Beware Of Bark Carving!!!!!

[Pracuss]

After having carved a variety of wood, from Palm fronds to Fungi, I have arrived at a plane in my pursuit with "COTTONWOOD BARK".
On a recent outing to harvest some sticks, I came upon a very old, dying cottonwood tree shedding it's bark. Picking up a piece, I thought why not try some. Now I can't seem to get away from this media. I don't wish to find a "niche" in my work. I should be doing sticks for the spring as well as my many other carving projects pending but the "Allure of the BARK" is imbedded.
Has this malady happend to any of you?
Pracuss


Carving Gallery

[fpace]

Very true... it carves so easy and no grain to worry about. It's rich reddish brown color is also very soothing and appealing to me. Just have to be a little more careful with it as it wil crumble on you sometimes and stop cuts won't always "stop" the cut because of it. Very pleasing to carve without the effort expended on harder woods. Also the different shapes and forms almost scream what is hiding in there to come out.

Carve on....

[CarverFromNoWhere]

Yup I have the same bark bug, thing is before bark I was already addicted to butternut .
Carl

[vacation212]

Ice CreamI agree it is very nice to carve and have done several items myself.

[artolver]

Ice Cream Right on Boys! I am doing it since 1970.. trying to do what the ol'timers could carve in bark. Cowboys and Indians and Mountain Men was our game....
Carl, I found ya. You ask me about the size I have seen...? Well I saw a Nine inch...thick 9 and with flaky part in front. Only one I have seen...and that was in Alaska.
width.. is I guess from an inch to 24 in.
length... the one I kept from breaking was sixteen ft.
Black bark cottonbark in the west is best all the way to Alaska.
art olver
the barkguy

[Kenny_S]

yeper, bark carving is addictive.

Helps if you harvest your own.

Don't get that nice stuff Art gets but the Kansas Plains cottonwood bark is good carving also.

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

Have not carved any bark yet, but I am getting the itch to give it a try.

Dave

[MelNM]

Yup! me too.
Mel

[Clifford_Parker]

While the bark here isn't as thick as Art's stuff I have two totes full so guess I'll have to use it up.

[artolver]

Hi Cliff,

I should have said I couldn't buy that 9" piece from the fellow who had it in his shop. Most of cottonwood bark is not large---and the small pieces are fun for me. What I hear from the midwest is that it has sand and grit in it, and hard on their knives. I never have had sand in my carving cottonwood bark,and my knives don't need sharpened hardly ever. Although I do have some thick bark it is getting harder and harder to find. Most of the bark I find is from minature pieces to 3"-4" wide and 2"-3 1/2" thick.

Art