De-bark

[bob sesti]

how do you get the bark of a burl???I have some maple burl that still as the bark on it, anyone know how to get it off???

 

[Nate Hawkes]

elbow grease and a chisel & sharpened awl---I made an awl out of an old philips screwdriver whose tip had been stripped out.

Edit: a pressure washer works pretty well too, so long as its a flat spray and not a fixed point water jet......

 

[GLENN ROBERTS]

Bob. on our Aussie hardwoods the best option, if you want to retain the nice underlying surface, is to water blast. If the bark is tough then a water blaster with high volume/ medium to high pressure. The usual low volume high pressure units ( cheaper DIY units etc) don't have the power that is created by a higher volume unit. It is very similar to sand blasting, in that you need a large unit and even then it takes time.
So if you can't afford them, find a brick cleaner with a larger unit and pay them to do it. Even with the corect gear it is very messy. But great result.

I have to disagree with Nate, if the bark is tough a fine point ( turbo head or otherwise) is better and get in under the edge of the bark, with enough volume and pressure it flies off in larger pieces. IMO
Hope this helps.

 

[Nate Hawkes]

Boy, Glenn, you have some HARD woods!! The only wood I honestly have tried it on was maple burl(red, which is considered soft maple), which was left a little hairy feeling if I used the focused jet. I guess its quite a bit softer than other woods....EDIT: it was definitely a low volume high pressure unit fed by a garden hose--Sears 7HP 2000psi or something like that, not an industrial model for sure.

 

[Steve Worcester]

You can start to pry it up with a screw driver and depending how thick it is, continue that way.

 

[Mark Warden]

I never did it with burl but Ash and Oak I just beat it with a club.Don't know why it works but the bark loosens up and comes of pretty easy.

 

[David Wilkins]

why are you removing the bark?

 

[Steve Worcester]

I never did it with burl but Ash and Oak I just beat it with a club.Don't know why it works but the bark loosens up and comes of pretty easy.

For some reason, that just sounds mean.

 

[Mark Warden]

For some reason, that just sounds mean.

Only if you let them see ya coming Steve


I remove the bark mostly to cut down on the bugs i take in my shop.It's a wooden shed. Also not as messy when i start turning.

 

[Eric Mckenna]

I don't work with many burls but when I am trying to debark a lamp body I will use my bench grinder with a wire brush wheel. It seems to clean the wood up nicely, although be very careful not to go past any areas that will cause a catch. It will take the material from your hand quickly. If you have a variable speed grinder that helps; just turn the speed all the way down.

 

[BobCoates]

De-barking

Here is a link to a bark spud. http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200333235_200333235

Do a google on bark spud.
I have never used this but some of the mills that I have seen have used them and they seem to work. One of the results from search indicates that bark is easier to remove from spring cut wood when the sap is rising.

 

[Steve Worcester]

I forgot, use dental picks too.