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Thread: How do you bark your logs?
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9th April 2012, 06:21 AM #16GOLD MEMBER
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I have been carving western red cedar (Thuja plicata) for a long time. Most of my carving wood is scavenged from the large debris piles when a logging crew is finished.
a) if there's anything which rots in WRC, it's the white sapwood.
b) the loggers don't care about the mud, sand and stones which go up in the piles.
What I do:
Split the log pieces with maul and wedges so I don't bust a gut trying to carry them.
At home in the back yard, the dirty ones get washed off with a bristle floor brush and the hose.
I take off what bark hasn't fallen off with a drawknife. When dry, I mark a grid, maybe
5 x 10cm on the log piece. Set my Skilsaw to 3/4" and score the whole grid. Pop off the sapwood pieces with a big mallet and big firmer chisel.
The pop-off process is best saved for my booth in a wood show or other artisans' exhibition. It's noisy, which aggravates others, and some pieces fly 5-6m.
If I have clean lengths of alder logs, say 15cm x 100cm, I can beat the bark off with a sculptor's adze. You would be in tears doing anything bigger than way.
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10th April 2012, 11:19 PM #17Novice
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21st April 2012, 10:23 PM #18Novice
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best way i found is to run one cut down the length with a chainsaw as said in previous posts and i just drive my tractor over it ,the bark usually comes right off,ironbark has to be done the same day or early the next otherwise forget it
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9th May 2012, 08:48 PM #19New Member
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- Ayr, Qld.
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Clues on barking.
Hello All, I lived and worked with mostly Iron Barks on the western Darling Downs for 50 odd years. There were a couple of tricks to barking this well-named tree. Most important, if possible cut the tree soon after rain when there is a good fresh sap flow. If tree is dry, almost forget it... We used a narrow faced sledge hammer, about 4kg, to work backwards along the log hitting slightly sideways, usually along one of the bigger grooves that are naturally in the bark. This is effectively trying to spin the bark on the trunk. It is HARD work, but will split and start the process. Then we used 2 specially made crow-bars with broad blunt blades to work around the trunk after fully opening up a "seam". If the tree was moist the bark would almost pop off the trunk. BE CAREFUL!! This bark is VERY slippery and a fall is very likely if not careful! Barking must be done almost as soon as the tree hits the ground. If it dries out for a couple of days, again, forget it! Thicker bark was much easier than thin, it can be hit more effectively. The back of an axe also works to open up, but being lighter, you have to hit much harder ... momentum counts for a lot!!
Cheers, Silver Dog.
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9th May 2012, 10:11 PM #20
In my experience earlier the better, couple tricks I've seen are;
1) excavator pushin the tree over, booms up as high up the trunk as possible, scrapes down the trunk to 'scar' the edge of the bark, does the ground work around the tree then when its pushed over, it 'pops' out of its bark on hittin the ground.
2) score down the length of log with a blade/bucket or similar and use the lugs of the tractor tyres set about 30 deg to the log to 'peel' the bark off.
3) Score the log with very shallow c/s cut down the full length, back of axe or sledge on the edge of the cut to 'open' the bark off the log then bars with flat slightly curved faces used to pry it of the log or post hole shovel does well too.
Pretty much either method has to be done the second the dust settles when she falls, or just get a Lucas and re tip ya blades :OI love my Lucas!! ...just ask me!
Allan.
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