous.  It has all to do with how they reproduce.  Softwoods are gymnosperms and hardwoods are angiosperms.  Angiosperms have protective membranes of some sort around their seeds while gymnosperm seeds are bare.


So gymnosperms can be arrested for indecent exposure, right?


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