Birch suvel. Processing burls and suvels Why is birch suvel cooked?
Cap and suvel. Native exotic.
Sooner or later, when you get involved in the fascinating business of making knives, you want to use something more beautiful on the handle than your native beech, walnut or cherry. Catalogs of stores for knife makers are full of exotic names and photographs of extraordinary beauty and design of pieces of wood. All these “Amboina Burly” are not so cheap...
But even in our northern forests, you can find wood that is hardly inferior in beauty to Australian exotics. We will talk about KAPA and SUVELI.
First you need to decide what is what? Some sources claim that burl and suvel are one and the same thing. I don't agree with this.
So - cap.
Burl is a rounded growth on a trunk or branch formed by small woody nodules of adventitious and dormant buds. On the surface there can be, and more often than not, many small shoots and twigs. Mouth guards meet mainly on deciduous species: oak, walnut, maple, poplar, but most often on birch. In the future, this is what we will talk about.
If you're lucky, you can find a branch burl - a kind of ball growing on a thin branch. It is small, like all mouthguards, and, unlike suveli, it has a “needle-like” structure and a very small, pronounced pattern in the form of dots and dashes.
Growths on trunks are more common.
And even more often - the basal burl, “cap-root” - it can be very large, but the pattern of this “giant” is not so pronounced and contrasting.
Under the bark of the growth, the surface of the tree is uneven, there are many protrusions in the form of spines and tubercles.
Burl wood is 50 - 70% denser than the wood of the tree itself, the fibers are interwoven, multidirectional, plus a large number of darker inclusions formed by “dormant” buds, which is why the burl is unusually beautiful both on crafts and on knife handles.
It is difficult to process due to its “twisted” structure, but this gift of nature is worth it.
According to some estimates, 1 tree with a burl accounts for, on average, 3000-5000 ordinary trees without a burl.
Therefore, finding a “worthy” mouthguard is quite difficult... Unlike suveli.
Suvel.
Suvel is formed by overgrown annual rings of a tree. The structure of the growth, as the name implies (also called svil), is twisted, caused by twisted annual rings.
Reaches enormous sizes. In the Vatican there is a font carved from one growth. But, according to my observation, the smaller the suvel, the more saturated its pattern. Under the bark of the growth, the surface is lumpy, but without “spikes”, like on a burl, but in the form of large, smoothly flowing depressions and “hills”. Suvel is well polished, and, polished, impregnated linseed oil For example, wood is very beautiful - it seems to glow from within, the pattern is multidirectional, with a mother-of-pearl tint.
It is also difficult to process, but easier than cap.
IT IS PREFERABLE TO CUTT OUT THE GROWTH DURING THE DRY TIME OF THE YEAR, IDEAL AT THE END OF AUGUST, THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER, BEFORE THE COMMONATION STARTS.
The cut area must be protected - painted over with paint or thick lime.
Many knife lovers or hunters make knives themselves, and most of them order the necessary components from online stores: a blade, a bolster, a butt pad, a block of exotic wood. It’s about the last one, that is, about the tree, that I want to tell you.
I have worked with different types of wood: bubingo, merbao, different types walnut, beech, ebony... But here we are talking about a completely different type of wood. About our Russian birch burl and suveli. What is it and how to prepare wood yourself for subsequent processing and achieving the final result - a knife handle?
The harvesting method is not new, and I am not the author of the technology described. I gleaned some information from the Internet, and read some from books on artistic wood carving. I simply managed to systematize the experience gained and adapt the technology of drying burl and suveli wood to my conditions.
Suvel is a growth on a tree trunk with a bizarre, intertwined arrangement of fibers.
A burl is a suveli-like growth, twisted in the arrangement of its fibers, from which many small branches also grow. Thanks to this, the structure of the burl acquires not only curliness, but also beautiful rings, stains and wormholes.
At correct processing– through drying and impregnation (which will be discussed below), such wood becomes not only extremely beautiful, but also viscous.
How burl and suvel are formed on wood, I cannot say for sure. IN different sources respected people, experts in their field, put forward various theories, I read quite a lot of them.
