How to Work With a Spruce Burl

Measure six inches above and below the burl on the trunk or branch. Mark your measurements with a piece of chalk. Put on a pair of safety glasses to protect your eyes from flying debris.

Cut through the entire branch or fallen tree trunk with a chainsaw to remove the burl. Cut the burl into slabs if it is too big to remove from the tree in its entirety. Remove any small branches with the chainsaw or handsaw.

Leave the burl in a dry place so that it will dry out slowly. Cut the burl into smaller pieces with a chainsaw if you want to speed up the drying process.

Mount the spruce burl on a lathe and tighten the head and tail screws on the lathe. Turn on the lathe. Remove the burl's bark by lightly holding a wood chisel against the burl while the lathe is turning.

Rough out the shape you want with wood chisels while the lathe continues to turn or remove the burl from the lathe and use the handsaw to cut it into pieces. Sand down the burl with fine-grit sandpaper to remove any unwanted chisel marks.

Finish the burl pieces by applying stain and sealer with a paintbrush. Apply a thin coat of beeswax with a paintbrush if you prefer, and polish the burl to a high shine with a cloth.