To debark or not to debark a platter blank for storage?

[Jesse Tutterrow]

I picked up a piece of log (14" diameter by 13" long) at my local park. I cut it up into 2-2.5" thick slabs for plate (platter?) blanks. As I was cutting sometimes the bark would pull away from the sapwood. It will be a while before I can turn the plates. Wood will probably be stored outside in direct sunlight, I can cover with plastic (harbor freight) tarp as I don't have room inside to store anymore wood.

Should I use my bandsaw to remove the rest of the bark before storing?
Should I use by bandsaw to make sort of round blanks before storing?
Should I use end sealer only on the ends or should I cover the entire blank?
Should I cover wood pile with tarp?

Thanks in Advance.

 

[hockenbery]

Take the bark off keep it under a tarp
Removing the bark removes insects, fungi. and microbes.

I cut my log section at least 4” longer than the round blanks I want, I cut them round just before I turn it.
Stored wood often gets end checking which i can cut off when i cut it round.

I put sealer on the ends only.

When I store wood I want to keep it from drying out before I turn it.
The sapwood will discolor a little more slowly with the bark removed.

Have fun

 

[robo hippy]

I try to keep logs whole and cut off pieces as needed. I cover them with a heavy vynal tarp. Do keep them off the ground unless you want spalting, and some ground will spalt things better than others, but sit them end grain down and keep covered. Rough turning, if you twice turn your bowls works better for drying without cracking than leaving the logs whole, or sealing longer sections. Make sure to round over rims, seal, and keep out of direct sun light, heat, and wind. Pretty humid in the summer where you are, so cracking because of drying out too fast is not as big of a problem as other areas, but keeping out of direct sun and wind helps. If they stay on the ground, they can be invaded by all sorts of bugs, which some times is good, and some times is bad... Every piece of wood is different, even from the same species and tree....

robo hippy

 

[Mike Johnson]

Your log was 14" in diameter and 13" long???, did you cut it up in round slabs with the bark around the outer circumference? Leaving the pith in each of these slabs you will not have much luck in turning these into platters, chances are they will check and crack from the shrinkage of the wood when it dries. Normally you cut the log down the center removing the pith and then make slabs from vertical sections with the grain. There are a number of videos on YouTube that show various methods in harvesting wood blanks for turning on a lathe.

 

[Jesse Tutterrow]

Your log was 14" in diameter and 13" long???,

The log was already cut to this size when I found it at the city park.

did you cut it up in round slabs with the bark around the outer circumference?

No I cut it into slabs avoiding the pith. resulting in slabs 13" tall by 14" wide by 2" thick. I got two slabs on one side of the pith and three on the other.