First stageThe first stage is reconnaissance, and my son and I, while walking through the forest in the summer, notice promising trees, from our point of view. Best time for harvesting – September – October when the movement of juices slows down and almost completely stops.
Required tool:
- bow saw - I use Swedish blades specifically for quick cuts;
- small but very sharp hatchet (600–800 g);
- can of oil paint.
At first Use a hatchet to carefully cut the tree bark in a circle, going a little onto the burl itself (the operations for preparing suveli are no different), then take a bow saw and start sawing off the burl. Since the burl is very viscous, as I mentioned above, you have to cut in shifts and with rest. And this despite the special, very aggressive tooth of the blade, popularly called “wolf tooth”. I once tried domestic and Chinese canvases - summary: if you are not a sadomasochist and do not intend to use this process as a way to lose weight through extreme sweating, then it is better to never use such a tool!
(Less labor-intensive and time-consuming - using a chain saw, but keep in mind that when cutting down a medium-sized piece of wood, the new chain will become completely dull. Note Ed.)
After the required piece has been sawed off, we position ourselves on a nearby stump and carefully chop off the bark. The main thing here is not to rush, so as not only not to spoil the workpiece, but also not to shorten your fingers in a hurry. The workpiece is spherical and quite nimble.
Cover the cut area on the tree with paint. We took what we needed from the forest, and there was absolutely no point in spoiling the tree. Moreover, there may be more than one burl on one tree. For several years we have been cutting down blanks from one tree as needed, and the tree is still alive.
Second phaseYou have two drying options:
- Natural – burl or suvel dries in natural conditions.
- Cooking in salty solution. This method has been used since ancient times to speed up the drying process.
I always boil my preparations, but here there are several options. It’s possible at a fire, but you always need to monitor the intensity of the firewood burning (to put it simply, so that the fire doesn’t go out), but better at home on a gas or electric stove. It is important to start cooking quickly. Thus, you will not only finish it earlier, but the workpiece will not crack. Take a suitable container and fill it with water. To begin with, dissolve about 100–150 table salt in water. It all depends on the size of the container and the workpiece (we selected it experimentally for a 3-liter container). During the cooking process, which means for 4-5 hours, add water (it should cover the drip) and add two tablespoons of salt when it boils. The water should boil constantly.
During the cooking process, the workpiece must be completely saturated with saline solution. Otherwise, cracking of the wood is inevitable, and all the work will go down the drain. There must be at least 4 cooking sessions at intervals of 24 hours. The fact is that in one cooking session our workpiece cannot be saturated with saline solution. When drying, salt displaces sap and moisture, which is how the wood is express-dried without cracking. In the intervals between cooking, we wrap the caps tightly in newspaper, which we change as it absorbs moisture from the workpiece.
We do the same after the last cooking. The preparation remains in the newspaper for another three weeks (for those who are itching), or better yet, a month. IN last days the newspaper will be almost dry. And now our cap is ready.
Third stageSawing into dimensional pieces, which will require a hacksaw with a fine tooth for “ clean saw"and a pair of carpentry clamps. We mark the burl, secure it with clamps and saw it. You need to secure it thoroughly, because the cap will most likely move slightly after drying. One medium-sized burl produces 3–4 blanks for knife handles. The trimmings are used for the handles of cutlery in the “hunting” style.
A small but important detail. We dip the ends of the sawn blanks into 2–3 cm of molten wax. This is necessary so that during final drying the blank does not crack, and in the middle part the remaining moisture finds a way out.
Final stageWell, one last thing. There are many ways to impregnate the final product (I mean a ready-made knife with a mounted handle). But in my experience The best way impregnation of a burl or suvel handle - cooking in a steam bath in natural beeswax over low heat. I also tried the newfangled carnauba wax, but it can’t compare with our beeswax. With this method, hot wax saturates the handle completely and not superficially within about an hour. The tree acquires transparency, begins to glow from within, and durability.
To emphasize the beautiful curling of the structure, I recommend lightly tinting the wood with a special stain BALSIN SCHAFTOL from BalistolKlever. This must be done, of course, before cooking in beeswax. The final polishing and gloss is applied with a special wood oil, Danish oil, from Rustins. Three times per day with intermediate drying.
