Unless those burls are stress relieved there is a high posibility of disintegration or explosive toss of pieces.I've read from the business owner, boiling burls, crotches and the like removes the tension within the highly figured wood. The business turned wood bowls from higly figured wood like burls or crotch. The recomendation he made is boil an hour for each inch the thinest direction. Black walnot crotch ,red oak crotch and mexican snakewood all have come apart in making pens. I am just beginning so have paid attention to the complaints of guys at the retail wood workers supply store that I gave pieces of red oak and black walnut crotch cut as pen blanks and dryed a year,
