Skinned a couple logs...

[CaseyForrest]

First time Ive actually debarked an entire log. Im hoping to pick up some stay sharpness with my chains. Heres is what I thought would work well......

Then got to thinking...this would be allot easier if I had something with a handle, and long enough I could get two hands on it. BAM!!! I remembered this all steel spade I have from my tree transplanting days. Took the handy dandy Dremel, with the mower blade attachment and put a new edge on it and away I went. Works real well, start the cut with one side of the edge, flip it over and run it down the log.

I still need to finish that White Oak on the right, but all in all it probably took me 30 minutes to get to where Im at.

 

[Freakingstang]

cool. Once you have the log skinned and milled, do you drive down the road to clean off the trailer? lol

 

[CaseyForrest]

Funny you ask... I do usually go to work while its still dark. Needless to say my custom tarp doesnt get used much!!!

 

[dustytools]

I debarked a poplar once with a claw hammer. It had been down for about 6 to 9 months and wasnt much trouble. Tried it on a cherry that had been cut the previous day and didnt have the same luck. That baby was tough to say the least. I too have a spade similar to yours and may try it on the next project. Good looking logs.

 

[computeruser]

Looks good, and a lot cheaper than a Log Wizard debarker thingee and a new saw to run it with!

 

[hautions11]

Looks good casey! WS is after me to debark my boards prior to stickering. That is todays project. Rainey here today. good job for the weather cond.

 

[woodshop]

nifty... I got a spade like that I use to edge the sidewalk and chop ice from it in winter... might give that a try. I've also used it to take old shingles off of roofs prior to putting new one on, similar to de-barking a log I suppose. I think the ease with which that bark comes off though, has a lot more to do with what time of year it was cut, as well as how long it's been sitting on the ground if any.

 

[blis]

ummm... maybe you should think about investing a bit of money into proper bark iron (or whatever it is called in english)...

 

[CaseyForrest]

bliss, that looks like work!!!! In any event, I already have the spade.

 

[woodshop]

ummm... maybe you should think about investing a bit of money into proper bark iron (or whatever it is called in english)...

blis I've never seen this tool before... does it work like a drawknife?

 

[woodshop]

Looks good casey! WS is after me to debark my boards prior to stickering. That is todays project. Rainey here today. good job for the weather cond.

Hey buddy, you can keep the bark on if ya wanna...

Was just looking out for all that nice ash you milled up. Short of slabbing the log into a cant in the first place, which I agree is a pain, I have used my circular saw and also my jigsaw to rip the bark off, setting the board on horses to do so. I just maintain that in the long run, it ends up being faster if you square up the log first so you don't have to rip bark from the boards later. A lot is also just personal preference... and the fact that deep down I'm just lazy, as I hate cleaning up the mess after ripping bark off boards.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Hautions, there is some merit to getting rid of the live edges. That piece of White Oak on the trailer now has some larvae in it, much still alive.

I do it mainly the hard way, rip the edges off with my circular saw. I think Im going to start turning my logs into cants like WS does because it is a PITA to trim every board, set-up and clean-up suck.

 

[CaseyForrest]

blis I've never seen this tool before... does it work like a drawknife?

Thats what I was thinking. Looks like a tool a Log Home Builder uses to remove bark and shape logs. My local saw shop has these on the wall, between about 4" long to 8" or 10" long. I may pick one up just to see what its all about.

 

[hautions11]

It is more like i know I should take it off. The wood furnace is running now, so it is an easy cut off the edges and throw it in the furnace. I want to dry this bunch fast, so it helps that effort as well.

 

[woodshop]

I think Im going to start turning my logs into cants like WS does because it is a PITA to trim every board, set-up and clean-up suck.

Keep in mind, as said in another thread... forget which one now... on smaller logs, like 12 inches, I generally do NOT square into cants, because it wastes too much of the outside good part of the log. I will often slab off maybe top and bottom, then mill through and through, bark and all, and deal with ripping bark/sapwood off later as much as I don't wanna. But you get more good lumber out of small logs that way. Or I will slab, but only take small slab, thin enough that I couldn't get a board out of it if I wanted to. So I don't get a perfect bark free cant, but kindof a dirty version with some bark on the "corners" of the cant. But then I still get more of that good wood on the outside part of the log as I mill thorugh and through. So happens most of the stuff I've been milling lately has been over 20 inches, and they do get slabbed into pure bark free cants right from the getgo. With 30+ inch stuff like the white oaks I'm still working on, those four slabs are thick enough to get a good 2x12 or 2x10 out of them. I flip the slab over bark down, use the chain saw to rip the outsides of the slab off so it's say 12 inches wide, then slice a 2 inch thick plank out of it with the Ripsaw (or csm). Again.. the best quality lumber in that log is usually in the outer parts of it.

 

[Forest Steward]

I think the ease with which that bark comes off though, has a lot more to do with what time of year it was cut, as well as how long it's been sitting on the ground if any.

Season definately matters. Spring time logs are much easier to debark. Sap flow makes the bark really loose. If your logging in the spring and not carefull you can easily debark the side of a standing tree. We've been debarking some of the logs cut recently and it's not nearly as easy as the ones that were cut in spring and early summer.

 

[woodshop]

Season definately matters. Spring time logs are much easier to debark. Sap flow makes the bark really loose. If your logging in the spring and not carefull you can easily debark the side of a standing tree. We've been debarking some of the logs cut recently and it's not nearly as easy as the ones that were cut in spring and early summer.

Curious why you are debarking the trees... prepping them for a mill?

 

[blis]

blis I've never seen this tool before... does it work like a drawknife?

Yup, pretty much like draw knife, just bit different design..

Actually, its quite fast if you got enough strenght to use it properly... I could de-bark a 4m long 14" log in 10-15 minutes if i dont mind getting sweaty :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

I've peeled many cedars for posts, rails, etc. using a draw knife, chisel and/ or a 3500psi power washer. I don't even mess with them anymore unless I cut them in the spring or early summer and can peel them with in a day or two.

I don't think a pressure washer has been brought up for peeling yet but I works great, especially with a oscillating tip. Very messy but the least labor intensive method I've used.

 

[trax]

blis I've never seen this tool before... does it work like a drawknife?

That is a Draw Knife