Where can you find growths on trees?
Burls are found on walnuts and oaks, aspens and black alder. However, the most common growth is found on birch trees. 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.
What is a stem cap? 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 it can be seen above the 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.
Chaga
The drawing shows a wink. She's beautiful...
Chaga is a plant similar to the tinder fungus. Belongs to the tinder family. It parasitizes on the trunk of a tree, birch. It mainly grows on cut birch, which grows in the steppe or forest-steppe zone. Chaga contains some important pigments that dissolve well in water: polysaccharides, acids, humic-like, chaga, agaricin components, organic, fibers, lipids. Inside them: silicon, sodium, aluminum, potassium, iron, magnesium, zinc, calcium, barium, copper.
How do you dry them? The method described below for small pieces is most suitable within the normal range.
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 spots are nothing more than non-viable shoots that are released by underground growths.
Choosing a landing place
Seedlings are traditionally planted in the autumn-spring period. Gardeners believe that this time is the most favorable. The location should be chosen so that it is slightly shaded. The ideal option is the area behind the house or in front of the facade, where the shadow falls at certain times of the day.
It is highly undesirable for conifers and birch to be neighbors Source mansion1.ru
If you choose such a zone for the development of birch in a summer cottage, you can prevent the evaporation of moisture from the top layer of soil. This will provide sufficient moisture for the root system and will not slow down the growing season.
In addition to choosing a location, you should also decide on the depth of the hole. This parameter depends strictly on individual conditions: the age and size of the root system of the seedlings. Usually no more than 100-1200 cm. It is also necessary to take into account the properties of the soil: loose, slightly acidic soil is suitable. It is allowed to contain a small amount of humus.
Planting birch trees in a front garden with flowering perennialsSource avto.goodfon.ru
The ideal place is the eastern side of the house, where there are no bushes or other vegetation that requires watering. A properly planted tree will create an accent in your landscape design.
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 has no particular industrial significance, is very expensive. Burl products are mainly boxes and women's hairpins, cigarette cases and various small jewelry, bowls and smoking pipes, chess and powder compacts, ink utensils and cases for glasses. The material is also used to make 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.
A unique combination of properties of burl wood:
The limited natural reserves, combined with the above properties, puts this material at the top of its value among other types of wood, with all the species diversity of the flora of our planet.
According to some estimates, 1 tree with a burl accounts for, on average, 3000-5000 ordinary trees without a burl.
Due to the high value of the material, since 1959, the Central Research Institute of Forest Genetics of the USSR Academy of Sciences has been studying the biology of burl and methods of growing it, which has developed a technology for sowing and growing burl birches. A whole grove of such birches was planted in the Moscow region. Since 1967, burl birch was planted in several forestry enterprises of the Kirov region.
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.
Does birch have any benefits and what are they?
A young birch tree still requires some care, but a thick-trunked tree that will grow in a few years will perfectly protect the walls of houses from the wind. Therefore, it is better to plant it on the windy side. With the help of the correct location of the plant, you can easily prevent the development of drafts and make the yard quiet.
Birch trees can be planted on the site next to flower beds of perennial plantsSource ayalizimahi.ru
Thanks to the massive root system, the shoreline can be easily strengthened. This is relevant for cases where there is a ravine and a river flowing next to the house area.
Preparing material for work
Burls can be found on various types of 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.
Suvel
Suvel is growths without dormant buds. Sometimes such formations are called “suvelval” or simply “svil”. Unlike burl, the structure of suvel does not have wood knots, and all the beauty of the texture here is created by chaotically intertwined vessels. From such deformed fibers, an influx in the shape of a ball or drop is formed on the trunk. It grows three to four times faster than burl and is found on trees much more often.
What does suvel look like?
It is quite easy to distinguish suvel from burl. Neither small branches nor buds emerge from it. Under a thick layer of bark, the surface is completely smooth, without conical convexities, like a burl. All the beauty of the texture here is formed by a chaotic strand of intertwined fibers. It does not just flow in light waves, as in some tree species, but gathers into dense folds, bundles, and strands. The beauty of the design is enhanced by a special shimmer that resembles marble, mother-of-pearl or moire pattern. The burl does not have such pronounced overflows.
