Power Wash the Bark Off!

[duffontap]

I was out in front of my house the other day stripping bark off some winter-cut staves I had cut a couple months ago and my neighbor started powerwashing her driveway.  The idea occurred to me that this might be a good tool-free way to strip bark off winter-cut wood that was stubbornly holding its bark.  It worked great! 

By holding the power washer wand at a very low angle you can force the jet of water (I used a 13 HP, 3,700 PSI washer with a 15 degree tip) between the bark and the wood thus lifting the bark off without tearing the wood or forcing the sap out.  The wood I had cut was very green but cut in January. 

I was a power washing contractor just out of college so I have a lot of experience with them but I still made a mistake or two.  For those who don't have much experience with power washers on soft wood--the most important thing is to keep your power washer wand at an angle and ALWAYS keep it moving.  Lift the tip away from the surface of the wood to change directions and then sweep back down. 

Hope a few of you will get to try this. 

            J. D. Duff


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[Pat B]

That is yew? With its thin bark, that looks like the trick. I wonder how it would work with the thicker bark of hardwoods?
  That is a cool idea. It would give you a good clean, unviolated back to work from especially with thin ringed wood like yew.   Pat

[duffontap]

Hey Pat,

That is Yew.  I'll try it on some locust and see how it works.  As you know, a lot of times the real difficulty is with the inner bark.  This provides a way to soften up the inner bark and lift it off without damaging the wood you'll use for the back of the bow.  I much prefer getting bark off and sealing with shelac (if necessary) to cutting it off when it's seasoned.  I know that with Osage, Locust, Mullberry, etc, that isn't an advantage, but there are many times when it's a huge advantage.  I like cutting wood in the winter and this makes it even more practical.

            J. D. Duff

[Gordon]

Works great on vine maple too 

[samuraiwarrior]

JD,
This sounds like a great idea.  But I'd be concerned with getting the wood wet, and then letting it dry out again. 
I think it would be possible for the wood to develop cracks, unless it is very fresh wood and you then seal the back
after removing the bark.  I often get small checks when I just steam wood just because of that small influx of moisture. 

[duffontap]

Hey Gordon,  I'd bet it works on vine maple.  I've cut some vine maple in the winter but I've never had a problem just stripping it off.  What time of year do you do most of your harvesting?

Samurai,  I just shellac it once the bark is off.  I wouldn't do this if the wood was anything but soaking-wet-green.

              J. D. Duff

[Gordon]

JD, I harvest much of my vine maple about now. Will be doing some of that at our Spring Rendezvous next month. Would love to have you join us if it works out for you.

Gordon

[heavybow]

 Josh thats great that is called clean yew. marlon

[Keenan]

 Sweet looking yew JD.   Thanks for sharing the process.  I hope you can make it to Gordon's rendezvous I;m really looking forward to trying to go myself.   Keenan

[DanaM]

Great tip JD, thanks

DanaM

[duffontap]

Gordon,
This is a great time of year to start cutting white wood.  I just cut my first Oceanspray stave on Friday.  I've been keeping my eye out for good vine maple but haven't seen anything worth carrying out of the woods recently.  Is that 'god's valley' down near Nehalem?

Marlon,
120 rings per inch good enough?  Ha, ha.  Tight rings but it's just a limb.  It should make a nice bow though.  The really, old-school war bows were made from Yew boughs I'm told. 

Keenan,
I'm trying not to get caught shooting in public.   It's coming back, but slowly.  I had a meltdown during the late archery season that forced me to quit hunting so I could find my shot again.  You know, like a Tiger Woods thing.

DanaM,
Hope you get a chance to try this. 

           J. D. Duff

[Dane]

JD, that is a pretty cool trick. I will have to drag my washer out and give it a go. I never wear rain gear when I use it, and get soaked totally. Good idea,

Dane

[duffontap]

Dane,
You get a lot of splash-back with this method.     You may want to give the rain gear a try. 

        J. D. Duff

[tom sawyer]

God bless America.

I wonder if soaking a log in a creek or pond for a month or so, would also loosen bark and make it easy to remove.

[duffontap]

It probably would make it easier.  I know Torges is against putting bow wood in water (because the oils can be leached out I think) but I was pretty confident that the powerwashing wasn't doing any damage. 

Someone with a swimming pool will have to throw a couple logs in it to see what happens.

         J. D. Duff