How to keep the bark on the edges

[shawn55]

Looking to mill some plaques for Deer/Fish mounts and want the bark to stay.  I've heard cut and mill only in the winter. Just need some help to clarify this.  Also would I have to do anything different after they are cut before I stack them to dry. 

[Larry]

Late winter is the very best time to cut the trees.

Another way is to soak the bark with CA glue.  Many woodturners use this method when turning natural edge bowls.  CA will stain the wood so proceed with caution.

[doc henderson]

time of year is helpful.  cambium grows slow in winter and is more dense.  I just glue it back if it is loose or falls off.  titebond 1 inside, or 3 if it is used outside.



 

I had to glue the live edge bark on this 6 pack carrier.

[D6c]

I have an old nut cracking bowl that's essentially a turned cookie with bark on...not a crack in it.  Don't know how they preserved it but could it have been something like this stuff?
The way I read it you soak it in the solution and it replaces the water in the wood so it doesn't shrink and crack.  Not sure if it'll keep the bark tight too.

Pentacryl Green Wood Stabilizer - Preservation Solutions

[moodnacreek]

Winter cut live from the stump and winter cut on the mill [same winter]. This is the always the best way to make lumber. There will be less shrinkage so less checking and very little stain. The bark might even stay on.

[ncsawyer]

Winter cut live from the stump and winter cut on the mill [same winter]. This is the always the best way to make lumber. There will be less shrinkage so less checking and very little stain. The bark might even stay on.

That's a lot easier for all you guys that actually have a "winter".  I agree totally.  If I am building something for myself, especially out of pine.  I cut the logs in the winter and saw the logs in the winter. This really helps on blue stain and mold. But here in NC, sometimes we don't have much of a winter, so my window can be somewhat short some years. 

[moodnacreek]

Always wondered how it works down south. My comments are from my experience in N.Y state only. I would suppose cutting in the dormant season anywhere would be best.

[K-Guy]

I had to glue the live edge bark on this 6 pack carrier.

It's empty now, somebody drank all the beer and didn't share, might as well throw it away. I hope you don't have surgery today!! 

[moodnacreek]

Some camps up north put up cedar slab siding, bark on, and put little nails in to keep it on.

[doc henderson]

if I am making rustic, I do not like to wait for glue to dry, I use my 23 g pinner to hold it in place so I can move on to the next step while the glue dries.

[Brad_bb]

Instead of CA glue, I use a water thin penetrating epoxy. Smith's.  Smith's on Amazon

Useful to reinforce rotted wood, empregnate wood to make it stronger(like doing it in a vacuum pot).  I've painted it on bark from some barn boards that still had their 100+ year old bark on them, and it worked to keep the bark adhered.  I tried it after seeing Matt Cremona use it.  Matt Cremona video using Smith's

[Old Greenhorn]

Instead of CA glue, I use a water thin penetrating epoxy. Smith's.  Smith's on Amazon

Useful to reinforce rotted wood, empregnate wood to make it stronger(like doing it in a vacuum pot).  I've painted it on bark from some barn boards that still had their 100+ year old bark on them, and it worked to keep the bark adhered.  I tried it after seeing Matt Cremona use it.  Matt Cremona video using Smith's

Thanks for both those links Brad. Opened my eyes to something new. I plan on looking into the penetrating epoxy more, but using a vacuum system is problematic due to size (for now). Baby steps.