How to treat or not a fresh log

[captboba]

I was just given a 20+ foot red cedar log from a live but mature tree. Talk about found wood, it was even delivered to my shop. Some day I plan to carve some totem designs. Should I strip the bark off now or wait till I'm ready to carve? Thanks! BOB

[Gergie]

I have always striped the bark and painted the end grain with oil based paint. It works most of the time. But I have never had one 20 feet long. Good luck with your found wood.

[Donsexton]

Take the bark off and the sooner you can carve the totem the better cedar is not attacked by insects under the bark but mold and fungus will stain the wood. I know you will hear folks tell you it takes this many years to dry logs and that is true they dry slow. Logs are all I carve now days and the best way to control cracks is do 90% of the carving.

[captboba]

Thanks, fellows. If left long enough bugs get in when the bark starts to come loose from age. But they don't harm the wood except for possible staining. I will be cutting this log into 3 or 4 shorter sections. When the tree cutters asked where I wanted the log, they said their truck had an 18 foot bed so it was not a problem to move it the 4 blocks from our local muesum to my lot. Maybe I can start a project this summer. Bob

[scooter]

Many of the the totems I've seen (full-size, FWIW) have the back hollowed out when the log is green, to reduce splitting. That is to say, if you made a cross-section of the log with the back hollowed out, it would look like a "C", or a "U" (depending on your perspective).

Your mileage may vary.

S~