With this treatment, the knife handle will serve you for a long time, pleasing the eye and warming the soul - I made this beauty myself – long years!
Links and examples
Alexander Lopukhov, magazine “Prorez” No. 2, 2008.
Processing of burl and suveli
You can often see thickenings or growths on the trunks and roots of birch, maple, oak, spruce, pine and some other tree species. These swellings occur as a result of local tissue proliferation. Usually there are influxes with a smooth surface (suveli), the texture of which on the saw cut is similar to the texture of Karelian birch, and the sagging with an uneven surface (burls), the texture pattern on the cut of which is very beautiful and represents an intricate interweaving of annual layers with concentric circles of the cores of dormant buds scattered here and there. The nature of the formation of both burls and suvels has not yet been clearly defined, but for the master these burls are the most valuable material for work. They are harvested from fallen trees in windfall areas or at sawmills. It is clear that it is easier to separate the influx in the form of a growth from the tree, so in the future we will talk about processing the growths specifically. The latter are cut off with part of the stem wood - then it will be clear what to remove and what to leave. The workpiece is freed from all excess (bark, unnecessary knots), and tar and rot are also removed. Then the workpiece is boiled in a 5% solution of table salt. If the diameter of the workpiece does not exceed 10 cm, boil it for an hour, the duration of such processing of the workpieces large sizes increases to 3...5 hours. Boiling is necessary so that the juice inside the wood warms up, neutralizes and the workpiece dries faster. (By the way, the resulting solution can then be used as a beige dye for yarn and fabrics, and by evaporating it, it is even possible to obtain a stain for tinting wood and bone products.)
Next, the workpiece is removed from the solution and, without allowing it to dry, is subjected to pre-treatment. Wet growth wood is quite soft and pliable, and it is also easier to remove any remaining bark from it. At the same time, in the process of drying the boiled workpiece, the likelihood of cracks appearing in its thin walls, if any, is reduced. Once dry, the wood will become hard and will be much more difficult to process.
When starting work, the master must first of all decide which “direction” product (horizontal or vertical) he intends to make from his workpiece. You can't cut from the shoulder here. If the craftsman is going to cut something vertical, for example, a “standing” vase, the workpiece will have to be “positioned”, forming a flat bottom for it. In this case, a workpiece made from a build-up of a typical shape (like a “hedgehog”) will most likely have to be cut across the grain. When working on vases, dishes, boxes, you have to carefully select the “inside” of the future product from top to bottom. Remove excess wood “on a cone” using a drill, an ax, and semicircular chisels. It is not recommended to thin the walls of the product too much, because wood does not like walls that are too thin; the walls, by the way, look even better when they are thick enough.
Birch suvel, or, as it is often called popularly, tree bone, is a unique nature education, which is of great value to craftsmen. After processing this material, carvers make beautiful wooden products. In the article we will look at what birch suvel is and what it is used for.
What it is?
Suvel (svil) is a rounded growth on the trunks of birch trees. May also occur in other breeds. It grows quite quickly. Consists of twisted or deformed wood fibers. Suveli can be located around the tree or in groups on one section of the trunk.
This material is usually harvested in windfall areas or in sawmills. The nature of the formation of growths is still not completely known. Some argue that this is due to an external influence on the tree trunk or a disease, as a result of which a hall is formed, which after some time becomes overgrown with fibers.
What not to be confused with?
Beginners who are not very familiar with what birch suvel is may confuse it with burl. By the way, the second one is much less common and is considered more valuable. Their main difference is the presence of knots in a longitudinal cut, a clearly visible core, a fine pattern, and pronounced ornate layers. Moreover, there are no repeating burl patterns in nature; they all have a unique design.
The surface of the suvel under the bark is smooth, less often with large bumps. In burls, it is finely pimpled, and small branches grow from it. Suveli is not so dense and is easier to process.
