Sometimes painful growths appear on the trees, which are popularly called the “witch's broom”. At first glance, this benign formation resembles a human head in form. That is why it is generally accepted that the name of the growth came 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, on aspens and black alder. However, the most common growth is on a birch. A cap is a bunch of thin branches that grow from a drop-shaped neoplasm. Weighing “witch's broom” can be about a ton.
What is a stem cap ? This is a growth that is located directly on a tree trunk. What is kapokoren? This is a growth that has formed at the very root neck of the tree. Sometimes it can be seen above the earth's surface. An underground cap grows on the roots. It is discovered by the shoots. Releases their cap in early spring. These shoots are not viable and quickly fade. Sometimes a cap is found on tree branches.
The beauty of amazing stuff
If you make a cross section of the mouthpiece, you can find its structure, in which the core of the knots are pronounced. The drawing of such a material is always very beautiful. Due to the accumulation of non-blooming kidneys, the slice is an amazingly beautiful picture of nodes, curls and twisted fibers. In this case, the pattern for each cap is strictly individual.
Of particular beauty is the cap formed on trees with a striped texture of fibers and contrasting color combinations. Pine growths have such characteristics. However, these trees are quite rare.
You can find black dots in the texture of a caproot in the texture. They are located among light stem fibers. These black dots are nothing but the non-viable shoots that release underground tumors.
Where is cap applied?
As a material for carving, a growth on a tree is not of special value. Its rugged surface and striped spotted texture interfere with each other. When making crafts in this way, the relief of the thread does not look and the pattern of weaves and stains disappears.
Numerous areas of the mouthpiece have a pearly tint. That is why this material, which does not have special industrial value, is valued very expensive. Products from the cap - it's mostly boxes and female pins, cigarette cases and a variety of small ornaments, bowls and pipes, chess, powder boxes, ink tools, and spectacle cases. Used material for the manufacture of knife handles.
What is a cap in the industry? This is a material that is used in furniture decoration. In this case, growths taken on exotic trees are taken and used as veneers.
What is a cap for the master? This is a material that does not warp, does not crack, does not dry out, does not swell and is perfectly processed. In addition, he is weighty and durable.
Where to find the cap?
Growths grow on trees. Therefore, you need to look for them in the forest. However, this is not so simple, because the mouthguards grow spontaneously, and only the most stubborn and big-eyed can see them. You can cut the growth only with a very sharpened saw.
The most realistic way to find a cap on logging. There, these growths fall into the waste. Kapokorny, which you simply can’t find in the forest, are also found in logging.
Preparation of material for work
Cap can be found on various types of trees. However, the most beautiful and valuable in our area is considered a growth that occurred on a birch.
Products made of burl are not obtained immediately. The material requires some preliminary preparation. How to process a birch cap? To do this, apply the steaming method. It is suitable for those growths that are not very large in size. The cap is cleaned of debris, placed in an unnecessary pan and filled with water. Then salt must be added to the container. Per liter of water, its dosage is two tablespoons with a top. Salts can be poured and more. She will draw the juice from the tree. With this method, sawdust obtained by processing resinous wood species is also used. They need to be filled in a pan. Sawdust gives the burl a pleasant color, which can range from yellowish pink to brownish ocher. Resin in sawdust will add to the build-up strength and allow a brighter texture.
After boiling water, the fire should be slightly reduced and leave the pan on the stove for six to eight hours. As scale builds up, it should be removed. In the process of steaming, it is necessary to monitor the volume of water in the pan and periodically add it.
At the end of the “cooking”, the growth is washed from sawdust under a stream of water and placed for a day or two in a cupboard. After that, the whole process should be repeated at least two to four times. During the last cooking, until the tree has cooled, you should peel the bark from it, and at the end put the growth for one or two weeks in the cupboard.
Having completely dried out, the cap in its characteristics will become similar to bone. Thus prepared material is excellently cut, sawn and ground. Moreover, he will not have any odors.
Casket Making
Crafts from birch burl in their beauty are not inferior to souvenirs made of wood of Karelian birch, and even surpass them. Often magnificent caskets are made from this material.
In the process of work, the mug boards are neatly interconnected, making sure that the pattern of their texture is similar. A very responsible operation is the manufacture of wooden hinges. This stage requires the accurate formation of rounded spikes and grooves at the edges of the cover and body of the product. Hinges must fit tightly and accurately. Another difficult operation is drilling holes. In wooden hinges, this is easiest to make with thin steel wire. At the next stage, a lock crashes into the casket. The product is almost ready. It should only be puttied, thoroughly dried and coated with alkaline varnish. After completing these works, the box is polished and wiped with alcohol. They polish the product until the tree acquires an amber color and until all the veins of its amazing texture sparkle brightly.
Decoration for cane
Using a cap, you can make your own a great gift for an elderly person. Work can be done even by a novice. Hollow cylinders, which are previously turned from a birch caprox, should be alternately put on a tube or a metal rod. Details should be tightly fitted to each other, creating the impression of a single whole. A carved or smooth handle made of birch can crown such a cane.
Cup bowl
Wooden souvenirs can be made of various souvenirs. Popular bowls are decorative bowls. A coarse billet is made from a little raw material. Next, the disc is left to dry. If small cracks form in it, then they are lubricated with PVA glue. After the final drying, the product is given the necessary shape, it is sanded, polished and varnished.