Cherry bark

[DC]

The rain let up for a few hours so I sidelined the ring chasing and went and collected some Cherry Bark. The tree was about 8" dia so the strips are 25" long. It was alive even though it had been blown down. What do I do with it now? Do I use it green or let it dry? Does it shrink when it dries?  I washed the jelly/sap off one piece and I guess the warm water made it curl up so I weighed it down to try and straighten it. I think I heard Goat say that you polish it with steel wool to get the purple colour. Did I hear right? Any other tricks to using this stuff?

[Dances with squirrels]

I found a bunch yesterday, but was unsure how to harvest it. When is the best time of year, if it matters, and how? Would it kill a live tree? Should I try to take it from a tree that is down rather than a healthy one?

[DC]

The stuff I got came off fairly easy. Mine is Bitter Cherry if it matters. The part you want is just the outer bark, it's maybe 1/32" or less thick. I just made a vertical (in my case horizontal because the tree was down ) cut and then carefully lifted one edge until I could get hold of it. Then I used a wooden chisel sort of thing to loosen the bark while I gently pulled on it. I don't know if just taking the top layer will kill the tree but I have a gut feeling that it won't. I'll find out in the spring.After I was finished the tree looked the same but it had a green surface where I took the bark from. It looked to me like it would just harden up and carry on.

[GB]

I love cherry bark, it's tough, beautiful stuff.  I don't have access to the trees so I buy it from Carson (Echo Archery).  I would think you would have to dry it if it's green, to get the glue to have a good bond.  I sand it with 150 grit to get the lichens off and steel wool it with 0000 grade to smooth it and bring the color up.  I glue it on with Titebond 3 and wrap it with elastic bandages.

[Tree_Ninja]

Hey DC

 I put mine flattened under weights against the concrete floor of my garage. I let it dry. The inner bark will turn from green to light brown. You can scrape some of the inner bark to get a more translucent look.

  Once its dry I used hot water to soften it and then TB3 to apply to the back of a bow. This adds moisture to the bow, so drying out after is a good idea.

 To hold it in place I evenly wrap it up like a mummy with white vinyl flagging tape. I try and wrap it tight without leaving a wrap pattern. Inner tube is probably better, but might create a wrap pattern.

I'm sure there are better ways, this way works for me.

[DC]

Any reason for putting on concrete rather than between a couple of pieces of plywood?

[loon]

Would definitely like pics, would like to know how it'd look on a bow..

[GB]

I made this one awhile back, loon:

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,53870.msg730900.html#msg730900

[chamookman]

I dry it flattened out between a couple of 1"x4" 's and put some weight on top. Cherry Bark on Osage in a beautiful combo ! Bob

[loon]

I made this one awhile back, loon:

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,53870.msg730900.html#msg730900

Nice, thanks

[Tree_Ninja]

Hey DC,

  No reason to put it on concrete, it was just the smoothest flattest thing around. Plywood would work too, Maybe put some wax paper or parchment in between.

I wouldn't use OSB/chip board, the chips might make indents.

I find sandpaper doesn't help shine the bark. A scraper works best. I scrape it down after glue up, in case glue seeps through a lenticil and makes a mess. Don't want to be scraping it too thin in that case.

[Pat B]

If you remove the bark from a live tree it will kill it. The only living part of a tree is the cambium and the growing tips of the branches. Everything else, wood and bark are dead.
 I've made a few bows with cherry bark backing, one with the lichens and moss still attached. It made for a beautiful, camo backing. I also love the coppery color of the cleaned cherry bark backing.

[Pat B]

Here are a few pics of cherry bark backing with the lichens and mosses still attached. Sorry, not good pics but all I could find...

[Pat B]

...I found a few better pics...

[DC]

If you remove the bark from a live tree it will kill it. The only living part of a tree is the cambium and the growing tips of the branches. Everything else, wood and bark are dead.
 I've made a few bows with cherry bark backing, one with the lichens and moss still attached. It made for a beautiful, camo backing. I also love the coppery color of the cleaned cherry bark backing.

I just wasn't sure about Cherry. Since you are just taking the top layer all the corky material and the cambium are intact. I'm not sure what the function  of the tough outer skin on a Cherry is.