Amazing phenomenon
When cutting a birch tree correctly, you can see amazing phenomena. To be more precise, the interweaving of wood fibers forms pearlescent areas with a unique pattern. They begin to emit a special glow, reflecting from sunlight. The effect looks very beautiful in finished products, for example, in a stacked handle made of birch suvel.
The pattern and color are distinguished by their uniqueness; as a rule, it is brownish-ocher, soft pink, straw with a pearlescent sheen, and less often - dark brown with a marsh tint.
What does appearance depend on?
The color range of the material depends on the species and conditions of the area where the wood grows. For example, if a birch tree is cut in a wetland, most likely its color will be dark with a greenish tint.
And if it is found on the butt part (10-20 cm underground or 10-20 cm above the soil surface) and covered with moss, it will most often have a dark brown color with pinkish veins or a yellowish-golden background with dark annual rings.
How to collect suvel?
People just walking in the forest, picking berries or mushrooms, don’t notice at all. If you purposefully look for burls or suveli, you can see them quite often. They can be located at the foot or at the top of the trunk, where it is almost impossible to reach them without a ladder. If we talk about the terrain, it can be a swampy lowland or a sand and stone plain.
Often rotting growths are found, giving the impression that the tree is trying to get rid of the strands. If you cut off any intact part, it will also rot after a certain period of time.
The slower a tree grows unfavorable conditions, the denser the fiber weaves and the harder the material. It is impossible to predict the design of a suveli, but the more clumsy it is, the more beautiful the pattern will be. At the same time, it is possible to make a voluminous piece from it only in exceptional cases.
Due to the fact that the material is hard, it is quite difficult to cut it down the first time; the blade quickly becomes dull. From the second run things go much faster. When harvesting birch suvel, you need to try to ensure that the cut is even and runs parallel to the trunk. To prevent the tree from dying, it is advisable to treat the cut with a wound-healing solution. It can be purchased in the garden department of the store.
If the growth encircles the trunk, then it cannot be cut down, as the tree may die.
How to dry birch suvel?
It depends on the method of preparation of raw materials appearance it, and then the finished product. There are several different ways initial processing. The wood can be left exposed to air in natural conditions for a year or two, or this process can be accelerated by other methods. Below we will describe more quick way.
To dry, remove the bark from the workpiece, wrap it in newspaper in several layers, then place it in black plastic bag. The paper prevents the material from heating up quickly; the bag creates a steam room effect. Black polyethylene heats up quickly sun rays(when drying suvel on the street) or from a battery. The process occurs evenly, which prevents the wood from cracking. The bag needs to be tied, leaving a small opening. For the first 10 days, newspapers are changed twice a day for dry ones; for the next 15 days, once is enough. By the end of the period, the paper should remain almost dry. In general, the process takes 25-30 days, the wood retains its natural color and does not crack.
How to cook correctly?
This method is used by many masters. While cooking the material in one way or another, you can give the wood the desired shade, speed up drying, or reveal the existing pattern. The appearance of the birch suvel product will depend on this.
The process is happening in the following way:
- The blanks, previously cleared of bark, are placed in the pan. Next, pour water so that it covers the wood by 2-3 cm. Then add 2 tbsp. spoons of coarse salt per liter of water and put on fire. In addition, coniferous, birch or alder sawdust is added to the solution. They give the souvel a color from dark amber to golden.
- After the water boils, turn the fire to low and cook the material for 4 hours, if the workpiece is large - 6 hours. Then the liquid is drained and the wood is left to dry. On the second and third days, the process must be repeated. The result should be 12-18 hours of cooking over 3 days.
- Cooking in saline solution caused by a simple physical reaction. The tree contains sap, the density of which is lower than the brine solution. During cooking, the liquid penetrates the material and dehydrates it. This occurs by displacing tree sap and absorbing the salt solution. As a result, liquid diffusion occurs and the suvel dries. After cooking, the wood is wrapped in newspaper and packed in a plastic bag. The next day, the paper should be slightly damp; the suvel can be left to dry in natural conditions. If desired, you can dry the material for another day using newspaper.
