A new project! I’m calling this “the massive beast” – it’s the biggest burl I’ve ever had the pleasure to have dropped into the box of my truck! It’s red cedar, approximately 5 feet across and I estimate its weight at between 800 and 1,000 lbs. Not that I’ve put it on a scale or lifted it by any means other than a backhoe! It’s the largest burl I’ve ever worked… definitely both daunting and inspiring.

So what am I up to? I’m going to carve the largest face I’ve ever made and it will be mounted on a backdrop with a diameter of about 7-8 feet. I plan to video tape the process and will upload it once it’s complete.

Here’s the raw burl with the guide strips I nailed in place for the initial cutting lines. Using a 37″ bar on my large chainsaw, I still had to cut from both sides to get through it. Of course the biggest obstacle in working a piece this size is being able to work around it and move it when needed.

And here’s the burl now after being cut – the piece I’ll be carving into a face. It’s now approximately 16 inches thick and 5 feet in diameter. Stay tuned!