Replies

1. 
   WillGeorge | May 21, 2005 04:00am | #1

   I AM NO EXPERT..

   I think you can take it NOW or anytime... AS LONG AS you use it right away!

1. 
   maddog3 | May 21, 2005 04:14am | #2

   Maybe I was thinking of something else. I recall reading somewhere of being able to peel off the bark easily only at a certain time. I should have mentioned that in the question.
   I am not concerned about skinning it though, so............. thanks maddog

1. 
   WillGeorge | May 21, 2005 04:21am | #3

   peel off the bark easily only at a certain time..

   I would just go out and grab a branch and see how the bark peals!  Just me though..

1. 
   maddog3 | May 21, 2005 04:48am | #4

   yeah, me too. As I said, it does not really matter, I have used the pruned stuff , just was not sure about the larger trunks. It is not like the stuff will last long outside anyway. I have to cut them down this weekend ...if she don't find something else for me to do. maddog

1. 
   KeithNewton | May 21, 2005 08:09am | #5

   When the cells first divide in the spring is when the open pores develop in ring porous woods, and in softwoods, it is when the first cells of the softer portion of the hard soft transition cells are developing, normally referred to as early wood. This is the easiest time to peel the bark from wood because the cell walls are their thinnest, so if you are wanting to keep the on bark, it may become detached later and fall off, if you don't knock it off accidentally so it might be best to just go ahead and peel it now through the rest of the Summer. You may still be able to get the bark off through the Fall and Winter months, it is just not as easy.

2. 
   maddog3 | May 21, 2005 04:22pm | #6

   Thanks rootburl, Ok! Spring is better, I was just curious, since the little saplings I have used were left out thru winter and the bark still seems rather difficult to pull off. It looks like today is the day, saw has been sharpened, batteries are charging, coffee is on, here I go

3. 
   WillGeorge | May 22, 2005 08:59pm | #7

   Root..  Gee for some reason I was just thinking that the bark was to be taken off..

   I forgot some keep it on...

   Geeee. I gettin to old!

2. 
   KeithNewton | May 23, 2005 07:17am | #8

   Hey maddog, How did your harvesting and peeling go?
   It should have been easy from what you described, although, it has occurred to me that I should have shared a little more info that may be helpful.
   Some woods like the maple, have so much sugar in the cambium that while it may be easy to peel, it is also about as easy to bruise as a banana.
   About fifteen years ago a neurosurgeon commissioned me to build a stair for him using a tree for the core support in his green-house. I told him that I could not use just any tree, that I would have to search to find something that would be appropriate. Well within the month a spring storm blew the top out of a large hollow maple. Just driving by, I could see some pretty incredible figuring from a distance. when I stopped and knocked a little bark off, I decided this was the tree. You could not find a patch the size of your finger-print of normal grain on the whole tree. It had every kind of figure and texture that I have ever seen going on profusely in it.

   Well I got it home, and started stripping the bark, and noticed that if I was not careful stripping the bark, that it would get a bruise like ripe fruit which would show up as, well a bruise. I was trying to be careful, but with the thick bark and all of the texture of cluster burls, pin knots and dimples etc, the force required made some bruising inevitable. I tried a couple of things like vinegar with a little success, then it occurred to me to treat it like you would if you were making a fruit salad with bananas. If you coat them with lemon juice, they don't bruise, so I filled a spray bottle with real-lemon juice, and started spraying all of the early bruises and working it in with my hands, and could see them going away. It seems like I kept at it for at least a day or two before the surface was dry enough that exposure wasn't a problem. I ended up with a wonderful surface.

   On a lot of thick barked trees, the hardest part is getting started. If the goal is just getting the bark off, not necessarily avoiding damage to the sapwood. A small scoring cut through the bark with a chain-saw will give a good starting place, then followed by a couple of smart licks with a large hammer to loosen the edge, so the barking spud may slip under the edge. Once you get under the edge and start peeling, the broader the area of force the better. You may start with something like a flat nail-bar, then work in something like a straight hoe or a roof stripping tool or the back side of a shovel for leverage until you can get your knee or foot in to help, but using all at once if you can manage it.

   During months when the bark is tight, I use a 20 - 22 oz hammer directed at about 45 degrees back from the edge of where the bark is already off. the blow is directed toward the clear area, so that it shears off in that direction.

   Leaving the bark on green harvested wood during warm weather is an invitation for insects to come lay their eggs. All sapwood is prone to insect infestation. even if the heart is resistant, the sapwood is not, and leaving the bark on just makes things worse.

1. 
   maddog3 | May 23, 2005 03:40pm | #9

   Hey, I got them down yesterday, and started to clean them up a bit last night.

   I am going to try your suggestions today...... lemon juice!!! I will stay in touch. rootburl, thanks for your help. maddog

2. 
   maddog3 | May 25, 2005 04:04pm | #12

   I peeled the limbs last night , and there are marks everywhere I pried off the bark with a small screwdriver. The bark came right off though, and it was a weird feeling handling the wet limbs kind of gummy ,but weird nonetheless! I had no clue that the wood under the bark was that "clean" and somewhat fragant. Thank you for your help, it was a "quiet" task, and enjoyable, even though I had to cut the trees down, something I am sometimes loathe to do. Now , I can at least enjoy the wood instead of just burning it. Thanks again,maddog

3. 
   RickL | May 23, 2005 05:26pm | #10

   http://danielmack.com/books.htm

   Check out Daniel Mack's books on rustic furniture. Lots of basic guidelines and he is the contemporary rustic furniture maker out there.

1. 
   maddog3 | May 23, 2005 08:17pm | #11

   Thanks rick , That mans work is more than I ever thought "rustic" could be!

   I am in the trellis, flower pot, and footstool rut, more like, "casual kindling" haha but now,..........V-blocks? maddog