Roughing
Before starting work, it is important to decide on the type of future product. If a craft made from birch suvel is vertical (for example, a vase, a candlestick), then it is better to make a cut in this direction and immediately form the bottom of the product. When making a bowl, box, or dish, the inside is selected from top to bottom. Remove excess wood, moving from the walls to the center at an angle of 45°. The best option would be to use a semicircular chisel or drill.
Please note: do not make the walls too thin. When dry, they may become brittle or crack. As a rule, products with sufficiently thick sides look more beautiful, are more durable and last longer.
After preliminary shaping, the wood is left for another 1-2 days outdoors away from direct sunlight (or indoors, again wrapped in newspaper). After this, proceed to the next stage.
Finishing of the product
Since each piece of material is unique in nature, it must be carefully inspected before finishing. Perhaps the knot that you initially wanted to remove will be the highlight of the finished product, for example, handles made from birch suvel.
During finishing, the angularity of the material’s shapes is removed in order to bring it closer to the finished look and reveal the structure of the wood. If during the processing process natural defects or small cracks are revealed, they will have to be repaired with a mixture of sawdust and glue. In the worst case, you will need to deviate from the original idea and modify the product.
After completing the internal and external processing of the suvel, they begin to clean up the roughness. This can be done with a scraper, wire brush, or rasp. Movements should be frequent and small so as not to spoil the material. Finally, grinding is performed with a drill with special attachments. If there is none, it is processed manually with sandpaper; the second option is even more welcome. You need to start with a coarse one (five), then move down to the finest grain size.
The finished product is cleaned of dust and tinted if necessary. If desired, you can varnish the wood, rub it with wax or hot drying oil. The process of working with willows is very long and labor-intensive, which is why products made from it have a high cost. The price of birch suvel varies from 100 rubles. for a processed block measuring 120×40×30 mm up to 200 rubles. per kilogram of sawn raw materials.
What can be made?
The beauty of suvel allows you to make a variety of objects from it, it all depends on the imagination of the master. Very often you can see original jewelry made from this wood material: earrings, pendants, bracelets and rings. IN old times Carvers made dishes, mugs, spoons, and bowls from it. All this was used on the farm for its intended purpose. For example, the Finns make their traditional Scandinavian kuks from this raw material.
However, most often the birch souvel is used on the handles of knives. The constant qualities of the material, such as density, ease of processing, hardness, amenability to polishing, beautiful texture, interweaving of fibers and shine, played a role in this.
Thanks to the natural pattern on the wood, figures of animals and birds are carved from suvel. The pattern successfully imitates plumage, wool or leather. The smooth curves themselves suggest what can be made from it, all you have to do is remove the excess. Often, a framed wood pattern serves as a decorative panel or other art objects.
If we talk about functional things made from birch suvel, knives come first here. More precisely, their handles. Next are boxes, frames, mouthpieces and pipes, reed and instrument bases, office supplies and much more. Such objects not only perform their function, but also speak about good taste and the status of its owner.
Sometimes painful growths appear on trees, which are popularly called “witch’s broom.” At first glance, this benign formation resembles a human head in shape. That is why it is generally accepted that the name of the growth comes from the ancient Slavic word “cap”. Translated it means “head”.
Where can you find growths on trees?
The cap is found on walnuts and on oaks, aspens and However, the most common growth is on birch. The burl is a bunch of thin branches that grow from a teardrop-shaped new growth. A “witch’s broom” can weigh about a ton.
Stem? This is a growth that is located directly on the tree trunk. What is caporoot? This is a growth that has formed at the very root neck of the tree. Sometimes he can be seen above earth's surface. An underground drip grows on the roots. It is detected by shoots. The burl releases them in early spring. These shoots are not viable and quickly wither. Sometimes burls are found on tree branches.
The beauty of an amazing material
If you make a cross section of the burl, you can discover its structure, in which the cores of the knots are clearly visible. The design of such material is always very beautiful. Due to the accumulation of unopened buds, the cut presents an amazingly beautiful picture of knots, curls and twisted fibers. Moreover, the design for each burl is strictly individual.
The burl formed on trees with a striped fiber texture and contrasting color combinations is particularly beautiful. Pine growths have these characteristics. However, they are quite rare on these trees.
