You have gotten great advice but
if you still lose some bark at the end, or during drying, or if a void appears under the bark I have had good luck by:
- saving bark scraps and piecing a bit in, carving and fitting with a scalpel shaped exacto knife
- using coffee grounds, or walnut sanding dust to carefully fill voids and repair cracks
- dark brown and black Sharpie pens to further mask the repair
- or a little burning, but this has been my least favored option
Works for me, and often I can't easily find my mistakes a week or so later.
I still hold firmly to the maxim that the mark of a great turner is how well he can repair and hide his screwups :cool2: