Live Edge Treatment

Have the possibility/opportunity to pick up a live edge slab of cherry. My general experience is that bark generally comes off wood as it ages.

I was wondering how one would treat a live edge for longevity. In other words, how to treat it for general appearance and so the bark stays on?

All I can think of is carefully removing the bark and gluing it back on, or at the very least injecting glue behind the bark wherever possible.

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none
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depends on the species i have not had a piece of cherry with bark on it still

the aging is maybe better characterized as drying i only make the distinction because in this case it is important to understand the problem

i have thought about this problem a little but decided i did not even like the "live" edge that much

once in a while i will leave bark on a piece i turn but that has to pass the lathe chisel test in other words if the bark stays on when i am done turning i leave it on because it survived

if it falls off later they call that "character"

preserving the color will be the hard part depends on the bark but you might be able to get some epoxy resin that will soak into the bark

i think you can mix it so that you use a lower ratio of catalyst than recommended so it can soak down in more but still cure eventually

whether or not that works depends on the product you will have to look at the characteristics of the different products

that sounds impossible or real close to it

Reply to
Electric Comet

------------------------------------------------------------------ If this were mine, would keep the bark attached in the as found condition with the slab flat on a table and edge vertical.

Would run blue tape along the bottom edge creating a dam to stop the epoxy you are going to pour in the crack between the wood and the bark.

Either mix your own or buy some premeasured hypodermic needle type injectors. "Get Rot" has been around for years. Expensive but it works.

Inject the premixed low viscosity epoxy into the crack such that only the bottom 1/4" is filled with epoxy.

Allow the 1/4" to kick and wait 24 hours.

You now have a dam structure to catch the remaining epoxy you are about to inject.

Finish injecting epoxy until the crack is full.

Allow to cure for 48 hours, then remove blue tape.

Now that you have it glued in place, what are you going to do with it?

BTW, tempting as it might be to use TiteBond, use epoxy.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

snipped-for-privacy@none.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Tables of that kind that I've seen usually have a very thick finish on them, which basically encases the bark. Not everybody likes that look, but I suspect it's the only way to do it that's durable. Google for "bartop finish".

BTW, if I were doing it, I'd probably use System Three's product. Generally I favor West System for epoxies, but in this case I think System Three will have less color.

John

Reply to
John McCoy

On Thu, 25 Jun 2015 16:51:26 -0700, "Lew Hodgett"

*IS* that the general treatment option, gluing? I know the propensity is to leave the bark on, but I like the bare appearance. Something I might consider. It would save a number of problems too.

If all goes to order, we can negotiate a fair price and he's willing to deliver the slab, it will be used as a side table. ~ not wide enough to be used as much else.

Reply to
none

------------------------------------------------------------------- The only way I know of to firmly maintain a wood-bark joint is to use epoxy as previously outlined; however, you have an executive decision to make.

Do you or do you not want bark edges?

The bark is softer than the wood and will require some kind of treatment as suggested by J McCoy.

You may or may not like the varnished look of bark.

Good luck.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

Indeed, the bark will flake or separate with age, drying cycles, or random impact due to normal use/abuse. Try impregnating the bark (especially the bark/wood interface) with very thin epoxy or thin CA glue.

You can reduce the glossy varnished look to a considerable degree by spraying (with suitable masking) or hand-painting the bark edge with a flat or semi-gloss lacquer.

I've used these steps on natural-edged turned bowls with good success.

Bob

Reply to
rverne44

i am using some resin as an adhesive before i do a full pour i am embedding objects into the resin

i am bringing this up because i do not need to mix much for the adhesive part and so i am mixing a little bit more to treat some bark on a bowl i am turning

the bark is not on the bowl edge it is just on two sides of the bowl and my initial plan was to turn it off but after seeing part of the bark turned and part of it natural i liked the contrast so i am going to try the resin trick on it

Reply to
Electric Comet

not that happy with the result but will look at it again tomorrow it darkened the bark considerably

used 5 parts resin to 2 parts catalyst instead of 2-to-1 just to allow it to soak in further

not exactly what i wanted but it will still look nice it is a beautiful piece of oak no matter what

Reply to
Electric Comet

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