# Drying wood with bark on



## Duane Bledsoe (Oct 18, 2012)

I saw something a guy made several years ago that I'd like to try. It involved using sections of tree limbs about 4 to 5 inches in diameter, and 2 feet long. It was rough bark that looked like it could have been walnut, based on looking at the limbs on the walnut tree in my yard.

He made snowmen from them to sell. They looked like something you'd see in a country/primitives shop. What he done was cut each piece like it would have been an extra long piece of firewood, attach a square base made from 2x8 to one end, stripped the bark from the other end about 6 inches down so that area was smooth, and then cut a ring from lauan plywood to fit down around the smooth area to where the bark started again. That part was for a top hat with the lauan making the brim, and it was all painted black. The rest of the bark was painted white. Then some decorations were applied by drilling the body and sticking them in the holes. Twig arms, eyes, buttons, stuff like that.

My wife would like to have one of these. I know I can make it but I'd have to dry out the log somehow without taking the bark off. Do you think the other guy dried his out? What would happen if it wasn't dried first? Splitting, bark fall off, paint peel? Because I can't see how I'd ever get it dried out up into the middle area with only end grain showing and the bark still on.


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

You know this is woodworking talk right?
I'm lost!!! Got any pics of what your talking about Duane?


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

I may not be able to picture what this snowman looks like.

You may need to find out which wood species are most likely to retain the bark when dry.

Some examples for illustration.

I made some coasters from a log section which had been in my garage for 15+ years. As you commented, drying log sections takes time. In this case I put these aside and left them for a long time. Not trying to dry them per se, just ignored them.

This looks like cherry. I used CA glue to help stabilize the bark and increase the adhesion to the wood.









This looks like a piece of maple for the candle holder. This is another of the cherry coasters. Both pieces were in the pile I put aside.









Yesterday I tried turning a piece of locust only a few inches in diameter. The bark seemed stable but the tree was only cut down in July. The section of wood was very wet. Not a surprise.

I also cut some slices from Flame Box Elder. The bark is not stable. The tree was cut down some time earlier in the year. I am not sure of the date, but the bark was already falling off.

I have some pieces from an apple tree I cut off to prune the tree in July. I am not expecting the bark to be stable. Too knurly.

I have other pieces of silver maple from a friend's tree which came down in a storm in Sept. I am optimistic the bark will be stable.


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## Duane Bledsoe (Oct 18, 2012)

Dominick said:


> You know this is woodworking talk right?
> I'm lost!!! Got any pics of what your talking about Duane?


Yes, of course. Is that not considered woodworking? I'm not trying to be smart, I'm really asking because I know it's not traditional wood working in the sense of running wood through a table saw and using clamps, and glues, and all that. This is more of a craft project that uses wood as its main material, but I still thought of it as wood working.

I don't have any pictures but if you can imagine a 2 foot long log about 5 inches in diameter, stood on end with a square board for a foot so it doesn't tip over, with the bark painted white and decorated like a tall, skinny snowman, with the top 6 inches of the log's bark skinned off to the smooth core wood inside, and that part painted black to make the hat, and a piece of lauan cut like a large washer to fit down around it to where the bark starts again (the hat's brim), then you've got it.


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

Duane Bledsoe said:


> Yes, of course. Is that not considered woodworking? I'm not trying to be smart, I'm really asking because I know it's not traditional wood working in the sense of running wood through a table saw and using clamps, and glues, and all that. This is more of a craft project that uses wood as its main material, but I still thought of it as wood working.
> 
> I don't have any pictures but if you can imagine a 2 foot long log about 5 inches in diameter, stood on end with a square board for a foot so it doesn't tip over, with the bark painted white and decorated like a tall, skinny snowman, with the top 6 inches of the log's bark skinned off to the smooth core wood inside, and that part painted black to make the hat, and a piece of lauan cut like a large washer to fit down around it to where the bark starts again (the hat's brim), then you've got it.


Sorry Duane, no offense. I'm not trying to be a jerk. Just requesting a pic to understand better that's all. So just to make sure we're on the same page, buddy. 
Maybe I'm not crafty in that aspect of woodworking.


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## Duane Bledsoe (Oct 18, 2012)

I wish I had a pic. I can draw it and post it, I'm quite proficient at freehand drawing. I mainly wished to know how to dry the logs, or if I even needed to (which I'm fairly sure should be done).


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

Duane Bledsoe said:


> I wish I had a pic. I can draw it and post it, I'm quite proficient at freehand drawing. I mainly wished to know how to dry the logs, or if I even needed to (which I'm fairly sure should be done).


Well if they'll fit in the microwave, you could do that. Depends on how long ago they were cut. 
They don't take to long to dry.
And yes draw a pic.


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## Midlandbob (Sep 5, 2011)

It would take a long time to dry a log in a microwave. It has been used by turners but usually for very thin bowls like 1/4 inch thick. Even that took a while as you are boiling or driving the water out with heat. The microwave was set on pulse mode like some use in defrosting. Otherwise you can burn an area. Stirring the microwaves or turning the material is critical. I've made a charred spot in a bowl.
This does NOT get around the shrinkage issues with wood drying and without using PEG, wood has to shrink more on the outside circumference that the interior so deformation or splitting is almost unavoidable for limbs of any size.
We will still look forward to getting a better idea of your intent.


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## Duane Bledsoe (Oct 18, 2012)

I should be able to do a fast drawing and scan it and post it tomorrow. These logs will be much too large for a microwave. 2 feet long or more. I doubt even an oven would work for what I'd need.


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## johnmark (Jul 21, 2012)

it depends on the season it's cut off the tree. if you harvest your wood in the winter when the "sap is tight" the bark will stay on. 

check out some of the projects at the end of this episode. pretty mind blowing stuff.

http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/video/2600/2604.html


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## Duane Bledsoe (Oct 18, 2012)

Here is a picture of what I'm trying to do. These would be made about 2 or 3 feet tall maybe, or less. Logs would be about 5 to 6 inches in diameter. And, yes, I know (because my wife told me) that my snowman log drawing looks more like a pickle than a log. LOL!


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## dognobbler (Sep 18, 2012)

It makes sense to me. I would try using Pecan wood for the main body of the Snowman. I have some 2 year old chunks that would fit the bill for that. Dry inside, bark on, no or little checking. 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Woodworking Talk


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