Woodworking with Burls
Like Duolingo, but for Woodworking with Burls. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
For the part of you with thirty open tabs that never became anything.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Woodworking with Burls
- Burls are abnormal growths triggered by external stress like injury or viruses
- Prickly or spiked bark texture often indicates 'birdseye' or 'pin' patterns inside
- Burls contain chaotic grain rather than the straight grain found in standard branches
- The more distorted the bark looks compared to the rest of the tree, the more figured the wood inside will be
- True burls have a 'warty' or cauliflower-like cluster appearance
- Maple burls are the primary source of birdseye patterns
- Burls are abnormal growths triggered by external stress
- Healing wounds (callus wood) usually look like smooth 'lips' closing over a hole
- Redwood burls are known for dense, lacey clusters
- Burls often lack a single clear growth direction
- Walnut provides high-contrast, dark swirling grain
- Identifying visual markers of a true burl versus common tree bumps
- Mapping tree species to their iconic internal burl patterns
- Large, solid burls on the main trunk are more valuable than small ones on high branches
- Burls with 'sound' wood (no rot or hollow centers) are worth significantly more
- Accessibility matters; a burl you can safely harvest is worth more than one in a protected or unreachable spot
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Woodworking with Burls the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
If you find a burl covered in tiny, sharp spikes or 'pins,' what pattern are you likely to see when you cut it open?
Get it right to open this lesson and 20 more in the app.
Where Woodworking with Burls takes you
Learn to transform nature's strangest growths into stunning works of art. This course covers everything from ethical harvesting in the forest to the specialized techniques needed to shape and sell high-value burl wood.
- 1
Sourcing Your First Burl
- Spotting Burls in the Wild
- Harvesting and Preservation
- 2
Taming the Raw Wood
- The Science of Drying Burls
- 3
Shaping and Refining
- Shaping Irregular Grain
- Filling Voids and Defects
- Finishing for Maximum Figure
- 4
The Professional Maker
- Marketing and Selling Burl Art
4 sections · 7 units · 21 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
You pick the voice
Woodworking with Burls is taught in the The Professor style: clear, structured, thorough. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
More Arts on Tomo
Macramé: The Art of Knots
Transform simple cord into stunning home decor. Learn the essential knots and patterns to create wall hangings, plant hangers, and more.
The Exposure Triangle: Light, Time, and Depth
Move beyond automatic settings by mastering the interplay between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO to capture the exact mood and detail you envision.
The Life of Public Spaces
Discover how the squares, parks, and streets of your city are designed to shape human behavior and community life. Learn to read the 'hidden language' of urban design and identify the specific types of spaces that make a city feel alive.
Theatre Lighting Design
Learn to paint with light. Master the tools and techniques used to set the mood, guide the audience's eye, and bring stage performances to life.
Salsa: Beyond the Basic Step
Move past the beginner patterns and unlock the fluid connection, complex musicality, and body isolations that define a confident social dancer.
Fabric Arts: Structure and Style
Move beyond basic stitches to understand the engineering and chemistry of textiles. Learn to manipulate drape, reinforce structures, and hack patterns for professional results.
Start Woodworking with Burls today.
Download Tomo, search Woodworking with Burls, and play your first lesson in under a minute.