A Time to Move On?

And add to the comments above how many people that actually buy these slabs will know they need to remove all the bark as it will break off eventually!

I can just see people labouring over it trying to keep all the bark intact as it's a "live edge" piece of furniture.
 
Joe homeowner will use it to make epoxy coffee tables and live edge bar counters.  As for bark removal, ya.... but I've seen enough Houzz pics to know they leave it on for 'the look'.  Durability be damned.
 
The Nakashima studio calls it a "free-edge" where the board is carefully de-barked but otherwise left with a natural edge.

nakashima_mm-03_1113.jpg


They have a new process book which does a great job explaining their designs and approach. I have no affiliation.
https://nakashimawoodworkers.com/
 
[member=74278]Packard[/member] I have seen it done a few ways. Spokeshave and abrasive bristle brush (angle grinder) mostly.
 
Personally, I'd not remove the bark with a spokeshave...if you're not careful, you run the risk of trimming the edge with a straight edge cutter and concentric growth rings are not straight in any fashion. If you're going to be holistic, as far as the edge appearance goes, it's better to pick off the bark piece by piece. It's time consuming but it's the best solution...unless you prefer the Menards solution.  [big grin]

And now we're back to where we started.  [poke]
 
I think I read in one of my woodworking books ('Understanding Wood', perhaps?) that the season in which a tree was felled can affect how easily the bark comes off.  My recollection is that a tree harvested in summer will give up its bark more readily because winter rings are denser.  I'm sure there's scientific terms for all of it, I just don't want to dig the book out right now.

My experience is that the trees we lost in August, 2020 gave up their bark fairly readily and in large chunks with minimal tearing of the outermost fibrous rings after some seasoning and/or kiln drying. 

Depends on the wood, too, of course; the basswood/linden let its bark go like a banana peel compared to the maple, ash, and oak.
 
I might add, the local Menards, a few years back, installed a food/produce section to their store. It's probably at least 2000 square feet...probably more. I noted the new bump-out and asked a check-out person as to how well the grocery section was going, thinking to myself...this is a loser, much to my chagrin, she said that the "produce" section was one of their more popular sections.  [eek]

Who'd have thought that?

Menard's has a unique way of reinventing themselves. The food section...the live edge thing...maybe tomorrow it'll be used Vegas?

True story...I was at Menards picking up a few plumbing items, I knew I also needed some cream to make a pasta sauce once I returned home. Not really wanting to make another stop before I prepared supper, on a whim I thought I'd see if Menards carried cream...sure enough...fresh cream from Wisconsin cows. Pretty stoked, walked in the house with a bag full of copper fittings and a pint of fresh cream.
 
Cheese said:
I might add, the local Menards, a few years back, installed a food/produce section to their store. It's probably at least 2000 square feet...probably more. I noted the new bump-out and asked a check-out person as to how well the grocery section was going, thinking to myself...this is a loser, much to my chagrin, she said that the "produce" section was one of their more popular section.  [eek]

Whow'd have thought that?

Menard's has a unique way of reinventing themselves. The food...the live edge thing...maybe tomorrow it'll be used Vegas?
Click to expand...

They do that, I read, in hopes of having a customer visit every week.  The food sections are run at a loss to keep the prices low enough to have you come back instead of going to a regular grocery store where they have a larger selection.

Barnes & Noble found that the longer people stayed in the store, the more they purchase.  That is why they are happy to let the knitting clubs and the chess club and the Canasta games use their coffee shop as a club house. 
 
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