Cherry bark

[Lucasade]

One of my clients has (had!) a standing dead cherry tree - I believe it is prunus serrula but I haven't checked yet. Anyway I cut it down last week and hauled it home and I am in the process of stripping the bark. I had a go at buffing up a little piece to see what it could come up like, and the results following a damp cloth and beeswax were to be hinest less than I hoped. Are there any other techniques for bringing out the sheen?

[DC]

Scrape lightly with a dullish scraper, I used my pocket knife, until you get to the purple part. It just seems like a waxy coating over the purple. Don't use sandpaper. You can use your fingernail for a lot of it.

[chamookman]

Yep - a scraper works real good. Bob

[Lucasade]

I'll try that - thank you.

[Pat B]

I've backed a few bows with cherry bark and on a few of them I left the moss and lichens on for camo effect. Worked and looks good.

[Lucasade]

That's a good idea, and there was a bow posted recently with a rather nice cherry bark handle wrap that I think I'll try too - I'm not going to be short of raw material for some time!

[majsnuff]

Backed a yew bow for my Brother in law several years ago. As said above I used a dull scraper to get that waxy cortex off, then polished with 4-0 steel wool finished wih true oil. I think it was choke cherry and at the joints of backing, I skived the joints and wrapped with sinew for effect. Glued the bark down with TB-III. Wish I had taken pictures of it so I could show just how beautiful it came out.

[chamookman]

On a Cherry backed bow that I made, I wrapped the seams of the bark with rod winding thread. Alternated bright red and Turquise Blue - looked really nice on Osage. Bob

[Pat B]

Be sure you have the right species of cherry bark. Will you post pics?

[Lucasade]

I'll put some up tomorrow - I've not had a chance to check properly yet. It's funny how you find things when you start looking, I got another tree full from a different client last week!

[Lucasade]

Here's some photos - the first is the bit I buffed up. Looking at it I suspect it's probably prunus avium rather than prunus serrula, but I still think it looks good.

[upstatenybowyer]

Yep, that's the stuff. Contrary to what others have said, if it's thick enough, I use sandpaper along bark grain all the way to 330. Then tung oil with steel wool in between. Comes out beautiful.