My dad wants to take down two Mulberry trees that are shadowing his garden area that are around 40' tall. Score on my part!
So before chopping this down I would like to know should I leave the logs un-split and bark on?
I hear it is like Black locust and I know black locust likes to check if you take the bark off to early. I have never cut and seasoned ANY wood for self bows besides two ash trees that I have drying now.
I peeled bark and sealed mine a year ago and they look perfect still, no back checks at all. I left the sapwood on.
Ok, are you saying you sealed the sapwood or just the ends?
Did you split it or just leave it whole?
I sealed the sapwood and the ends.
I would treat it like osage. Bark on and ends sealed or bark and sapwood off and ends and back sealed.
most woods are going to build some cracks if you peal the bark for seasoning. probably it will be the same with mulberry. i would not take the risk if i were you :)
i learn this from experience.
leave it as it is just seal the ends with white wood glue or pitch or clay.
good luck.
I have done it both ways and have good luck drying mulberry. As far as best to work with, I like bark on busted into staves and if it is deep enough, have a belly split off of. In other words reduced as much as possible with the bark on. LOOOOVE my Mulberry!
Good to hear guys thanks for all your info!
Good for you. When I cut BL I always mean to remove the bark but almost never do until bow time. LOL. I seal the ends pronto. I would treat mulberry like osage and BL. But I never cut it because it doesn't grow in NH...at least I've never seen it here. :) Jawge
Ive seasoned mulberry with bark on and without. It doesnt check nearly as bad as osage or bl in my experience. Im kinda like George, I always have the intention to take the bark off quickly but I seldom do until Im ready to make a bow.