Removing Tree Bark

Started by MountainDon, November 05, 2007, 01:45:18 AM

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MountainDon

Does anyone know of a method to (relatively) easily remove bark from trees? Pine trees in particular. I have an abundance of Ponderosa Pines that must be removed for one reason or another. A substantial amount is already cut to 15 to 16"lengths as fire wood. There's more to go. Today as we added several feet to the wood pile (if placed  one piece deep by 4 ft. tall it would be about 200 ft long.  ;D  ) I once again thought of doing something along the lines of building a cordwood shed, outhouse, building, building skirting, whatever. The main thing that holds me back is the removal of the bark.  ??

glenn-k

Let them set 6 months to a year to age - the bugs will loosen the outer bark at the cambium layer and then leave after you pull the loose bark off of them.  :P

The wood will shrink away from the bark also.  Best to lay a couple logs on the ground and get the rest up off of it by stacking them on the sacrificial ones. 8-)

A pressure washer will clean them up as clean as a baby's behind (a clean one that is)  -- I mean they will be white and shiny --- :-?

A shingle remover will make a decent peeling spud.  Some like a shovel with the end flattened a bit - cut off - so it doesn't slide off.  There is also an attachment for the end of a chainsaw or a drawknife, but they seem too much like work to me.  Sassy likes to peel it off. ::)

Well -- come to think of it-- not all babies are white--- but then neither is all wood.  Nevermind. :-/


MountainDon

Pressure washer is out... uses more water than I have easy access to up there....  :'(

Drawknife... I've watched one of my neighbors struggle... seems way too much work...  :(

Shingle remover?  picture?   :-?

We'll see how they age over the winter...

Thanks


glenn-k

If its wet enough the bugs will work it - too wet it may rot - on the ground fungus will try to deteriorate it and if it is too dry the bugs may leave it alone and not help.  Probably no perfect answer.  I usually leave it in log form for six months to a year - if contacting the ground that is usually where the termites start -- they leave if it gets dry though.


Redoverfarm

Don I have peeled locust with a drawknife. Pretty easy if the sap is up in the wood. If it is left on then it will adhere to the wood. If you are planning on using it to build with don't let the bugs get to it. After peeling keep it off the ground and covered.  

desdawg

Don, I have something similar to the log wizard but cost a lot less. It is available on e-bay from Hudson Forest Equipment. I drilled my own bar and have one that is just dedicated to that tool. I collect old chainsaws so this was easy for me to do. Those bars are hard!
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-LOG-DEBARKER-CHAINSAW-CHAIN-SAW-SAWMILL-MILL-WOOD_W0QQitemZ130168615810QQihZ003QQcategoryZ85915QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

glenn-k

Looks like you may get it cheaper on e-bay, but here is the Hud-son site for other good stuff.  

Thanks for the info desdawg -- I found another source for toys. :)

http://www.hud-son.com/index.html

glenn-k

#8
BTW, Don, please be careful that you don't bark up the wrong tree. :-? :)

...and on another note:

The bugs do go after pine more easily than cedar but if it is off the ground, they do go after the cambium layer first in the first 6 months to year.  Some are more than likely already in the tree.  You won't stop them.

At the point of ground contact, fungal growth will begin and it will send tendrils out into the ground drawing moisture into the log from far away.  At this point deterioration of the wood will begin and termites will first appear here.  Even then, - they will not stay after the bark is peeled and the wood is allowed to dry out.

The pine beetle larvae will do a nice job of decorating the log in the cambium layer and at the same time peeling some of the bark loose if given enough time.  Again - they like it damp.  When dry they are gone.


Here is one of my logs they decorated.



You will be surprised at the number of bugs, scorpions etc. that will be in the cambium layer area in the first year.  Most of them don't want the wood.  The scorpions are there to eat the termites.  Mmmmm - tasty lunch. :)


Again -- after it is dry most will be gone.  After they are dry, powder post beetles can be a problem -- they like dry wood.  Treating with borates can help keep them away.  It leaves a nasty taste in their mouth and messes with their tiny little bodies.  If i recall correctly it does something to their exoskeleton.


williet

Don't they eat grubs like those? I think they taste like chestnuts :o

Maybe that's just in South America???????

ScottA

I never tried it but I heard if you beat the bark with a mallet it will loosen up enough that you can pull it off with your hands.

Scott

Redoverfarm

Desdawg that debarker looks sort of like a portable planner.  Don when I did locust it just seperated in large pieces. Of course they were fairly fresh and hadn't had a chance to dry out.

glenn-k

#12
They say it's easy when the saps up to remove the bark -- Believe me -- it's all relative.

Sassy could barely get the bark off when I gave her a wet log to peel. ;D  OK -- so it was a giant log... and I didn't want to peel it.  She kept saying she wanted to help... and she did. :)

OK -- its easier than when it dries badly and sticks tight to the log, but it's not easy. :-/

...but it's easier when you get someone else to do it. :)

MountainDon

Hmmm. Chuck it in a lathe and turn the bark off?   :oDoesn't matter if it's rounded some for a cordwood wall.


glenn-k

#14
It needs to age about a season anyway -- I think it will come off by next season.  Too much shrinkage if it doesn't season about a year.

I forgot to mention that an adz  comes in quite handy sometimes.  I made one from a small garden pick axe type thingy.

Watch your feet with the big adz. :)

Sassy

Yes, I spent hours & days removing bark from logs  :-/  even used a big rotohammer with a flat attachment to get under the bark - that was before we knew that the bark loosened up over time  >:(   :'(

glenn-k


desdawg

I see down trees that have been there for a while and the bark comes off easy, just using my fingers.

MarkAndDebbie

They also have a bacteria/fungus/or something that they add to inhibit bad fungus and loosen the bark.

Redoverfarm

Don

Without going out to buy additional tools I even used a Mattock instead of an adze to strip bark.


MountainDon

Thanks all. I'm taking all this under consideration. I've got about a dozen or so 45 - 60 foot, 7 to 12 inch diameter, pines we pushed over earlier this year, just sitting there off the ground.

MarkAndDebbie

found the organism - Phlebiopsis gigantea. Not a forester or a biologist - so that's as much as I know (or a bit more) ;D