Preserving branches for decoration can be a fun and creative process that allows you to get a touch of nature into your home.
Removing the bark from a tree branch sounds quite an easy job. But if you don’t want to compromise with perfection, there is hardly any way left but to do it professionally.
In this article, I will explore the art of preserving tree branches for indoor decoration and discover creative ways to incorporate them.
From understanding the preservation process to learning how to remove bark from a branch and how to preserve branches for decoration like a pro.
SKIP AHEAD
How To Preserve Branches For Decoration: Step-By-Step
Cleaning branches for homemade diy tree branch decor is essential to remove dirt, debris, and potential pests, ensuring they look their best when used in various displays. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to clean branches:
Step 1: Find A Suitable Branch
Start by selecting a branch that suits your desired decoration. Look for a branch that has an interesting shape, size, and texture to enhance the overall aesthetic.
Step 2: Gather The Necessary Tools
Before starting the process, make sure you have the right tools. You’ll need a sharp knife, a small hand-held saw (needed to trim some thick branches down), a wire brush, sandpaper, stain, and a pair of gloves for protection.
Step 3: Prepare The Branch
Ensure the branch is dry before you begin. It’s easier to remove bark from a dry branch compared to a wet one. If necessary, allow the branch to air dry for a few days.
Step 4: Make A Shallow Cut
Use the sharp knife to make a shallow cut along the length of the branch. This initial cut will make it easier to peel off the bark.
Step 5: Peel Off The Bark
Starting from the cut you made, gently peel off the bark using your fingers or the knife. Be careful not to damage the underlying wood.
Step 6: Remove Stubborn Bark
For any stubborn or hard-to-remove sections of bark, use a wire brush or sandpaper to gently scrub and smoothen the surface.
Step 7: Sand And Polish The Branches
Use sandpaper to smooth out any rough edges or imperfections on the branch’s surface. Sanding will also help to create a clean and polished look. Start with a coarse-grit sandpaper and gradually move to finer grits for a smoother finish.
Step 8: Stain The Branches
If you want to add some color to the branches, consider using wood stain. Choose a stain color that complements your overall decoration theme. Apply the stain evenly using a brush or cloth, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Let the stain dry completely before moving on to the next step.
Step 9: Finish To Protect
To protect the wood and give the branches a professional finish, apply a wood finish or sealer. There are various options available, such as varnish, polyurethane, or wood wax. Apply the finish in thin, even coats, allowing each layer to dry before applying the next.
This will help to protect the wood from moisture, dirt, and other elements, ensuring your decorated branches last longer.
How To Remove Bark From A Branch: 5 Methods
There are several methods you can use to remove bark from a branch, depending on the tools and materials you have at your disposal. Here are some common methods:
Method 1: Using A Pressure Washer
In this method on how to debark branches, I will use the high pressure created by the flow of water to remove the bark of a tree. Waterflow of very high pressure does two things once applied in a parallel direction on the body.
Firstly, it makes the work easier and quicker. In this way, you don’t have to deal with every piece of bark on the tree.
And secondly, it makes dealing with large and hard tree branches easier. All you have to do is to learn the correct pressure and the correct manner.
Tools You Need:
To make sure that you conduct the process in the right manner, here is a Pressure Washer that you will be needing throughout the way:
- 【Pressure Washing Power】This electric power washer can generate up to 1800 watts of power, giving you the max cleaning powet of 2150 PSI and 2.6GPM. Tar, grease, oil stains, rust, and other stubborn gunk and grime are easily cleaned thanks to the Rock and Rocker high-pressure washer.
- 【4 Quick Nozzles & 16.9oz Foam Tank】This high-power washer machine has 4 quick-connect spray tips (0º, 15º, 25º, 40º ), which let you do any tougher cleaning jobs. The 16.9oz soap tank allows you to wash your car or porch with rich bubbles, giving you much better cleanliness.
- 【(TSS)Total Stop System】Get a total stop system feature in this portable pressure washer that automatically shuts the pump off when the trigger is not engaged. Rock&rocker is equipped with a 35ft power cord with inline GFCI for you to safely use on all your exterior outlets.
Step 1: Power It Up
At first, find a perfect power outlet near the place, and provide the tool with power. Once done, check out for the functionality and make sure that everything is working pretty fine.
Step 2: Set The Right Pressure
Pressure washers are able to create splashes of water that are different in pressure amount. And the same thing goes for the spraying pattern as well.
