On Saturday, June 15, 2019 at 5:40:55 PM UTC-5, Gramps' shop wrote:
I have a nice walnut slab with significant bark and I want to maintain the bark in the finished piece. What can I use to stabilize it? Thinking of epoxy.

What will be the finished product's application? If the finished product will not be abused or handled much, then you may not need a significant or rigorous attachment or add to the natural adhesion. You might only need a stay-in-place attachment.

Depending on how the lumber is dried or seasoned, the bark may lift naturally or it may stay in place, maintaining a fairly secure attachment. Is that "fairly secure attachment" secure enough for your finished product's continued function?

I've done several projects with bark left on the piece, without adding some dedicated adhesive. As long as it's naturally secure enough, then the addition of a finish, once dried and acting as a bit of glue, somewhat, helps further secure the bark onto the wood. As long as the product/project is not abused, when in use, then the bark will stay in place. Here's an example of just this scenario - hickory wood, live edge, bark in place, on this love seat rocker: https://www.flickr.com/photos/438361...posted-public/

Update - Scrolling right from the pic above, the next pic shows the edges are square. Yesterday, I rounded those edges (the pic above). Finish sanding of these edges is next. Both of these pics are dry fitted.... nothing is yet glued. The rounding of the edges were done with a flexible disk sander... 24 grit, then 36 grit, then 80 grit. Buffing around/along/onto the bark did not loosen the bark from the wood. So your scenario may depend on how your finished product will be used.

Similarly as with this rocker, the large walnut table (some years ago) has some bark remaining on some of the edges. That bark is still securely in place. It is naturally adhered fairly well and the addition of the finish, at least to a small extent, adds to that adhesiveness.

More rocker update: I got some of the backrest and seat slats cut out. Still need to pull the lumber and make the rockers. Hopefully I can start some gluing next week.

Sonny