Hello
Wondering if anyone has experience or tips with hand carving burl. I would like to get a nice live edge burl slab piece to carve some initials (lettering) for a wedding gift. I have some letter and hand carving experience but not with Burl. Not sure what type of wood but it would be kiln dried, not green. I assume carving by hand would be tricky considering wonky grain, but not sure if it would be too difficult or worth trying.
Thanks in advance.
Ken
Replies
My experience is hand carving a small bowl from slippery elm burl. It was long ago (40+ years) but I don't remember any great difficulty with it. It will depend significantly on what species of wood it is. By hand carving, you can proceed gradually and discover any problem areas and how to make the final cuts in those areas. Of course, if you can acquire a practice piece that is always reassuring/helpful.
Thanks jharveyb. I’ll give it a shot.