Creating Sturdy Wooden Jewelry Boxes with Walnut Burl Veneers
Walnut trees grow anywhere between 30ft to 130ft, are deciduous and are predominantly used in making wooden jewelry boxes. Found in the temperate zones of Southeast Europe, Japan, Southeast Canada, California, and even Argentina there are around 21 species of this tree. Walnut got its name from an Old English word ‘wealhhnutu’ which refers to a ‘foreign nut’.
It got this name because it was brought into the western world by the Gauls and Italians. Some species, such as the Black Walnut are toxic to horses. A burl is formed when the grain of a tree grows in a deformed way.
Tree buds lying dormant turn into burls when a tree is stressed, or ill in some way. The buds grows into a misshapen mass and end up being covered by the bark of the tree. When you harvest the walnut burl, the bark has to be pulled aside to bring out the burl shape inside.
These walnut burls have either an eye or a radially shaped grain. They are used in the making of veneers as well as decorative wood creations. For a burl to be harvested, the tree has to be completely dead.
Six inches above and below the burl is marked off on the trunk and the tree is cut into at these points. When the burl is taken out, it is placed such that its trunk section is exposed. The burl is then trimmed away from the log portion. A small bit is cut off from the top and side of the burl to see which would be the best way to slice it open.
You can get an eye or a radial burl depending on this. The walnut burl is used as a veneer mainly because of its stability, its shock-resistant power and its ability to be worked on with any tool.
Walnut burl is also used extensively in architectural woodwork, interior designing, classic and heavy furniture, jewelry boxes and musical instruments. Walnut trees need to grow their burls in a short time and are harvested immediately after, making them exotic and expensive. These burls are generally hard and dense.
Sapwood, which is the first 3 inches of the wood are usually creamy white and the heartwood, chocolate brown. Wood is also steamed to bring out a darker color of the wood. Burl veneers are ideal to work with because one doesn’t need to stain them.
There are a range of natural shades that can be used. Including a small bit of veneer can instantly enhance an object and immediately raise its price. Because of its many shapes and textures, walnut burl veneers are extensively used in art forms like Marquetry.
In this art form, a number of bits of veneer in different shapes and sizes are used to fill in designs. They look wonderful on the lids of wooden jewelry boxes.
So go ahead and indulge in a little something that is made with walnut burl. You will be getting yourself something that is useful and also looks great.
This article was written by Ruth D’Souza Prabhu of MarqART Gift Shop. Our jewelry boxes show unique wood grain patterns and colors assembled into beautiful designs of breathtaking beauty. A fine addition to your dressing table or as a gift. Please visit http://www.marqartgiftshop.com to browse & buy exotic jewelry boxes that will give you a lifetime of pleasure!
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