To find the right combination of pressure(psi) and water spraying pattern we would ask you to go for a test drive. Usually, the pressure of 3000 psi works fine with most of the softwoods and hardwoods.
Step 3: Put The Nozzle On A Pressurizer
All set? Great! Now it’s time to put the nozzle on the pressure washer and apply it on the wood. To put the right nozzle, you can consider the thickness and the pattern of the spray.
If the wood is dry enough, the barks might be coming off. In those cases, a low-profile nozzle will do. Once the nozzle is put on, start applying the pressure on the wood.
Step 4: Take Off The Loosen Up Backs
At this point in the process of how to remove bark from a tree branch, you have to take out the loosen up barks from the body of the logs.
This can be done in both dry and wet situations and we can call it debarking logs by hand. Based on the work type, you should decide one from these two.
Warning
In this process, many users have complained that using a pressure washer is peeling off the soft grain from the log bodies.
Well, in case of such a situation, you need to vary the pressure and the spray pattern. Each kind of wood might have its own required pattern of water spreading.
Method 2: Using A Vegetable Peeler
The next method on your list is debarking smaller and often, yard-borne trees and their branches. As we’re doing the task of dealing with a small tree branch, things are needed to be careful enough.
Step 1: Make The Wood Shorter
Before applying the vegetable peeler on a wooden branch, it’s essential that the branch is cut down into smaller pieces. That will make the work easier.
Step 2: Make The Cut
Once you have tree branches that are ready to be peeled off, start peeking the barks off with the vegetable peeler
Take short turns at a time, and make sure that the cut is not being too thick. Because a thick cut would take off a layer of the wood as well. And in the case of a thin wooden branch, that’s something that you can’t just let it go.
Step 3: Take the Short Branches Off
Debarking is the doorway to many wooden and carpentry works. Especially to make sure that the finishing is done properly.
To ensure a ready-to-work, smooth tree branch, take off the unnecessary branches and limbs.
Method 3: Using A Bark Spud
Bark spuds are made of steelhead and a wooden handle. These are tools that are dedicatedly made for removing tree barks once they are loose enough.
You can identify one by the ice cream scoop-shaped blade that they come with. At this point, we will learn how to debark a tree branch with a bark spud:
Tools You Need:
- ★PERFECT SIZE FOR YOUR NEEDS: Draw knife tool features 8 inch (20.3cm) blade length that is curved end to end and along the cutting edge; Curved blade has 1.9 inch (4.8cm) height and a .3 inch (.8cm) thickness; Draw knife curved shave tools allow you to create pitted surfaces; Overall length is 11.8 inches (30cm) from handle
- ★WOOD WORKING TOOLS FOR BUILDING FURNITURE: Rapidly remove wood and bark from logs, fence posts, and firewood with the Felled | 8 Inch Curved Wood Shaving Knife Draw Shave Wood Debarking Tool; Often used by timber framers, wood turners and carvers, and furniture fabricators these log draw knife woodworking hand tools quickly remove excess materials to shape surfaces to create spindles, pegs, seats, bowls, and much more
- ★KEEN BEVELED BLADE: Constructed of hardened steel provides this curved tree bark scraper tool with durability and longevity; Finely polished beveled edges can easily be honed to keep your bark stripper wood shaver tool sharp for accuracy and ease of use; Drawknife woodworking tool set includes rubber edge protector to protect you and the draw knife blade when traveling
Step 1: Identify The Spot Of Cutting
Before beginning, you need to pinpoint the layer where the tree bark and wooden section of the tree get interacted. You will be sliding from this layer in the upcoming step.
Step 2: Decide The Correct Side
In a bark spud, there are three cutting sides. Each of them is supposed to get into different types of barks and make sliding cuts. Based on the bark type you are dealing with, you need to make the first cut.
Step 3: Keep Yourself Safe
While you will be debarking a tree branch with a spud, the cutting edge will not be too distant. So, it’s essential to keep your hands, feet, palm, and other people aware of the scene.
Step 4: Go For Step By Step Peeling
Start with the first slice of bark and get the cutting edge into it. Go through the bottom with the spud and take off that layer easily. Once you are done, proceed with a similar approach for the next segment of the bark as well.
Once done, there will be a discrete layer of barks that are too small to cut with a spud. Use a hand knife to take them off.
Method 4: Using A Chisel
Chisels are of many types and size variations, and you get to choose the right one based on what thickness of bark you are dealing with.
Wood chisels are usually rectangle-shaped blades that sport a flat shape on the bottom. Also, another way to choose the right chisel for woodworking is to locate a beveled back.
