debarking logs

Neighbors at lake (the nice ones) have a white pine tree in their yard from which I collected three bags of cones this fall. They are short lived, but sure do flare up with a match!

 

Bark comes off red oak when it's dry pretty easily, sometimes when splitting but more often when I come back for it 3 years later. I do keep the bark in bins because it's good fire starter, and free. I'm getting to the point where I have too much so I'm going to spread some in between rows in the garden for weed block. But I have never spent time trying to debark - it either comes off on its own or it doesn't.

 

I cut and split mostly chestnut (rock) oak which has a THICK tractor tread like bark. I try to peel it as much as I can prior to bucking - it saves on my full chisel chain. Additionally, it does aide in drying and saves a lot mess.

 

Huh.... and here I was, thinking the only wood that could be debarked, was dogwood.

 

No, that is the wood with debark.

 

I let momma nature debark. Usually after a year most bark either falls off when I move a split or its loose enough to pull off. Either way i don't spend any time on debaking, I'm lucky enough to be far enough ahead not to care.

That being said, I would think, with no scientific research or proof, that by debarking you would create more surface area by which the moisture within the wood could escape allowing it to season quicker.

 

A lot of the trees I cut are covered with poison ivy vines. I always take the time to debark when this is the case. I don't want anyone in the family handling poison ivy, and I sure don't want to burn it. We are all highly allergic.

 

welcome to the hood sawkerf73
agreed on the chestnut bark, it strips well after a tree has sat dropped for a bit

 

I had split some maple for my mother that was cut with a tree harvester, the harvester had 90% of it debarked and was the driest wood I have split.