I just received an excellent fathers day gift. My wife got me a large
black walnut slab with a nice crotch at one end, this is perfect for a
slab coffee table. I have never made a piece of furniture with a slab
before and I want to remove the bark and leave a live edge. Is there
any advice out there for removing the bark.
On Jun 20, 7:26=A0pm, "SonomaProducts.com" <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Jun 19, 5:50=A0pm, Tom <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > I just received an excellent fathers day gift. =A0My wife got me a larg=
e
> > black walnut slab with a nice crotch at one end, this is perfect for a
> > slab coffee table. =A0I have never made a piece of furniture with a sla=
b
> > before and I want to remove the bark and leave a live edge. =A0Is there
> > any advice out there for removing the bark.
>
> I wouldn't use a draw knife, you will carve away the live edge. I
> typically just pick at with a cats paw or small claw hammer and break
> away any loose stuff but leave any well adhered portion in place. Then
> plaster it down with some poly finish.
I like to get all of the cambium layer off of walnut, so the white
sapwood contrasts nicely with the darker brown heartwood. I use a
drawknife for the big stuff, but tend to move fairly quickly to a
chisel, used bevel side down with a smooth slicing cut just under the
skin. Lastly I touch up any indented/concave areas with some
sandpaper. Be careful when you sand though; you don't want to grind
dark brown heartwood swarf into your lily-white sapwood. (An air
nozzle helps the inevitable.) Good luck!
JP
On Wed, 22 Jun 2011 22:39:41 -0700, "Lobby Dosser"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>"SonomaProducts.com" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:950f3849-71b5-4121-ab56-8a18c2be1a7d@s16g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
>> >
>>> He hooks up the pressure washer he uses to clean up his outside spray
>>
>> Great idea
>
>
>Is how logs are debarked.
In the field, it's a wee bit rougher on the tree's live edge:
http://goo.gl/bWV7I
Ditto at a mill: http://goo.gl/fysJV
--
"Human nature itself is evermore an advocate for liberty.
There is also in human nature a resentment of injury, and
indignation against wrong. A love of truth and a veneration
of virtue. These amiable passions, are the latent spark. If
the people are capable of understanding, seeing and feeling
the differences between true and false, right and wrong,
virtue and vice, to what better principle can the friends of
mankind apply than to the sense of this difference?"
--John Adams
On Mon, 20 Jun 2011 16:26:58 -0700 (PDT), "SonomaProducts.com"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>On Jun 19, 5:50Â pm, Tom <[email protected]> wrote:
>> I just received an excellent fathers day gift. Â My wife got me a large
>> black walnut slab with a nice crotch at one end, this is perfect for a
>> slab coffee table. Â I have never made a piece of furniture with a slab
>> before and I want to remove the bark and leave a live edge. Â Is there
>> any advice out there for removing the bark.
>
>I wouldn't use a draw knife, you will carve away the live edge. I
>typically just pick at with a cats paw or small claw hammer and break
>away any loose stuff but leave any well adhered portion in place. Then
>plaster it down with some poly finish.
Hold a hammer with both hands (like an extremely dull drawknife) and
use the handle to knock off the bark. Rub and tap, leaving the edge
intact.
--
Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball!
"Tom" <[email protected]> wrote
> I just received an excellent fathers day gift. My wife got me a large
> black walnut slab with a nice crotch at one end,
I've thought of a half dozen one liners so far.
My mind is not in the gutter. I can't get up that high.
On Jun 20, 3:11=A0pm, Sonny <[email protected]> wrote:
> The draw knife suggestion is agreeable.
>
> Is your crotch green, semi-green or thoroughly dry? (LOL)...
> seriously, though.
>
> Sonny
First thanks for all the replies. I would say the slab is pretty
green. Its 2 inches thick and was sawn in Feb. of this year.
We have a guy here in an artist community I see at the once a year
furniture show. He does fine woodwork on the stands/pedestals of
tables of all sorts, and uses natural edge slabs for the tops.
He is much less low tech than you guys.
He hooks up the pressure washer he uses to clean up his outside spray
finish area after getting it pretty filthy, and simply blows off the
bark with water pressure. Works like a champ and only takes a few
minutes. No knife marks, gouges, or careful carving needed. And the
wood is nice and clean, free of grit and all the other stuff that
hides in bark when he is finished.
The end product looks great.
Robert
On Jun 19, 5:50=A0pm, Tom <[email protected]> wrote:
> I just received an excellent fathers day gift. =A0My wife got me a large
> black walnut slab with a nice crotch at one end, this is perfect for a
> slab coffee table. =A0I have never made a piece of furniture with a slab
> before and I want to remove the bark and leave a live edge. =A0Is there
> any advice out there for removing the bark.
I wouldn't use a draw knife, you will carve away the live edge. I
typically just pick at with a cats paw or small claw hammer and break
away any loose stuff but leave any well adhered portion in place. Then
plaster it down with some poly finish.
On Jun 19, 8:50=A0pm, Tom <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> I just received an excellent fathers day gift. =A0My wife got me a large
> black walnut slab with a nice crotch at one end, this is perfect for a
> slab coffee table. =A0I have never made a piece of furniture with a slab
> before and I want to remove the bark and leave a live edge. =A0Is there
> any advice out there for removing the bark.
A drawknife is commonly used. I'm sure YouTube will have some videos
that will walk you through it.
R
Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>
> "Tom" <[email protected]> wrote
>> I just received an excellent fathers day gift. My wife got me a large
>> black walnut slab with a nice crotch at one end,
>
> I've thought of a half dozen one liners so far.
> My mind is not in the gutter. I can't get up that high.
What, you can't stand the thought of a crotch on the table top? Just
admit it...lol.
"SonomaProducts.com" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:950f3849-71b5-4121-ab56-8a18c2be1a7d@s16g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> >
>> He hooks up the pressure washer he uses to clean up his outside spray
>
> Great idea
Is how logs are debarked.
--
"I'm the man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo ..."
"Tom" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
I just received an excellent fathers day gift. My wife got me a large
black walnut slab with a nice crotch at one end, this is perfect for a
slab coffee table. I have never made a piece of furniture with a slab
before and I want to remove the bark and leave a live edge. Is there
any advice out there for removing the bark.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Go after it with a blow torch. Wet the bark down sopping wet, then hit it
with the big heat. The heat bubbles up water at the juncture, and helps it
pop off. Have a fire watch on hand, and do it outside away from buildings,
in case it goes very badly.
You will need one of those big propane jobs that are used to melt ice and
burn off weeds from cracks.
Let us know if do it, how it works.
-- Jim in NC