Cutting Ironwood

[mutt]

I found two really nice ironwoods, at least 8" in diameter. poker straight, no twist and no limbs for about 12 feet up.
Is it better to cut them in the spring or will the bark come off easy this time of year also?
If it matters they are on a ridge and its been a dry summer here.
I know I cut a hickory off a ridge few weeks back and the bark and cambium were really stubborn.

[PatM]

If you know you're going to cut them anyway, do a test peel of a part before you cut.    I prefer to cut HHB in the winter though.

[ksnow]

I agree with PatM. Ironwood (what I call ironwood, or hop hornbeam) likes to split itself into fence rails if cut and debarked in the summer time. I like to cut ironwood in winter, like Jan or Feb. Then I use a drawknife to remove all of the scaly bark and most of the cambium. I do this on the log when it is whole. After debarking I immediately seal the entire outer surface of the log. Then I use a circular saw and kerf the log and split into staves. I usually seal the backs again, just to make sure. The remaining cambium can be scraped off later in the process.

[hoosierf]

Plus a little cambium on ironwood looks really good.

[mutt]

How deep should my kerf cut be? Also when splitting a kerf cut log do you start your wedges in the end of the log or start them straight down perpendicular? one kerf and split at a time or multiple kerf cuts all at the same time?

[PatM]

Make them as deep as you want.  You can mostly split it if you want.  I always kerf where I envision the staves being.    You can start your split with the wedges anywhere really.  Starting from the middle will often prevent tendency to run out.

[ksnow]

I kerf as deep as my saw will go or halfway through the log, whichever is deeper. Start with about 1/2 inch depth, cut each pass twice. Make sure to use a good ripping blade. And hang onto the saw, it can get bucky and bind pretty easy. Good idea to clear the dust, chips and strings from the cut after each pass also.

[bjrogg]

I do like Kyle with one exception. I have a high pressure washer that heats up the water. I use it to remove the bark and cambium leaving a pristine back. Just saying this in case you have access to a power washer. You can use one that doesn’t heat the water but it take longer.

Bjrogg

PS if you remove like Kyle described. The cambium camouflage pattern does look pretty cool.

[barebo]

I have a method that will raise some eyebrows. I cut in the late spring after the leaves have popped out and are just forming. I use a chalk line and literally rip the log in half with my chainsaw.
It makes a lot of shavings/chips. After it is halved, I prop it up on 2 logs and run 2 more lines on each half and rip the staves from each and for a 10" log will get 6 perfect staves. I only paint the ends and season them in a dark place outside covered so that they dry slowly and believe it or not have only had a few take a serious twist. By winter I can work them but peeling the bark and that pinkish cambium from that irregular back is a pain.

[PatM]

That can work but I've seen too much potential for mildew and bugs to set in at that time of year.

 Fall to  late winter  cutting eliminates that for me.

[barebo]

I guess I've been lucky Pat but realize I should be more specific. Outside covered is in my metal garden shed. It has a pressure treated floor. I put stickers down and stack 3 and sticker them and put the other 3 on top. They get rotated every week or so and I keep a close eye on them. Too much work to take chances ruining nice wood. Being metal with a metal roof, it gets fairly toasty in there throughout the summer but not excessive and it seems to work better than when I stored them in the rafters.

[Dances with squirrels]

My last batch of hophornbeam was cut in sept-oct. The bark was stuck tight, but it's so thin that it is a joy to work and goes quickly.

I had several logs, kerfed and split them, then removed bark, sealed the back and put them right in my shop, which is air conditioned and has a dehumidifier running. I didn't lose a single piece to checking or warping. These logs were very straight grained to begin with.

[barebo]

I think that you hit on a key point - fortunately the grove of trees on my friend's property is pretty extensive and we spent a good amount of time looking for one that was as straight and in an area that would make dropping it easier. If you get one that has even mild "corkscrew" bark running up the trunk you will struggle. Straight is Great!

[PatM]

I really don't find HHB prone to twisting or checking .  I know it's said to check easily but I haven't found that to be true when it's reduced to  staves.

 The bark is still easy to "spoon" off in the winter if it's thinned down to the inner layer.  I like to do that within a few days.  As long as it doesn't dry out it's quite easy to work off.

 Moistening it again also works well if it gets too dry.

[ksnow]

All of the ironwood that I have lost to splitting/checking has been in log form with the bark removed.  When reduced to staves, either leave the bark on or get the back sealed ASAP.  Based on my experience, I would not remove the bark from whole logs. Even when sealed I have had them split.