good time of year to cut trees

[Enharrington]

in the last few days i have cut and removed the bark from american elm.  shag bark hickory and some american hornbeam.  it seems the sap is running enough to allow for fairly easy removal of the bark and cambium.  and  hopefully early enough in the spring that the early wood hasn’t started being laid down yet.   this is my daughter learning how to take bark off with a draw knife.  good times !

[Pat B]

Be sure to seal the backs and ends.     Nice haul and a handy companion.

[PatM]

I'm all for kids learning, but not on staves you have high hopes for.

[Enharrington]

i learned to seal the back on hornbeam the hard way.   just had one check up bad.   with hickory and elm i’ve been able to get away without sealing  them up. 

[aznboi3644]

I wonder if I should seal the back of this maple up?  If i recall  never sealed the back of the maple I cut years go.  I got two real nice maple staves I don’t want to lose to checking.

[bownarra]

Yes I wouldn't be letting a young 'un drawknife the backs of my staves.....You will definitely end up with nicks.

[George Tsoukalas]

So nice to see. Jawge

[High-Desert]

She looks about the age of my son, and he loves using a drawknife on his “schnitzellbank,” and the joy of him doing that is far more important than the staves he may have ruined. Good for your daughter getting to help dad in the bow making process.

[Pat B]

For the little bit of effort it takes to seal the backs of staves is it worth the possible loss of the ones you have already cut, no matter what wood it is? Every time I expose a new back, no matter how seasoned or what type of wood it is I seal the new back. I use spray shellac because it is quick and easy and easily removed later if I want to.

[Hawkdancer]

Got to agree with Pat B!  Nice to see the little helpers learning early, just teach them bevel down on the bark, or give them one of their own to work on if you have plenty of staves!  They do have a very short attention span, and retention span, though!
Hawkdancer

[Ricardovanleeuwen]

I did only seal the back of my first stave but that was because i did Read that on here and because the fear of damaging the back by my own clumsynes

When i moves house i had plenty of Wood availble so i tried without sealing the back, even black locust with sapwood still on,  i think its because of the climate here.
I still so seal the ends of all the wood