Lovely oak burrs

I’ve just acquired this selection of oak burrs, which I discovered at the local sawmill. One of them is quite large, measuring 28" across. These will be rough turned quite soon - hopefully I’ll be able to finish them for next Christmas!

The largest of the three...

I intend to remove the bark, so that the knots and swirls can be seen. This is usually quite tricky, since the sap tends to ‘glue’ it in place. In the past, I’ve resorted to shot blasting, or spent an hour with a screwdriver and mallet, however this is a little too rough for my liking and can often break off the spikes.

However, I've just found a new technique, which takes advantage of the winter weather. The timber which I've had lying around in the rain, only seems to require a couple of heavy frosts before the bark comes away quite easily. After a quick pressure wash, the burr is free from bark and all the spikes are visible.

These burrs have been outside for a couple of weeks now and the bark is already becoming loose and brittle – it’s a shame this method only works in winter!...