Burl and Chain: Anatomy of a Burl. Maple. 2014-2015

My friend Michael and I hauled this large maple branch home in my canoe a couple of summers ago, and I've been waiting for it to dry enough to be carveable.

 My intention is to sculpt the branches into movable chains.  From there I plan to carve the burl in such a way as to expose its natural awesomeness and make it a little lighter in weight.

What precisely is the composition of a burl like the one pictured above?  Is the burl a growth that has covered the branch?  If so, that would mean that if I hollow it out, I would find the branch in the center.  Another possibility is that the burl is, in fact, the branch, but perhaps it has "exploded" from within as a result of disease or fungus, expanding and distorting the original branch shape.

Check out how the project has evolved below.  The most recent photos are at the top, while the oldest photos are towards the bottom:  

Above you can see how the chain on the interior of the burl is beginning to take shape, finally linking the two ends.  I used a 3/4" chisel and rubber mallet to hollow out

 the rest of the burl. 

At this point only the largest of the chains is fully attached.  I will glue the broken chain back on once the project is complete.  Attaching the chains later will actually make it easier to work with this piece because it is a cumbersome process to continually move such a large object.  

Shaping out the branches for more chain links.  Still not sure what that burl consists of,  but the plan is to do exploratory surgery and see what the compositon is like. 

The crack that made the offending link break extended for several inches, so I decided to amputate.  The chains will be shorter as a result unless I glue the link back together.  That will be a decision I make at the end.  

Oh no!  A broken link.  To glue or not to glue?, that is the question.  

7 links in on the smaller branches.  

Bark removal on the smaller branches completed!

21 links!  One branch complete.  This is a very rewarding milestone.  

18 links done.  Almost to the burl! 

Thirteen links complete!  And wouldn't you know it,  the thirteenth link has a hole (formerly a branch?) pushing through it.  Need to get creative to keep the link strong.

11 links down

This is my third attempt at carving chains out of wood, and I must say that I enjoy it.  If you've read my previous blog post about the maple bowl that I carved, you'll know that  I have not always been successful in my efforts to carve wooden chains.  With this particular piece, the branches are large enough that I will be creating relatively sizable chain links, which is much easier, and a ton of fun.  The links are huge!  At the same time, however, the size of the branch I'm currently carving is continually decreasing as I work my way towards the tips of the branches.  This shift in the size of the material is accompanied by a change in shape as well, as the branch is not cylindrical throughout its entire length.  This makes it difficult to create the evenly sized, continually shrinking chain links that I'm aiming for.  

It would be incredible if the final piece could actually be hung from the carved wooden chains without any additional wires supporting it.    However, that is a risky proposition because each chain link that i create is getting progressively smaller (as the branch is as well), and the burl is very heavy. Furthermore,  the wood being relatively green still and not kiln dried makes me wonder if the wooden links would crack over time, especially if stressed with the weight of a burl.

Foot included to provide sense of scale.  

Two links in......I've got a long way to go.  

Will Worsnopp, Dickinson College, Bronx High School of Science, Sidney Central School, carving, powercarver, MATSL, Bennington College,