Birch suvel. Growth on a birch: what is it called, why does it appear on the tree? Polishing birch burl

Burl wood is a rare, natural material that develops in the form of growths on the branches, trunks and roots of individual trees, mainly deciduous trees: oak, walnut, maple, poplar, but most often birch. Burls are places where closely spaced accessory and dormant buds grow.

The rarest, most beautiful, durable and, accordingly, the most valuable is the branch burl, which has a small size (up to 15 cm in diameter) and a needle-like structure. The most common, less dense and less valuable is the basal burl - caporoot, which can reach gigantic (up to 1.5...2 m in diameter) sizes. The stem burl occupies an intermediate position between the above varieties.

For a long time it was believed that burl was a painful growth on a tree, resulting from the “pinching” of the buds by sudden and prolonged spring colds, which sometimes occur during the growing season of the plant.

The appearance of growths was also associated with external damage to the bark at the site of one of the dormant buds, where the excess influx of juices is directed, promoting their multiple multiplication.

However, scientists have come to the conclusion that the drip is a biologically normal, protective phenomenon. Burl birch is the most valuable variety of Russian fluffy birch and the formation of a burl on it is a naturally inherited process.

As a result of observations, it was established that the health of such a tree is better than that of others, it is more resilient during the period of spring floods and frequent changes in temperature, and is more stable in the wind.

A true burl, which has an uneven surface under the bark in the form of tubercles, papillae or needles, should be distinguished from an influx (suvel) caused by local deformation of the annual layers of wood. Such influxes have increased density and an interesting, although less spectacular, pattern.

The burl has a significantly (50...70%) denser wood than the mother wood with a twisted, multidirectional fiber structure, which, in combination with a large number The above buds form an absolutely unique cut pattern.

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 its species diversity 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 has been planted in several forestry enterprises Kirov region.

Because of its unique beauty, the burls are called wooden malachite!

In general, the smaller the pattern and the larger the size of the burl, the more expensive it is.

About the value of this unique material speaks historical fact, given in the book “Burl Box” (author Nadezhda Perminova): “... in 1837, for a burl growth of twenty pounds (a little more than 8 kg) they paid up to fifty rubles, ...., the same amount was valued at a thoroughbred bull at an agricultural exhibition.”

Today on the world market the price for burl wood(solid wood and veneer) is several times higher than the price of any other, including: oak, elm, walnut, mahogany and any exotic species.

The unique combination of material properties, limited reserves and the uniqueness of the burl pattern in each product, ultimately, determined the generally recognized, high aesthetic value and corresponding consumer price of products made from this wood, which is used in finishing the most luxurious interiors, as well as in the manufacture of products corresponding to this level of utilitarian items.

Each such product initially contains spirit of elitism.

(based on materials from the book “Kapovaya Box” by N.I. Perminova, Gorky city, Volgo-Vyatka book edition, 1984)

Cap- a growth on a tree with an abnormal wood structure, formed by the local growth of many densely seated accessory dormant buds. Sometimes a few of these hundreds and thousands of undeveloped buds germinate and sprout.

Burl on a tree - ash

The ancient Slavic word “kap” means “head”: usually the growth actually has a rounded shape. Other Old Russian names: bolona, ​​howl, vyplavok, vyplyam, swell, howl, paport, roll, goiter, svil, brush. In some sources, burls are also called “witch’s broom” or “whirlwind’s nest,” which is not entirely correct, since these names refer to a completely different tree pathology.

Burl forms on all deciduous (mainly) and coniferous trees. In Russian latitudes it can be found on birch, poplar, maple, linden, aspen, oak, ash, elm, and walnut.
The dimensions of the burl vary from several centimeters to several meters in cross-section. It takes decades, or even more than half a century, to form a medium-sized growth.
Cap is a fairly rare phenomenon, and finding at least one specimen in the forest is a great success. However, there are trees with several or even many growths. As well as places with a concentration of burl trees.

Burls on a tree - birch

Typically, trays are divided into stem and root.
The trunk burl forms on thick branches or trunk and can be lateral (develop on one side, most often the south) or circular (grab the branch or trunk in a ring).
A basal growth - caporoot - is formed on the root collar or roots of a tree. In the first case it is above the ground, in the second it is completely hidden and can be detected in the spring by young shoots near the main trunk of the tree, which quickly die.
A tree can have different types of burls at the same time.

If you remove the bark from the burl, then underneath it an uneven, textured surface will be revealed, completely covered with needle-shaped, jagged and pineal-shaped tubercles - these are undeveloped buds.

Around each dormant bud there is already a rudimentary ring structure.

Dormant buds

→ Tree protection - antiseptik.info

Why does a cap appear?

Researchers have not reached a consensus regarding the reasons for the formation of growths.
The most natural explanation is that the emerging adventitious bud cannot grow through the thick and hard bark and freezes. However, the growth processes that have begun are accompanied by an influx to this place nutrients and the production of plant hormones, so new buds begin to form nearby, which also become dormant, and so on.

