Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Designing with bark
I was visiting some folks yesterday and noticed this piece I had turned about 20 years ago. The layers of bark add a design dimension to the piece, almost floral-looking in the center. You need to be careful, though, because the pattern changes with every revolution. The pot is pecky pear ~6" H x 7" D.
I like this piece Ellis
It’s easier to see the annual rings in the bark than terminal parenchyma lines in the wood. I guess the dark portion would be the phloem cells, but then on second thought they all might have been at some point maybe?
Bark layers
My understanding is that both new bark and new wood are generated by the cambium layer, which is the thin layer just under the bark. So, all those striations in the dark-colored areas would be annual growth of the bark, with the "floral" layers at the outermost. I'm encouraged to chuck up new blanks with bark evidence in mind.
Ellis
agreed
For some time, I've been stopping my roughing of cylinders at this point, with a few layers of bark on one side.
It gives room for design when I figure out "what's inside" and is easy to remove if I decide I don't want it.
Re: Designing with bark
More than floral, it reminds me of bracket fungi I often find growing in and through the bark, usually on wood I've waited too long to turn.
Do you need to stabilize the bark (for example with CA glue) to keep it from flaking off while turning it, or later as the wood continues to dry?
Re: Designing with bark
I've had good luck with wood turned green, especially pear. I never use CA glue except to restore pieces of bark that may have flaked off on rare occasions, mostly on rims. I've found that pear also has the unique ability to not crack around the pith (bowl orientation) if you turn it thin enough.
Ellis