A common question we get from those buying live edge slabs is whether or not they should remove the bark from the slab. In short, debarking the slab is something we always recommend. In this blog, we’ll go into the reasons why.
Reasons Why We Always Debark Our Slabs
There are a number of reasons we debark our live edge wood before building them into a piece of finished furniture. Those reasons are:
It’s highly likely to fall off with time, regardless of the measures taken to preserve it.
Slabs will slowly lose their bark, which can lead to weekly cleaning underneath your table or finished piece.
It allows you to sand the live edge making it less sharp and giving it a smooth feel to the touch.
Plan on Keeping the Bark? Here’s What You Need To Know.
One thing to consider if you want to keep the bark on your piece is that the time of year a tree was cut down can matter. Dried logs that are cut in the summertime lose their bark more easily as the sap production is down in those months.
Another thing to consider is that some woods just down make sense to keep the bark. For example, hickory, also known as “shagbark hickory” will lose it’s bark regardless of what you do. Sycamore is another that can naturally shed it’s bark. Other species, even walnut, can get small bugs between the bark and the sapwood, which can make it lose it’s bark more easily.
The last thing you need to consider is finish. Pour over epoxy resin is your best bet to hold the bark in place if you plan on keeping it. Polyurethane would be another option, but won’t be quite as strong. Oils and waxes seal the wood, but they aren’t going to serve as an adhesive like epoxy would to keep the bark in place.
How To Remove The Bark on Live Edge Slabs
Removing the bark on a live edge slab is a pretty simple process. We typically use a small chisel and hammer and angle the chisel with the way the live edge tapers. After all of the big pieces are removed, you can sand the rest until your edge has a smooth surface.
For cookies, burls, and other types of live edge wood, it may be harder to remove the bark. For these, you can often use a grinder and then a piece of wire brush on your drill to clean the edges.
Questions About Your Live Edge Piece?
Lancaster Live Edge specializes in live edge dining tables, epoxy resin tables, and more. If you’re building a piece of live edge furniture and have questions regarding bark removal or anything else, simply drop them in the comment box below and we’re happy to help where we can!
Nolan is one of the original members of the team at Lancaster Live Edge. Formerly, Nolan was the Marketing and Sales Manager at our company, and he also spent several hours a day building tables and custom furniture in our shop. Now, Nolan helps with our marketing initiatives. Prior to his time at Lancaster Live Edge, Nolan worked for years for his family’s custom home building company and has built everything from custom furniture to cabins to home additions.
yes, it's a good idea to remove the bark from a live edge slab. The bond between the bark and the wood isn't strong at all. Even if it feels solid when you get the slab, it will just be a matter of time before it crumbles and breaks off on its own.
A common question we get from those buying live edge slabs is whether or not they should remove the bark from the slab. In short, debarking the slab is something we always recommend.
If you're building a log cabin or some other sort of log structure, your instructions will likely tell you to peel the logs first. Peeling the bark off logs increases the longevity of the wood because bark provides both a home for damaging insects and a place for moisture to collect, which can ultimately lead to rot.
When a tree has been damaged by removing a ring of bark, the tree may die depending on how completely it was girdled. Removal of even a vertical strip of bark less than one-fourth the circumference of the tree will harm the tree, but not kill the tree.
Some people claim that the bark can impart a slightly bitter flavor to the food, while others say that they don't notice a difference at all. If the bark comes off easily, then by all means remove it.
Debarking helps speed the drying process. The bark can provide a hiding place for insects. After a log has been cut or a branch has been severed, insects have new openings that allow them to slip beneath the bark more easily. There, they can multiply and thrive, and they don't need much space.
Always remove the bark. It will come off eventually anyway. Route the edges (even the live edge) with a round over bit to break the edge. It makes for a nicer finish and helps with applying a smooth top coat.
The best way to keep wood from splitting as it dries is by using a commercial sealant such as an anchor seal. These sealants can be applied to the open ends of logs and prevent them from drying and shrinking in contact with the air.
For a simple oil finish, use a sponge brush to apply three coats of polyurethane, and sand with 500-grit sandpaper after each coat dries. Then, wipe the slab surface down with mineral spirits and wet-sand the slab with a 2000-grit sanding pad.
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The most common method is to use a peeling spud and drawknife combination. A peeling spud is a tool that removes the bulk of the bark by prying it off. This works best on non-winter cut wood. In log building a peeling spud is used to knock off the majority of a log's bark.
You should stack this wood with the cut side facing down and the bark side facing up. Doing so allows the bark to protect the wood from the elements and rain, causing the wood to soak up additional moisture. This would make the logs unusable or inefficient for burning and heating your home.
It makes sense to many people, especially living in a fairly rainy, often damp climate, to stack logs bark-up to keep them drier, stopping moisture settling in the nooks and crannies of the cut wood. For me, the most important thing is where you stack them. If wet, you want the rain off them, but you need ventilation.
Bark breaks down slowly and will not need replenished often - some of our mulches laid 5 years ago are still as effective today. However, routine top ups may be necessary should soil show through (often as a result of animal interference or cultivation techniques).
Epoxy, which is a very strong adhesive and sealant, is most often used by those who want to keep the bark on their wood. Apply a layer of epoxy over the top and sides of the bark to create a smooth finish that looks great and protects against moisture damage.
Two: Kiln Drying is a Must when buying a live edge slab.
In this condition, the wood is very unstable, and is prone to checking (cracking) and warp of all types. Kiln drying brings the moisture content down to 6-8% for lumber or below 10% for slabs, in order to make sure it's in a stable and ready to be worked with.
Seal the wood with polyurethane to protect it from moisture damage. This is critical if you'll be displaying your wood with bark outside. Dip a brush into polyurethane and spread it evenly over the surface of the wood and work it into the rough bark along the sides. Then, let the polyurethane dry for at least 24 hours.
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