How to dry bark for carving?

[42Olds]

I've been turning some half rounds of Cedar that were cut 2 years ago - amazingly there are very few splits in the 16" high by 17" wide blocks.
While doing this, I discovered I could peel the bark off intact from the wood, and got to wondering if I can dry the sheets and do some carving or painting on the inside.
I tested the wood and it is around 18% humidity, but the inside of the bark is way off the high end on the meter...and wet to the touch.
What's the best way to dry this, and how long will it take? I have the wood in a dry basement that stays cool but fairly constant in temperature.
Can I hope to get this dry in a few weeks? The gallery I show at is having a "TREE: The Exhibit" show in April, and it would be great to have a large bark with both the outside (natural) and the inside (enhanced some way) as part of the exhibit.
If anyone in the Seattle area wants to look into participating in the show, go to http://www.antgallery.org/index.php/for-artists/call-to-artists...
I do some carving, don't draw, but do use airbrush on some of my work, it would be fun trying something like this...
Also, would spraying polyurethane or shellac on the inside and outside after fully drying work to avoid any bad effects on other art in the closed in area?

 

[Bill Boehme]

When the wood is freshly cut and green, the bark will peel fairly easily from most species of wood and some bark like cedar can even be peeled from dry wood. I have soaked the bark of hardwood in water for a couple days after peeling it from the wood, but I don't know if that is necessary. I do it because I think that it might help keep the cambium side of the bark from splitting. The most important part is to weight the bark down to keep it flat. If you don't then it will curl up into a very tight roll that can't be unwound without splitting the bark into strips. Flattening the bark seems to work easier if the bark is placed cambium side down and weighted with some blocks of wood or bricks. I do this on my driveway and it is probably better to find a shady spot rather than drying it in full sun unless your summers are milder than they are in Texas. I have also tried freeze drying the bark, but that takes too long and my wife wasn't very understanding of my reason for having a tree in the freezer.

 

[42Olds]

When the wood is freshly cut and green, the bark will peel fairly easily from most species of wood and some bark like cedar can even be peeled from dry wood. I have soaked the bark of hardwood in water for a couple days after peeling it from the wood, but I don't know if that is necessary. I do it because I think that it might help keep the cambium side of the bark from splitting. The most important part is to weight the bark down to keep it flat. If you don't then it will curl up into a very tight roll that can't be unwound without splitting the bark into strips. Flattening the bark seems to work easier if the bark is placed cambium side down and weighted with some blocks of wood or bricks. I do this on my driveway and it is probably better to find a shady spot rather than drying it in full sun unless your summers are milder than they are in Texas. I have also tried freeze drying the bark, but that takes too long and my wife wasn't very understanding of my reason for having a tree in the freezer.

OK, I had to check Wiki, but now I know the cambium is the wet part on the inside of the bark.
I'm not sure if this will lay flat - it's pretty much the round of the wood. I actually might want some curvature to the finished piece to add some 3-dimensional feel to it.
I've used freeze dry on green bowls, maybe I'll give that a try - on the ones that will fit...

Thanks.

 

[Richard Coers]

Dry it just like wood. Get it flat while wet, you may have to get it wetter to flatten so it doesn't break. Press it and make sure it gets plenty of air. Then slowly add heat. If it's small enough, weight it and put it in the microwave. Lots of instructions on the internet for that. My biggest concern with any use of the bark, is BUGS! They love to bore just thorough the bark and lay eggs. What ever you do, make sure the bark is taken over 135 degrees, long enough to have the bark hot all the way through. If you don't, you may just take some bugs into the art gallery with you. Then you get to pay for a fumigation.

 

[42Olds]

OK, I see what you are saying - and I had wondered about bugs. The half-rounds have been in the basement for a year, & I haven't noticed mush of a problem - but I will keep that in mind.
It sounds like I don't have the time to get these ready for the and of March to use them for the art show...but it still sounds like a fun project so I'll run them through the process so I can use them later.
Thanks!

 

[Bill Boehme]

Unlike many other species of wood, cedar is almost immune to any kind of bugs. Most bugs go through the bark and into the actively growing wood -- at least, that has been my experience for the types of wood found here. That's not to say that there aren't some types of critters that like to hang out in the bark -- either to avoid being eaten by other creatures or looking for critters to eat.

 

[42Olds]

Interesting - something to think about when storing the half rounds in the same room as the processed turning blanks...