Suvel changes its appearance more dramatically after finishing. For example, when deeply impregnated with colorless oils and thoroughly polished, wood acquires a special “bone” texture. Because of this, suvel is sometimes even called wood bone. In some rocks, after processing, twisted veins are literally visible through the structure of the material. This effect is highly valued by knifemakers: most often they make knife handles from birch, walnut, and ash.
The density of suvel is lower than that of burl. Moreover, it is an order of magnitude greater than the hardness of stem wood. Processing suvel birch and other species requires certain skills, since, like burl, it is not the most pliable material. But despite all the difficulties, working with him is an incomparable pleasure. Suvel always has a mystery: it is impossible to predict what amazingly beautiful pattern will be revealed after the next pass of the cutter.
Why does a growth called suvel appear?
As a result of external influence on the tree, a fold is formed. Over time, the fold becomes overgrown with tortuous fibers. This is suvel.
There are more suvels on the trees than burls. Under the bark, tree suvels have a smooth surface, and not “pimples”, like burls.
Suveli can have different textures; the predominant shapes include waves, curves, spots, and stripes. After sanding and polishing, the shine and shine of the wood appears.
Suvel ash
Suvel can be of various shades, mainly brown, yellow, gray, slightly greenish, or vice versa with pinkish “notes”
Like mouth guards, suveli can be stem or root. The stem ones are lighter in color and have a less pronounced natural pattern than the root ones.
Making boxes
Crafts made from birch burl are not inferior in beauty to souvenirs made from Karelian birch 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. Another difficult 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 an amber color and until all the veins of its amazing texture sparkle brightly.
Interesting things about birch
From time immemorial, the birch has been a symbol of the Russian people. Since ancient times, girls have danced around the birch tree. In Rus', birch was held in high esteem; it was considered a holy tree.
People use birch almost entirely in their life.
Birch bark or birch bark, which has high strength and elasticity.
Craftsmen still make amazingly beautiful things from it to this day.
Birch bark products
Lumber
Birch wood.
- Furniture is made from birch wood. They make axes, tool handles, hunting rifles, skis, and wooden barrels. Also, birch wood is used in the manufacture of plywood and veneer. Very often, wood is used for interior decoration.
- The wood is quite light, rather the lightest of all, sometimes with a slight yellowish tint.
- The wood is light and pleasant to process. Its structure is homogeneous. Easy to paint.
- As a rule, houses are not built from birch wood, since insects and fungi love it. Birch often rots because it is poorly resistant to moisture.
- It is convenient to make small objects from birch, such as dishes, figurines, boxes, toys, wooden combs, and so on.
- The production of small objects from birch is due to its uniform structure and resistance to cracking. It is convenient to make frames for pictures, icons, for example.
Blank
In nature, suvel is found much more often than kapa. Trees with such lesions can be found in deciduous or mixed forests located in both dry and swampy areas. It must be taken into account that cutting a suvel or burl on a growing birch tree can lead to its death. Therefore, after cutting down the material, it is necessary to cover the living layer with varnish.
On dead trees, the formations are already affected by rot and are not suitable for production. Therefore, finding a suitable material for the workpiece is not easy. It is better to do this in mid-autumn.
It is impossible to determine by the type of formation what it will be like in the cut. But the more crooked and tortuous the suvel and the more twigs on the burl, the more saturated the pattern will presumably be. Working with such material is more difficult, but more interesting.
It is quite difficult to cut down suvel and burl, the chains become dull quickly, so good sharpening of the tool is necessary. You can cut it with a hacksaw or bow saw, but this will require a lot of physical effort.
Birch suvel has a different texture when cut. It can be pronounced or completely invisible. Suvel with a texture that is difficult to see usually has higher strength. But you will never guess by the appearance of the growth that there is a cavity or a beautiful ornate bend in it.
Treatment
The simplest option is to make utensils from suveli, just as nature intended. In this case, we will remove the bark and select cavities while the suvel is damp and has not cracked. You can make holes with a drill in the volume that will be removed and left to dry. In its raw form, the workpiece is easier to cut. We make cuts along the grain. Let it dry for half a year. Next we do the final revision.
Since the cuts go along the grain, the texture does not stand out much. But the dishes turn out to be very durable.