Opponents insist that there is an impact here external factors natural or anthropogenic. In particular, mechanical damage to the cortex (animals, birds, people, extreme elements, etc.) at the site of a dormant bud. This assumption is confirmed by the fact that on walnut plantations, where vegetative propagation by grafting (which is actually an injury) is actively used, the root cap often develops on the rootstock below the grafting site. When the fruiting period of the nut expires, the tree is dug up along with the burl, which by that time has grown to a respectable size, and sold as a secondary product.

According to other versions, the formation of a burl can be caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses, insects, weather anomalies(like sudden spring frosts), changes in ecology and background radiation, special mineral composition soils, geological faults, groundwater.

According to the conclusions of Soviet scientists, the formation of a burl is a biologically useful, protective property for trees, acquired in the process of evolution in response to unfavorable conditions external environment. Moreover, this is a genetically fixed (hereditary) quality. In the Moscow region and Kirov region, successful attempts were made to cultivate trees with growths using planting material from burl birches (seeds and cuttings for scion). It was noted that such trees are more viable and hardy.

The heterogeneous structure of the burl gives a unique, highly decorative pattern in a tangential section: dark dots are the cores of dormant buds, tortuous areas are elongated and twisted annual layers. In a radial section, light and dark rays are distinguishable.
The wide palette of burl colors includes various shades of milky, brown, green, and pink. The color depends on the type of tree, its growing conditions, and the location of the thickening.
The texture of the stem growth is richer than that of the burl, and the burl of valuable and exotic tree species is more expressive compared to ordinary ones.
On a fresh cut, the texture is weakly expressed; to reveal it, the grain is subjected to grinding, toning and polishing. As a result, a picturesque pattern and multicolor appear, a muted shine and shimmer in the light appear.
The burl pattern is often compared to malachite and marble. The comparison with stone is also apt because the growth is characterized by increased density and hardness and is heavier than the parent wood.

Birch burl texture

Burl is used in its entirety to create artistic products, and in veneer for finishing exclusive items and furniture. Burls of thuja, myrtle, camphor and some other trees retain their characteristic aroma even after processing.

The cap is also called the “witch’s broom” - it is small education on a tree, benign in nature. Basically it has the form of a drop from which thin branches grow, collected in a bunch. In the cross section, you can observe a structure of striking knots. Processing the burl is not easy, although it can still be ground and polished. The result of the work has a very attractive appearance.

Some areas of birch burl may have a mother-of-pearl appearance. In industry it is not of particular value, but is quite expensive due to its beauty and uniqueness.

Sometimes burl can be used as a veneer for furniture, but most often it is burl from exotic trees. But birch burl is used to make beautiful boxes, small women’s jewelry or hairpins, and cigarette cases.

Birch burl has a high-quality texture, so a knife with a wooden handle is very beautiful and expensive.

It is impossible to find two identical burls in nature; even the halves differ from each other. They can be seen on many different trees. In our latitudes it is highly valued birch burl. It does not grow large, the maximum diameter is like that of a large plate.

Due to the dense texture, it is difficult to make any design on the mouth guard, and there is no point.

So that the birch burl can be used for its intended purpose in the future, it is very important to assemble it correctly. To do this, we will provide you with detailed instructions:

Correct processing of birch burl

Very often, when sawing a burl, a unique and inimitable pattern is formed that the master will not want to change. In other cases, the burl after sawing is processed:

• Large burls are almost always sawn, since several items can be made from it at once. The burl is divided into several plates, the thickness of each depends on what kind of object you plan to make.
• In order to get an excellent drawing in the future, you should think about the cutting angle in advance. The more sleepers there are on the cut, the better.
• When the burl is fresh, the pattern appears weakly, but sawing is much easier.
• To ensure that the drawing appears in full beauty, the cap should be thoroughly steamed before making the item.
• You can steam the burl at home; fine sawdust is suitable for this. To carry out the procedure, take a container of the required size (it is recommended to use an old pan, since the dyes that will appear cannot be washed off). The sawdust is spread in a generous layer on the bottom, and a drip is placed on top. You cannot lay them tightly; there must be a gap of at least 0.5 centimeters. Sawdust is sprinkled on top in a thin layer.
• The placed cap is poured into a saucepan with well-salted water (mostly the bottom layer). The water should not completely cover the workpieces, but only touch them a little. Salt is taken at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. for 1 liter of water. If it’s a little more, it doesn’t matter.
• The prepared cap is covered with a lid and placed on low heat. As soon as the mixture boils, count for about 10 hours and allow the burl to steam well. To avoid troubles, look into the container every hour and add water if necessary.
• After a while, remove the container from the heat and leave to cool.
• After cooling, the workpieces are washed under running water and left to dry. To ensure they dry evenly, they should be turned over every few hours. The drying period lasts about 3-4 days.
• When the workpieces are completely dry, they are again steamed according to the above scheme and dried again. The procedure is repeated up to three times.
• If after steaming the bark does not fall off completely, it is carefully removed by hand.
• It is preferable to carry out the drying procedure outside. The first day they turn it over quite often, on the third day 1-2 times is enough.
• It’s great if it is possible to carry out final drying in a special oven several times.
• If the drip is very large (larger than a basketball), this type of treatment will not work. The drying or steaming process may cause cracks and other damage.
• Boiled as basically divided into parts. Whole growths on birch are treated as common tree– by sanding and varnishing.
• When evaporated, the burl plates acquire the shade of the released components; it can be very diverse (yellow with a golden tint, brown, etc.).
• After treatment, subsequent procedures can be carried out, for example, varnishing or painting.
• Before varnishing, the surface is sanded well using coarse sandpaper, then fine sandpaper. Wood dust is wiped off with a soft cloth.
• The design will appear in all its glory if the tray is treated with wax.

