Bark stripping results and comment

[xsailer]

While traveling home I found a wooded field and cut a few Sumac(sp) limbs for cane making. After removing the bark they sat out all night and then put them in the towed car behind the camper and let set for a few days in the heat. The limbs have turned dark black/brown now and I'm wondering if I should have washed or treated the stipped limb somehow. I would think sanding the wood after dry would remove the color but don't really know. I plan on painting the ends when I get home and let dry for a recommended time as suggested by the forum "Search" info. Hope the miscolor is not a problem as it took some effort the cut the limbs. Would appreciate your comments.

[Mike L Hasler]

Heh Bob, been my experience that if your going to let wood dry you need to leave the bark on to slow down the drying process, keeping it from cracking, or splitting. I'm sure you'll hear a lot more about it on here, so I'd thought I'd mention my experiences and follow the thread at the same time.

[Kenny_S]

Will be interesting to see how these turn out Bob. I normally don't strip the bark for a couple of weeks but do seal up the ends with paint or parrafin. May be the heat in the car that caused the black/browning process.

Keep us informed

[xsailer]

I thought about leaving the bark on for a few days but after leaving the bark on a piece of Diamond Willow and then trying to get IT off I was VERY leary of leaving the bark on for too long. I had to leave the next day and didn't have any time to check.

I think you're right Kenny... it was the heat.

[jmischel]

My admittedly limited experience is that peeling the bark immediately after cutting a limb is a huge mistake. I cut a limb from a mesquite tree a few weeks ago and stripped the bark from one of the sections. There were visible splits in the wood within an hour, and by the end of the day those splits were all through the heart wood.

Granted, removing the bark after it's dry would probably be a problem. But I suspect I'm not going to care about that. I got this mesquite for its heartwood, so I'll probably just saw the sap wood away.

I also have some Bradford pear that I cut a few weeks ago. I left the bark on those pieces. I suppose I should try to peel it from one, just to see what it's like now.

[CarverFromNoWhere]

The simple solution to this is to cut during the dormant season, it's not to hard to peel and doesn't crack nearly as much. I don't know exactly what it's called when the color changes like that but it happens to the maple saplings I peel for my furniture. It normally sands off but generally i leave it patchy it makes for a very interesting look with the multiple colors.
Carl

[xsailer]

Another learning experience. I got home yesterday and found two of the several sticks I cut had cracked. Now I know not to remove the bark right away. Lesson learned. Thanks for the comments carvers.