Recently, one of my big sisters (I have three) cut down a really large dying birch tree at her cabin (it was almost 20 inches in diameter). Near its base, there was a large burl. Needless to say, this burl is now in my possession, and my goal is to turn a really large bowl from said burl. But here is my conundrum. While I have done a small bit of green turning here and there, I have never done green turning of this magnitude.
So my question for you all is this: should I take the time to study up on green turning? Should I talk to the various turning experts who are already on my speed dial? Or should I just barge ahead as I usually do … believing that if other folks can turn a huge chunk of green wood, so can I?
I look forward to your feedback.
Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal
