Toller I would not take the big chance that you could dry it in log or
half log form without splitting.
You are probably lucky for it to be a burl, as for straight grained
wood it almost certainly would have splits in it by now.
It is hard enough drying roughed out bowls without splitting, never
mind the nearly impossibility to dry whole logs or large pieces of
wood.
So yes turn the wood, depending on what you want the final product to
look like, turn to finish green thin or rough turn to 8%-10% for wall
thickness and brown bag it, let dry and return in a couple of months.

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo


On Aug 28, 6:28 pm, "Toller" wrote:
I bought three half log cherry burls at an auction. The logs were cut in
half and the ends were somewhat coated but not very well. I expect they
have been stored like that for some time.

Today I cut them into turning blanks. The newly cut wood measures 14-16%
moisture, compared to 24+ for fresh wood and about 8% for kiln dried in my
basement. So, they are pretty dry, but not bone dry.
A large piece of roughcut 12/4 curly maple I bought at the auction also
measures 14-16%, so it was probably just humid where they were stored.

Do I:
1) rough turn them, dry them, and finish turn them.
2) just finish turn them now
3) let them dry, and then finish turn them
4) something else