[Strawbale] Oak debarking

[Rob Tom]

On Sun, 09 Sep 2007 09:43:08 -0400, guy cordwood <cordwoodguy at yahoo.com>  
wrote:

>  [5]AS FOR [Stronzo di Nord's] SUGGESTION OF REMOVING ALL THE SAP  
> WOOD.THIS WOULDN`T BE PRACTICAL UNLESS YOU HAVE A GIANT LAITH.

I'd have to disagree.

The last time that Spqblfgzx asked about roundwood columns (years ago),
I described a method whereby one could "turn" logs and (and cut  
longitudinal,
full-length kerfs into large logs) without a lathe, giant or otherwise.

By "large" I mean green (ie heavy), 10-inch-plus (250 mm) diameter at the  
narrow end (ie to yield 8" (200mm) diameter columns after the sapwood is  
removed), 8 to 10 foot-long (2.4 to 3 m) Red Oak logs.

I've "rescued" many of the above from loads of firewood logs and have used  
them for interior columns.

The longitudinal kerf which is a stress-relieving device to  
minimise/eliminate the effects of radial shrinkage does double duty by  
creating a chase in which electrical wiring can be run.

This is handy in open-plan, exposed post & beam type structures where  
there may not be partitions handy in which to install light switches and  
outlets.

But back to removing the sapwood without a lathe.

What I've done is use a spirit level to mark plumb and level lines through  
the centre points of the two ends of the log as it lays on a pair of  
sawhorses.

Then using a compass, further subdivide the quadrants to get 1 o'clock, 2  
o'clock ... 11 o'clock lines.

Then rhomboid-shaped scraps of OSB  (say 10-12" wide at the base,6-8" wide  
at the top and 6-8" high) are attached to the ends of the log using a  
single drywall screw driven through the OSB into the centrepoint of the  
"clocks" at both ends of the logs.

This allows the log to be spun, suspended from the two drywall screws.

Lest anyone doubt the ability of dinky little drywall screws to support  
the log, I once drove a 1.625" drywall screw about an inch deep into the  
side of a joist, slung a piece of poly rope over the protruding end of the  
screw, made a loop in the rope into which I put my foot and hung my full  
weight from the rope, just to see if the screw would fail. It didn't. Ever  
since then, I've assumed that a single drywall screw can carry at least  
150 lbs in shear and in practise that assumption has yet to let me down.

Back to turning a log without a lathe.

Two rails (ie straight 2x4's) are then set up alongside of the suspended  
log and two sticks are clamped the to table of a hand-held circular saw   
to enable it to ride on the two afore-mentioned "rails" and the saw is  
used like a plane (saw blade oriented diagonally to the length of the log)  
to quickly remove the waste as the log is rotated through the 12 hours of  
the "clock". The result is the same as having turned the log on a lathe.

For accurate cuts (ie the longitudinal kerfs) the saw (or router) is used  
with the blade facing in the proper orientation, using the "hour" marks to  
aid layout.

-- 
=== * ===
Rob Tom
Kanata, Ontario, Canada
< A r c h i L o g i c  at   C h a f f Y a h o o  dot  C a  >
(winnow the chaff from my edress in your reply)