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 .

RandyD

rdeforge_at_optonline_dot_net

wrote: (clip) Does anyone have a way to store wood
so that the bark will stay on? (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sounds like you are making natural-edge bowls. It isa best to turn the bowl
to completion while the wood is still wet. Distortion will not show much on
an oval bowl. Bark sticks much better to a thin cross section than it does
to a whole log. If it comes off during drying, you can use C/A glue to
reattach it, or just remove the rest of the bark. If you save some of the
scrap bark you can use it for repair as the bowl nears completion.

wrote in message
news
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.

Randy
Welcome to the craps game, try all the things that might work, realize it is
dumb luck the rest of the time and be prepared to say "Aw crap!" and try
again.
things to try
(1) cut the log in the winter when the sap is low
(2) turn thin as soon as possible
(3) check the bowl daily and CA the bark if it looks like it is lifting
(4) cut towards the bark when turning a natural edged bowl
this means cutting against the grain on the outside of the bowl but it
sort of pushes the bark to instead of from the wood
(5) turn the bowl as soon after dropping the log as possible
(6) pray: it can not hurt although with all the trouble in the world,
whether the bark stays on my bowls does not appear high on God's priority
list :-)
______
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS, Canada
www.aroundthewoods.com
wrote in message
news
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 .

RandyD

rdeforge_at_optonline_dot_net

Thanx for the replys.

I was afraid of that. I'll try keeping some of the fallen bark. Sounds
like fun putting it back on.

My Ruth Niles stoppers arrived so I'm making some stoppers with the
bark on ! These stoppers are the best I've seen and she's a pleasure
to deal with.

Thanx for all the great info you folks share.

RandyD

rdeforge_at_optonline_dot_net