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Good Day Folks

Does anyone have a way to store wood so that the bark will stay on?
It would seem that the different shrinkage rates between the wood and
bark would make this .... difficult. However you guys constantly
surprise me.

Any ideas would be appreciated .


Two problems, the most important of which has little to do with wood drying
or thickness. Only living part of the tree is the cambium, where the cells
are dividing, growing, respiring and excreting. Much tastier fare than
cellulose, lignin and even sap, which is why there are many bacteria which
settle in and chow down as soon as they can. Problem is, they don't stick
like glue. Truth to tell, what they do we call rot.

Then there's differential contraction on drying, which can do some
interesting things to even thin edges with CA glue run along the cambium.
Not enough to keep the bark from moving paradoxically and making gaps of
either vertical or horizontal displacement. Least of your worries, really.
Help your cause by not making the sides of your natural edge too awfully
vertical. Bark seems to stay best on an angle.

To try and keep bacteria at bay while the wood dries in the lump, first make
room for the wood to contract without splitting by sawing or splitting up
the middle. Get the moisture down as quickly as possible. Those bacteria
need it, as do molds, and when it's below about 20%, they form spores in
hopes their offspring will find greener cambium. I put the bark up, so the
moisture stays below, allowing the faster-contracting part of the wood to
pull against expanded wood and air.

Money play is to rough ASAP, because that dries things much faster.