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How stable is bark edge

1K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  WDHLT15 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
my walnut stash in the basement is finaly dry. I am cutting up some to make facing edge for 3/4 inch plywood shelving unit.

Some of the pieces end up with a bit of bark on one edge. It has some fissures and such in it as it is bark but looks kind of cool.

Will that bark edge hold together or does it need to be treated in some way to give it strength or stability?
 
#2 ·
All I can say is if you could see inside and under some of my projects, a bit of bark edge shows up once in a while. I just finish it like the rest, or maybe a bit heavier coat if it sucks it up. I would not trust it structurally, but hidden and non-structural, I let it slide. I may not be the most experienced and I LIKE older mision and rustic styles and feel it adds some character to the piece.
 
#3 ·
It depends a lot on the species, the amount of expansion/contraction it's going to experience, the shape of the outer wood connected to the bark, and the cut of the wood.

I've had bark that I had to essentially chisel off after drying and some that just fell off from the same log. Personally, I really don't trust it to stay on all that much. But, if dried and cut properly and finished properly, it can stay on there for a long time.
 
#5 ·
All good common sence advise. Thanks guys. I did pull on it and it is well stuck. I did see that it has very little structural strength and will use it accordingly.

I think it is cool looking and I can incorporate it into some projects for a neat look. I will have to play with finishing it.
 
#6 ·
Bark is tightest and the most stable on a board if the tree was cut in the dormant season (winter here in Georgia). It is the least stable in the spring when the cambium becomes active, and can actually be very easy to peel off a green log. The old-timers said that, "Bark slips in the Spring". So, if you want the bark or live edge with bark on a board, the tree that the wood comes from should be harvested in the dead of winter.
 
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