# Preserving the Live Edge



## WoodshopJoe (Jun 22, 2009)

A friend harvested a black walnut in his yard and had it sawed into boards and two 3" thick slabs and wants to preserve the live edge. The slabs are currently stickered in an open-sided shed for drying and i don't know if he has to treat the live edge now in order not to lose it. I have never tried to dry lumber for live edge work so I have no experience in this area. Is there a certain process to maintaining this edge so it doesn't separate from the wood itself. Are there any tips for drying the thicker slabs to reduce cracking?


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## JeffHeath (Dec 30, 2009)

The live edge staying attached to the wood slab is a product of when the tree was harvested, not something you do after you harvest it. Tree's that are harvested in the winter (cold, tree is dormant) will keep their bark on much, much, much better than any other time of the year. Not to say that you can't get lucky, but all of my live edge boards that have successfully kept their bark were from trees that were cut down in the winter.

If you harvest the tree during the growth season, the trees nutrients, water, etc…....are flowing through the cambium layer, and this dries out, causing the bark to detach.

You can read all about it in a book called "Understanding Wood".


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