Replies

1. 
   polarsea1 | Aug 08, 2005 07:25am | #1

   Ring barker is best but this will do also:

   http://www.vannattabros.com/saw25.html

    

1. 
   mvac | Aug 08, 2005 04:39pm | #3

   Polar seal,

   I imagine the "ring barker" is more expensive, but I haven't been able to find any info on it. Where would you find one?

   Thanks,Mitch

   "I'm always humbled by how much I DON'T know..."

1. 
   RickL | Aug 08, 2005 10:18pm | #5

   Ring barking appears to be more a technique than a particular tool.

   http://www.doc.govt.nz/Conservation/003~Weeds/Wilding-Pines.asp

   http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=360659

1. 
   polarsea1 | Aug 09, 2005 02:41am | #7

   Not really.

   http://www.machinerysales.com/item_rpt.asp?item_no=9008

    

1. 
   RickL | Aug 09, 2005 02:56am | #8

   I stand corrected somewhat. I don't think he wants to beat up the surface quite that much. There's also debarkers available for the smaller bandmills. We do a lot of the same debarking but for cosmetic reasons and use barkspuds and pressure washers after. Our clients prefer a smooth peeled look.

2. 
   KeithNewton | Aug 09, 2005 06:15am | #9

   Mitch, If you are wanting to use the natural surface in its most pristine form, as I often do with a natural surface on turnings. You may find that there is a reaction to steel that causes the wood to turn black.For this reason, I have made some for my own use that are plastic. I have made some that are from UHMW, which is a slippery plastic, but a little too slick and too limber. My favorite one is made from nylatron. It is less slick, and stronger and seems to have what I wanted. It is about 1 1/2" thick, and 1" WIDE. It is beveled to about 35* with a barb on the other side to get a little grab on the bark to keep it from silpping out when I start to lever against the heel of the bevel. If you need to get it off during the hard season, I like to knock it off with a 20 oz hammer. Strike the bark a couple of inches back from an edge, at about 45*. If you see it moove, like the cells have sheared but the plate did not fly off, move over and hit next to it. If you can loosten a large area, you are less likely to do damage to the wood underneath than if you are knocking small patches off.Sometimes in the spring, I can get the bark from the whole trunk off in one piece. This requires a little parctice, and everything becomes a tool. I may start with the spuds, but before you know it, I am holding it out with my elbows, then later with my knees and finally when I start getting down to the bottom, I am using my feet to jam in into the gap
   .

3. 
   mvac | Aug 09, 2005 10:39am | #10

   "Sometimes in the spring, I can get the bark from the whole trunk off in one piece."

   As my dearly departed grandmother used to say, "From your lips to God's ears!"Mitch

   "I'm always humbled by how much I DON'T know..."

4. 
   KeithNewton | Aug 09, 2005 02:40pm | #12

   I love old sayings, but this one sounds like you don't believe what I am saying. If Granny is listening, I can imagine her smiling with her jaw set, and that look of,
   "I wish I had taught him when to use a this saying better."I hope I missunderstood your meaning.

5. 
   mvac | Aug 10, 2005 09:13pm | #17

   Keith,

   "I hope I misunderstood your meaning."

   I definitely did not intend that comment to be perceived as a lack of belief in what you said. Where I come from, "From your lips to God's ears" means the equivalent of "I hope it happens that way for me."

   I'm sorry that my tongue-in-cheek comment caused you to think that I questioned the truth of what you said. I appreciated your advice, and I hope I can achieve similar results. I hope we're OK now.

   Best regards,Mitch

   "I'm always humbled by how much I DON'T know..."

2. 
   Frozen | Aug 08, 2005 04:04pm | #2

   Bark Spuds are available from Lee Valley:

   http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=20121&cat=1,41131

3. 
   AndyE | Aug 08, 2005 05:15pm | #4

   I use one of those heavy blade scrapers used for chopping ice off the driveway in winter. Works pretty darn well. Makes it into a multi-season tool instead of a single season one.

   Andy

   "It seemed like a good idea at the time"

4. 
   jackplane | Aug 08, 2005 10:38pm | #6

   I'd use an adze.

    

5. 
   shopteacher | Aug 09, 2005 01:55pm | #11

   Hire a beaver, they took the bark off many of the trees on our farm years ago.

6. 
   RickL | Aug 10, 2005 02:39pm | #13

   http://www.loghelp.com sell bark spuds, draw knives and power tools for quick bark removal such as the Hawg, Log Wizard.

1. 
   KeithNewton | Aug 10, 2005 04:46pm | #14

   Good site Rick. I have got to get myself one of those Hawgs. Well, maybe next time I have another $850 laying around that I don't need.

7. 
   WillGeorge | Aug 10, 2005 07:53pm | #15

   Best tool for removing bark it let it lay on the ground fer' a few ya few years and the bugs eat it off!

8. 
   hitai | Aug 10, 2005 08:38pm | #16

   This may not be very woodworkerly,,, but a 10 HP power washer with a rotary head is how I do it......  tell you what,,,,,    You get a pretty fabulous result ....  and its fun on a summer day!

    

   Aloha  Tai

1. 
   mvac | Aug 10, 2005 09:14pm | #18

   Tai,

   That's a pretty creative solution. Now I just have to see if my friend's power washer has a rotary head!

   Thanks,

   MitchMitch

   "I'm always humbled by how much I DON'T know..."

1. 
   KeithNewton | Aug 10, 2005 11:49pm | #19

   Mitch, don't worry about it, I figured that I was misunderstanding your meaning.Tai, Would you give a little more detail of just how you use the power-washer.
   Are you just blasting the bark off from the outside, or do you get it started by lifting the edge, and shooting into the V where the bark and trunk come together?

2. 
   hitai | Aug 11, 2005 02:10am | #21

   You can use a regular head but it leaves little lines, the rotary head leaves a uniform finish.

   As for more detail....  I guess it depends on species.   As soon as you get an edge, or blow a hole through the bark, the rest is pretty self expanatory.  You will love this as it leaves all the really cool little riffles and detail lost with other methods.

   BTW we use this on pretty big stuff,,, not chair material. I'm sure it would work on little stuff but finding someone to hold it for you will be tricky....

1. 
   mvac | Aug 11, 2005 10:40pm | #22

   Thanks, Tai. While I've got some smaller 8"-10" diameter pieces, the main sections are between 20" and 26" in diameter each. Sounds like your method would work fine.

   See ya,Mitch

   "I'm always humbled by how much I DON'T know..."

2. 
   joinerswork | Aug 11, 2005 01:10am | #20

   hitai,

   "10 hp power"...you are really Tim Taylor, right? ar, ar, arrrrhhhh!

   Cheers,

   Ray

3. 
   WillGeorge | Aug 12, 2005 08:44pm | #23

   damn now that is original!