How thick should I cut this mesquite burl for jitas?

[Big Country Bonsai]

I’m going to make jitas from this large mesquite burl. It’s about 25”x17” I’m wondering how thick I should go with the cuts for the larger portions. I was thinking 3/4 inch but maybe up to 1”. What do y’all think.

 

[Wood]

Half inch seems plenty to me, but also, dibs, no matter how thick they end up (if you're selling)

 

[Ruddigger]

1” on larger ones is good

 

[River's Edge]

I’m going to make jitas from this large mesquite burl. It’s about 25”x17” I’m wondering how thick I should go with the cuts for the larger portions. I was thinking 3/4 inch but maybe up to 1”. What do y’all think. View attachment 570443View attachment 570444

I am interested in the discussion that might follow this post. I am sitting on a collection of burls gifted to me by my son before he passed away. Would like to better understand the process for proper cutting of these burls into thin slabs.

 

[Big Country Bonsai]

Half inch seems plenty to me, but also, dibs, no matter how thick they end up (if you're selling)

I’m thinking there’s going to be a few available if the milling goes as planned! I’ll keep everyone updated. Mesquite is a beautiful wood so fingers crossed it reveals some good grain once it’s cut open.

 

[Shibui]

1" is probably maximum and only for larger sized slabs. Usually thinner is more desirable but sawing thinner is difficult.
Do you have any plans on how to mill that burl into slabs?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Do you have any plans on how to mill that burl into slabs?

Adhere it to some flat stock and use a band saw. You can do anything with a band saw as long as you set up your cut properly.

 

[Big Country Bonsai]

1" is probably maximum and only for larger sized slabs. Usually thinner is more desirable but sawing thinner is difficult.
Do you have any plans on how to mill that burl into slabs?

I know someone with a portable saw mill so they should come out relatively clean and should only need a bit of sanding

 

[Shibui]

I used a portable sawmill for nearly 20 years. The clamps on the one I used would not hold burls like this as they stand. We had to fix the burl onto a base board that could be clamped into the saw bed. That's the reason I asked the question. Just wondering whether you've actually asked the sawmiller about this project yet. I would be interested to see how they manage to hold it down while milling.

 

[rockm]

AS THIN AS YOU CAN MANAGE TO MAKE THEM. I find western-made Jiitas are all mostly too clunky to use because they're too thick (or made with vanilla looking wood--which isn't a problem here).

Also another pet peeve--it's Ji-Ita ,Jiita, two 'i''s". Not "jita," not "jitta." I see the mispelling all the time on auction sites, western bonsai sites. Makes finding them a little more difficult in searching the web. Even the best bonsai people make this mistake

 

[Hartinez]

Austin Heitzman cuts jitas often and shows his method in a decently clear manner.

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[Big Country Bonsai]

I used a portable sawmill for nearly 20 years. The clamps on the one I used would not hold burls like this as they stand. We had to fix the burl onto a base board that could be clamped into the saw bed. That's the reason I asked the question. Just wondering whether you've actually asked the sawmiller about this project yet. I would be interested to see how they manage to hold it down while milling.

I was wondering if it would be stable but it weights over 100 lb. I’ll have to discuss it in further detail with the miller for sure. Did you just glue it to the base board?

 

[Big Country Bonsai]

Austin Heitzman cuts jitas often and shows his method in a decently clear manner.

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My problem is I dont have a band saw big enough for this method

 

[Big Country Bonsai]

AS THIN AS YOU CAN MANAGE TO MAKE THEM. I find western-made Jiitas are all mostly too clunky to use because they're too thick (or made with vanilla looking wood--which isn't a problem here).

Also another pet peeve--it's Ji-Ita ,Jiita, two 'i''s". Not "jita," not "jitta." I see the mispelling all the time on auction sites, western bonsai sites. Makes finding them a little more difficult in searching the web. Even the best bonsai people make this mistake

Good info! Hopefully I can get it cut rather thin. More use of the wood that way anyways.

 

[Shibui]

Did you just glue it to the base board?

Good strong screws and some wedges needed to hold the burl tight and stable. If it moves the cuts won't be level or parallel. The screws mean you will waste the last few inches but I could not work out any other way to hold them still. Figured a little waste was tolerable to get the majority milled properly.
100lb might be stable at the start but the block will get progressively lighter as you take off slices. Your block must stay put right through the cutting in order to get parallel slices and reduce waste.
I guess methods will vary depending on the type of mill and how the timber is held while cutting. We mostly used a Woodmizer horizontal bandsaw. Most mills are designed to hold cylindrical logs so they don't have clamps in the right places that can hold short sections, hence the need for a workaround that can hold the shorter burls still while the blade cuts through.

 

[Big Country Bonsai]

Good strong screws and some wedges needed to hold the burl tight and stable. If it moves the cuts won't be level or parallel. The screws mean you will waste the last few inches but I could not work out any other way to hold them still. Figured a little waste was tolerable to get the majority milled properly.
100lb might be stable at the start but the block will get progressively lighter as you take off slices. Your block must stay put right through the cutting in order to get parallel slices and reduce waste.
I guess methods will vary depending on the type of mill and how the timber is held while cutting. We mostly used a Woodmizer horizontal bandsaw. Most mills are designed to hold cylindrical logs so they don't have clamps in the right places that can hold short sections, hence the need for a workaround that can hold the shorter burls still while the blade cuts through.

 

[Big Country Bonsai]

Had to sand a piece up and throw some water on it to see what I’m working with. I think it’s a winner.

 

[Big Country Bonsai]

Half inch seems plenty to me, but also, dibs, no matter how thick they end up (if you're selling)

I ended up going with half inch all the way through to make it easy on the miller. I like they way they are looking so far.