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Offline Pat B

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working with poplar bark
« on: May 22, 2011, 05:52:28 pm »
What is the best way to seperate the inner bark and outter bark. I cut some bark yesterday from a young tree. I tried to seperate the inner and outter bark but it was quite tedious and time consuming. Is there an easier way of doing this or a better time to cut it?  Is it easier fresh or rehydrated after it has dried?  My goal is yo get usable inner bark for basket making and bow handle wraps.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Bill Skinner

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Re: working with poplar bark
« Reply #1 on: May 23, 2011, 07:58:25 pm »
I have never tried with poplar, I have seperated willow for making cordage.  Most of my pieces were around 12-18 inches long, some longer, a lot longer when I did it right and some shorter.  You need to pull it over a 90 degree angle a couple of times to loosen it, then split it with a knife and start working it apart.   Once you get it split, use the back of your knife to keep it going.  That works for willow, I have no clue if it will work for poplar.  Bill
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Offline cracker

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Re: working with poplar bark
« Reply #2 on: May 23, 2011, 10:00:08 pm »
Pat I don''t work with bark but it seems to reason that the bark might be easier to seperate while it's still on the tree maybe beat the crap out of it with a club or something like that.Ron
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Offline nugget

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Re: working with poplar bark
« Reply #3 on: May 23, 2011, 10:22:49 pm »
Sent you a PM Pat
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Offline Pat B

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Re: working with poplar bark
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2011, 01:30:06 am »
Ronnie, that might be fun too!  ;D
  Thanks TJ I'll talk to Alan at Hickory.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline RidgeRunner

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Re: working with poplar bark
« Reply #5 on: May 24, 2011, 02:49:21 pm »
Never tried to separate inner from outer on fresh, live, poplar bark.

Sounds strange but it is not hard to do if the tree is DEAD.
Go look for a standing dead poplar tree.  One where the bark is cracked.
Peel the bark off after a good rain.
The bark will separate quite easy. 
The inner bark will peel off in stripes 5, 6 to 8 foot long.
Roll the stripes up and drop them in a bucket of water.
Take one roll out at a time and separate them into thin sheets.  Seems to work much better wet.
It will be dark brown.  Will stain your hands quite well.
Start twisting it while it is damp.  Don't cord it wet.  Wait until it is completely dry to cord it.

Hillbilly told me how.  See if you can find the old post.

David.
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David Key / N.W. Alabama

Offline Pat B

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Re: working with poplar bark
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2011, 10:18:21 pm »
Thanks David. I'm sure there is a dead poplar or two in the woods around here. Now if I could only get a rainy day. We haven't had rain in 3 weeks. Maybe you could send us some of what you're getting. Rain only please! ;)   Hopefully I'll see Hillbilly this weekend at the NC State Trad Shoot.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline RidgeRunner

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Re: working with poplar bark
« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2011, 10:50:57 am »
10-4 Pat.
Rain...  We could use some rain (and only rain) ourselves.
Might get some starting late tonight.
I will try and fan some of it your way. :D

Sorry I missed the Classic.  Tornado tore up lots of my friends and neighbors.  It's bad.

Tell Hillbilly I said hay.

David
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David Key / N.W. Alabama

Offline Pat B

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Re: working with poplar bark
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2011, 01:55:29 am »
We all missed seeing you and your son at the Classic but totally understand why.  :(   I'll tell Steve you said hey.
« Last Edit: May 30, 2011, 01:22:49 am by Pat B »
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline swamp yeti

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Re: working with poplar bark
« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2011, 03:37:24 pm »
Hey Pat I will put poplar bark and dogbane and any other bark in water it will rett and the fibers will seperate,you will have to change the water so it does not rot.H ope if that was some help.
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Offline Catahoula

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Re: working with poplar bark
« Reply #10 on: May 29, 2011, 12:52:21 pm »
Hey Pat,

I want to see the basket when you get her done...my cutie has made them from grape vines and such in the past...maybe you will have it finished by late July?

Rand
(got some Gurkas all the way from Thompsons yesterday and gonna bring you a couple)
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Offline Hillbilly

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Re: working with poplar bark
« Reply #11 on: May 31, 2011, 02:14:27 pm »
Pat, for basketmaking, I don't try to seperate it, just peel young trees with thin bark, cut it into strips and let it dry, then re-soak it before using (keeps it from shrinking up like it does if you weave it green.) For berry buckets, peel older trees. For making cordage or tie material, you want just the inner bark. You can ret the inner bark loose, but as many poplars as there are in the woods around here, if you look around a bit, you'll find a fallen one that's naturally retted to the right stage where the inner bark seperates easily but isn't weak and rotten.

PS-Howdy David. Haven't been on there much lately. I was wondering how y'all fared through the tornado outbreaks.
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Offline Pat B

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Re: working with poplar bark
« Reply #12 on: June 01, 2011, 04:47:46 pm »
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Steve, I think I'll look for a dead poplar like you and David suggested.
  Rand, thought I'd see you at Hickory this year but you didn't make it.   Looking forward to seeing you(and your Gurkas) at the camp-o-rama(July 22,23,24).
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Catahoula

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Re: working with poplar bark
« Reply #13 on: June 02, 2011, 12:26:02 am »
Hi Pat,

I didn't head up to Hickory as I am PREJUDICED...yep, I admit it...a couple of years ago at Hickory (before I went to the Classic and started learning the error of my ways) and I asked you what you thought about a fiberglass bow I was looking at...you told me that it looked ok...kinda like a bow but that you were into primitive self bows and such and I might ask someone else who likes that kinda bow to check it out...well since I started trying to make self bows and have a couple to hunt with and arrows and have a few to hunt with I just really didn't have it in me to go to a mixed event like Hickory(so there it is...prejudice!).  And...

speaking of bows I have a couple of self bows I am messing with I hope to bring up for your advice and maybe if I can talk you into it some limb bending...

See you soon...can't wait to see your basketry and such,

Rand
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