Yes Mark (Burl source), you are right about that burl being cut when it was. I have cut approx 15 cherry burls. In the beggining, I cut them right into small blanks around 2" x 2" x 7-10". As stated above, cherry burl can be difficult. Mark from burl source had written in a thread to not be tempted to cut up the burls into blanks but to look for the best figure and cut them out ( something like that). You may feel like your wasting wood that way but if you want exceptional pieces- that would be the way to go. So after cutting all those burls, and having over a hundred knife blank pieces drying, I now cut the burl about 6" under and 6" over it on the tree. Then I seal the ends and just let em sit in a dark place at a temp that never gets below 60* and never gets above 65*. I just forget about them. In the past I have also cut pieces into slabs ( like the one above) and that also works but it does increase the chances of movement but it will dry quicker. I usually get the cherry burls off unhealthy looking trees or from trees that have to be cut down for whatever reason. As far as the smaller blanks I cut, I would say approx 60% of them had very little movement but some bent up like a potatoe ( hehe) chip. Take your time and be patient. In general, in the past,-with the smaller pieces I cut- I would totally seal them. Then in about 1 year I would scrape off the wax from the front and back, then in about 6-8 months I would scrape off the other sides. Then all I have left is the ends sealed and thats how they are now. THATS HOW i DID IT ANYWAY ...On another note, what I mainly look for now is not just any cherry burl but the cherry burls that have small trunks ( an overall thin tree) with a wide burl around it. That way Im not wasting alot of time messing around or wasting low figure wood. Just a thought-Thanks Mark BTW-Mark, I melted some of that slab with a heat gun ( at a good distance-to let it breath and to show a bit of figure). What was the moisture content exactly- can you tell. I need to invest in a good moisture meter.
When I initailly cut the burls ( in the begining) in small blanks, they would have some awesome figure when wetted. Now they seem to have lost their luster but when I take a piece and give it a quick sanding and a quick buff-it can be amazing. Have fun and good luck MELSDAD