I cut a couple elm saplings and a small hackberry log last week that I had been watching. I had found them earlier this year but wanted to let them grow most of the late growth that they would this season in case it makes a difference in the finished product. I was hoping to cut them while the bark would still peel relatively easily so I went ahead and cut them last Friday BUT the bark didn't peel like I was hoping on either the elm or the hackberry.
At the end of the logs the, outer bark, cambium and all was coming off but 6-10 inches into the logs the cambium started hanging on and the outer bark only came off in relatively smaller pieces that I had to work at considerably more than I expected/hoped I would have to. Didn't really know what to expect exactly but thought I had a good chance at getting long pieces to strip off with no cambium left on the wood. I could barely get the bark lifted with my fingers and soon had my finger tips sore and tired so I grabbed a small flat blade screwdriver and started very carefully lifting the bark with the blade then pulling off a piece untill it petered out and repeating the process.
I was concerned that I might be bruising the green wood where I was prying with the screw driver. So I thought a little and grabbed the drawknife and would just start the edge of the blade under the edge of the bark and pry the bark away from the wood. I found that I could just keep sliding the blade of the drawknife down to where the bark was still attached and prying it off untill I got enough loose that I could grab it with my hands and peel off another short run. I was kind of questioning whether I should be prying against the green wood with metal tools but I did not want to leave the bark on for borers to get started in so I kept going. I could see some slight discoloration at the surface of the wood (maybe "bruising"?) where my metal tools would make contact but I didn't see anywhere that I cut or tore any wood fibers and it didnt' appear to be denting the wood unless it was very shallow dents. Can anyone tell me from experience if these techniques weren't a good idea?
Also it has been pretty dry and hot here for a while. Do you guys know or think the lack of soil moisture may be why I may have had a hard time getting the bark off in big sheets cambium and all? Or is it maybe just late enough in the year that the trees are not flowing enough sap to be wet enough to peel easily. I know the wood wasn't just sopping wet feeling under the bark like it can be sometimes in early spring when trees are actively growing and soil moisture is usually high.