In fact, working with a burl is very painstaking, requiring attention and a lot of time. But what comes out of the work is certainly pleasing. Birch burl makes excellent souvenirs that have an individual and unique design.

Growths on trees have been used to make household utensils since time immemorial. Folk craftsmen valued and value them for the natural beauty of texture and strength. The famous historian N.I. Kostomarov wrote: “Both food utensils - bowls, torels, salt licks, and drinking vessels - bratins, ladles, korets were made of wood in different places throughout the villages and were sold in markets... These wooden products were decorated carvings, which have long been favorite decoration things for the poor class. The nobles did not disdain wooden utensils, and burl vessels were used by the boyars and even the tsars and were considered a luxury.” Traditional fishing does not lose its importance today. He is especially revered northern peoples, in particular craftsmen of the Komi Republic. In Syktyvkar in 1993, the Union of Masters of Traditional Folk Crafts and Arts was formed. It brought together professional artists and masters of decorative and applied arts, who are fluent in the techniques of artistic processing of wood, burl and birch bark, bone, stone, leather and fur. How does wood in the form of a growth turn into an elegant product? The editors addressed this question to a professional woodcarver, member of the Union of Craftsmen of the Komi Republic, Vasily Vasilyevich POPOV (Syktyvkar).

A growth is a sharp thickening of wood on a tree trunk, its branches or roots. It consists of incorrectly located, as if tangled, fibers. Wood with such a defect is said to be twisted. It is difficult to process with an ax and a plane. But it has its advantages: increased resistance to splitting and a unique, bizarre texture.

Most often, growths form when a tree receives trauma of a mechanical or biological origin.

There are more valuable growths, such as burl, with an exquisite, original texture, and less valuable ones - svil - their fiber pattern is poorer than that of burl.

The technology for making products from burl and fiber is quite labor-intensive and requires perseverance. When deciding the composition of the future product, the carver determines what the main tone should be. Depending on this, the type and color of wood is selected. Each type of wood has many shades.

To depict an animal, an animal carver must know its habits, movements, anatomy well, must be able to sketch the characteristic poses of this animal and then choose the most accurate and expressive one.

When the goal is clear, the work progresses.

It is better to remove the growth with part of the stem wood. It is better to do this at logging sites.

The freshly cut growth is first cleared of bark, then hollowed out with semicircular chisels and cranberries. In the places where the growth transitions to the trunk, handles are cut out in the form of the head and tail of a bird, or a sculpture of an animal, or an entire composition. But all this must be linked with the bowl or box into a single whole. Then the artistic product will have clear, complete forms and have dynamic movement.

When the workpiece has dried, it is finally processed: the walls of the vessel are made thinner, the lines are brought to perfection.

To better reveal the texture of the wood and highlight the beauty of the material, a good finish is required. Sanding is carried out first with coarse, then medium and finally the finest sandpaper (or cloth). Internal cavities are ground with a “fungus” type device, external cavities are ground with a similar “fungus”, but flat, roughly. Shaped parts - a shaped bar that has a counter-profile of the part. The bottom of such a shaped block, like the bottom of the “fungus”, is covered with sandpaper. The final grinding at this stage is carried out with a piece of porous rubber.

Then the product is dipped in water to raise the pile, dried and sanded again with fine sandpaper.

The next process is tinting with stain. The depth of tone is made such that in no case does it destroy the texture pattern. The color of the stain is selected from a piece of wood of a similar shade and density or from waste from this product.

After drying, the product is lightly sanded with sandpaper, the finest grain.

The last process is waxing. The product is rubbed with a cloth moistened with natural drying oil or vegetable oil. Excess drying oil is wiped off with a dry cloth. Then the product is dried for at least a day. This operation is repeated several times until a soft matte shine appears.

It may seem that everything is quite simple, but it has its own little secrets. To become a professional carver, you need to have a delicate taste, a sense of dynamics, plasticity of form and great patience. If you have all this, then you probably won’t spoil what nature has been growing for decades.

The artistic products from burl and svil, presented in the illustrations, were made by professional woodcarvers from the Union of Masters of Traditional Folk Crafts and Arts and Crafts of the Komi Republic.

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 of particular value 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's why this material, which has no particular industrial significance, is valued very highly. 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 down, 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.