Tools You Need:
- Premium Material: Drop forged chrome-vanadium steel blade for durability and heat treated for edge retention
- Widely Function Edge: Bevel edge for woodworking carving multi-purpose use, suitable for all soft wood, hard wood and laminated wood products
- Various Sizes: 1/4",1/2'', 3/4'', 1'', full length blade guard for added safety
Step 1: Select The Right Bark Type
Unlike spuds, chisels are able to make very deep cuts as you apply handmade pressure on the tree branch with them.
So, it’s imperative that you deal with only a thick kind of wood barks with the chisel. Tree stump debarking is a good example of such chores.
Step 2: Hold It At Right Place And Start Hammering
Now, take the chisel and put it on the bark at an angle of 20 to 30 degrees. This will not make deeper cuts into the wood.
Once done, start hammering the chisel with a mallet or hammer(lightweight). You can do it by hand, but it will take harder effort.
Step 3: Repeat Chiseling Around The Circumference
If you are willing to deal with a round-type wood branch, you have to come across all the perimeter of the branch and repeat the chiseling process we’ve mentioned in the last step.
Don’t forget to protect your hands from hammerings with gloves. Also, as wooden specks of dust and debris can get into your eyes, wear a protective glass.
Method 5: Using A Draw Knife
In case you are with a small tree branch that doesn’t sport too much thick barks, this is the method that you need to go with. At this stage, we’ll continue the process of debarking a tree branch with a drawknife.
Tools You Need:
- Sharp 8” straight blade, 5 mm thick with a 30° angle for fast and accurate work
- Designed with a long-lasting and durable steel blade with a hardness of HRC 30 for a reliable product
- Wood grip handles are comfortable and provide you with a secure hold; the included blade protector keeps the blade sharp and protects the user
Step 1: Set The Drawknife On The Branch Bark
To start with the process, understand how a couple of angles and the outward direction between them work.
It is also provided with a serrated blade in the middle, which works as a cutting edge in this case. Once done, put the knife on the action.
Step 2: Position Of The Tree Branch
In this method, the proper positioning of the tree branch is quite important. In case the tree branch is located on the ground parallelly, you have to act in one direction.
In case it is upright on the ground, you have to go otherwise. For instance, we prefer putting the tree branch upright(vertically), as it is safer to deal with.
Step 3: Pull The Knife Downwards
Now, position the knife on the branch bark, and pull it downwards. Make sure that you have grasped the handle of the knife with both hands.
This will peel off the first layer of the bark. Once done till the bottom, go for the next line of bark and continue.
However, if you don’t have any scope to put the branch vertically, you can put it horizontally as well. In that case, you have to draw the knife towards you. But be safe while you’re going through this process.
Safety Precautions
All that being said, stripping bark from branches is a process that requires expertise and guidance from the user’s end. To make sure that you’re up to par, here is a list of essential safety precautions:
- While debarking a tree branch, ensure secure, tight positioning of it.
- Don’t overdo or underdo any part of the wood, especially if you are up to debarking logs for furniture.
- Don’t cut deep, just take off the skin.
- It’s better to pressure wash the tree when the tree is in a dry state.
- Make the right choice of pressure washer nozzle.
- Don’t set the pressure washer at the automatic mode.
- Keep an eye on the log debarking emission factors.
Bottom Line
Finally, we are at the dead-end of the article on how to remove bark from a branch and how to preserve branches for decoration of both thin and thick types of limbs.
Hopefully, you’ll be smart enough to make the best way out to debarking tree branches and bark peeling from tree parts as well.
Good Luck and Happy Woodworking!
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I make small three-legged wood stools, I let the wood dry, have been using a drawknife, thinking of trying your pressure washer idea.
Just trimmed a neglected apple tree and have a bunch of suckers that I was thinking of trimming down, removing the bark, and cutting them into chip pieces to use on the smoker. Do you think soaking the branches before stripping off the thin bark would help?
The best way to debark a tree is to cut tree and let nature take its course for like 8 months then come back and bark peels off all by itself.
What if you bury a log in the dirt? Speeds up the process? Any experience here?
I’m trying to remove the inner bark that is gray kinda stringy looking from some old dead pieces of locust tree. I have tried pouring boiling water and soaking, helped but it doesn’t bring the colors out. I tried soaking in a mixture of Murphy’s Oil soap, mineral oil and furniture polish. it was better but still have the gray stuff on them. Any help?