Log Stripping Techniques and Styles for Log Furniture

When making log furniture, the goal is to make a work of art. Regardless of the type of material you are using, crafting is an art form.

The art form comes from the type of wood used, the design used to create the shape of a handmade chair, and the final application of the log in both bark and stain color.

This article will discuss stripping methods or the ways in which the bark is removed to reveal the natural beauty of the wood. All peeling techniques used are applied with a traditional razor, allowing the craftsman to create exactly the look desired.

With any technical peel first follow these steps to prepare the log.

1. Secure the log at either end with a bench clamp of sufficient diameter above the top of the clamp so as not to hit the clamp when stripping the ends of the log. Also remember that if the end is to become a spike end, you don’t need to strip the last few inches.
2. After making sure your knife is sharp, get to the side of the log enough to get a straight line with the strike and not an awkward motion or overreach, you should feel comfortable.
3. Start at the far end of the log, away from you, with the blade at about a 45-degree angle. Keep in mind that too little of an angle will simply slip and scrape the bark, but too much of an angle will result in cutting too deep into the wood. Pull or “draw” the knife towards you and to the closest point on the trunk, applying even pressure with both hands.

How to apply a “Clean Peel” with a razor

A clean shell is just that, removing all the bark from the trunk. If too much or too little bark and wood is stripped, you will end up with a thick-looking trunk or a trunk that appears to be experiencing partial baldness. A good clean peel completely removes all of the bark, but not too much or too little of the bark and wood underneath.

1. Pull using enough downward pressure to get past the bark and into the wood, but not so much pressure that you dig into the wood and leave a “ditch” of spells. You want the log to stay as round as possible.
2. After stripping the top third or fourth of the log, place it back in the clamps and repeat for the other sections of bark until you have turned the log all the way around and your stripping is complete.

How to apply a “Skip Peel” with a razor

1. The hop shell is intended to leave a bit of bark behind to reveal the wood underneath. As you peel back the bark and a small piece of wood underneath, think about how ‘heavy’ you want the peel to be, with only a few small strips of bark being heavier and lighter if larger pieces of bark remain.

2. Using the same angle and technique as the razor above, choose the areas of the trunk to peel, applying shorter and longer strokes to leave different shapes of bark on the trunk.

3. Remember that this is your art, so you can choose the patterns you want. Apply peels to larger areas of bark and note the resulting appearance of the areas of bark that remain. Take shorter strokes to leave larger strips of bark and longer strokes to leave smaller strips.

4. You will need to experiment and practice your technique to get the look you want. Don’t get frustrated, sometimes you’ll remove too much and end up needing to use the log as firewood in your wood stove! You can always remove more, but you can’t put it back. Start small and you can always fine-tune your desired look by peeling more.

This information is available to you in the video series on “How to build and care for wooden furniture”