Caporoot may have black spots in its texture. They are located among the light stem fibers. These black dots are nothing more than non-viable shoots that are released by underground growths.
Where is the cap used?
The growth on wood is not particularly valuable as a material for carving. Its rugged surface and striped, mottled texture interfere with each other. When making crafts in this way, the relief of the carving is not visible and the pattern of weaves and streaks disappears.
Numerous areas of the burl have a pearlescent tint. That is why this material, which is special industrial value does not have, it is valued very dearly. Products made from burl are mainly boxes and women's hairpins, cigarette cases and various small jewelry, bowls and chess sets and powder compacts, ink utensils and the material is also used for making knife handles.
What is a burl in industry? This is a material that is used in furniture finishing. In this case, growths formed on trees of exotic species are taken and used as veneer.
What is a cap for a master? This is a material that does not warp, crack, dry out, or swell and is perfectly processed. In addition, it is weighty and durable.
Where can I find a cap?
Growths grow on trees. Therefore, you need to look for them in the forest. However, this is not so simple, because the mouth guards grow spontaneously, and only the most stubborn and big-eyed can see them. The growth can only be cut off with a very sharp saw.
The best place to find burl is at logging sites. There these growths end up in waste. At logging sites, you can also find caporoots, which you simply cannot find in the forest.
Preparing material for work
Cap can be found on various types trees. However, the growth that appears on the birch tree is considered the most beautiful and valuable in our area.
Burl products are not obtained immediately. The material requires some preliminary preparation. How to process birch burl? To do this, you need to use the steaming method. It is suitable for those growths that are not very large in size. The cap is cleared of debris, placed in an unnecessary pan and filled with water. Then you need to add salt to the container. Per liter of water, its dosage is two tablespoons with top. You can add more salt. She will draw the sap from the tree. This method also uses sawdust obtained from processing resinous wood. They need to be poured into a pan. The sawdust gives the burl a pleasant color that can range from yellowish-pink to brownish-ochre. The resins in the sawdust will add strength to the build-up and allow the texture to appear more clearly.
After the water boils, the heat should be reduced slightly and the pan should be left on the stove for six to eight hours. As scale forms, it should be removed. During the steaming process, you need to monitor the volume of water in the pan and add it periodically.
At the end of the “cooking”, the growth is washed to remove sawdust under running water and placed in a closet for a day or two. After this, the entire process must be repeated at least two to four times. During the last cooking, before the tree has cooled, you should peel off the bark from it, and upon completion, put the growth in a closet for one to two weeks.
Once completely dry, the burl will become similar in characteristics to bone. The material prepared in this way is excellent in cutting, sawing and sanding. At the same time, it will not have any foreign odors.
Making boxes
Crafts made from birch burl are not inferior in beauty to souvenirs made from wood and even surpass them. Magnificent boxes are often made from this material.
During the work process, the burl boards are carefully connected to each other, making sure that their texture pattern is similar. A very important operation is the manufacture of wooden hinges. This step requires the precise formation of rounded tenons and grooves on the edges of the lid and body of the product. The hinges must fit tightly and accurately. One more complex operation is drilling holes. In wooden hinges this is easiest to do with thin steel wire. At the next stage, a lock is cut into the box. The product is almost ready. It should only be puttied, thoroughly dried and the surfaces coated with alkaline varnish. After completing these works, the box is treated with polish and wiped with alcohol. The product is polished until the wood acquires and until all the veins of its amazing texture shine brightly.
Cane decoration
Using a mouthguard, you can make a wonderful gift for an elderly person with your own hands. The work can be done even by a novice. Hollow cylinders, which are previously machined from birch caporoot, should be alternately placed on the tube or metal rod. The parts should fit tightly together, creating the impression of a single whole. Such a cane can be crowned with a carved or smooth birch handle.
Burl bowl
Various souvenirs can be made from wooden growths. Popular burl products are decorative bowls. A rough blank is made from a little raw material. Next, the blank is left to dry. If small cracks form in it, they are smeared with PVA glue. After final drying, the product is given the required shape, it is sanded, polished and varnished.