Cleaning up live edge slabs for finishing

[Paul Girouard]

So what are you guys who work with live edge slabs doing to clean the live edge up before applying your finish?

Wire brush / wheel? Flap brush?

[Peter Aeschliman]

I knock the bark off with a hammer, use a wire wheel on my angle grinder, then sand by hand. Pretty time-consuming, but it works!

[Jim Matthews]

I attended a training class where one of the graduating members was working on this problem.

He took a piece of dowel rod, made from a species softer than the slab and smoothed a rounded end on a belt sander.
Using a mallet, he worked away at the bark with the dowel like a chisel. It was enough to work the scale off.

This was followed with a heavy file brush, using the stiff synthetic bristles to get the surface ready for finish.
Special attention was paid to the top surface with some judicious chamfering to reduce chipping risk.

His experience was high speed tools rapidly ruined the edge.
Slower was better, in this case.

Jim
wpt, ma

[Kent Parker]

I used an adz, horse hoof file and spokeshave. IMG_0348.jpgIMG_0349.jpg

[Prashun Patel]

How much of the bark to remove and how much to fair the remaining surface is an aesthetic decision.

I usually use chisels to do the rough work, and then sandpaper to refine.
If I want a smooth edge that follows the curve of the slab, then I use a block plane or spokeshave after the bark's removed.

[lawrence dosson]

i like the sanding mops from klingspors they offer them in a few different grits and i can usually get the edges smooth without ruining the live edge

[Larry Edgerton]

I tried a different method on one project that was made out of a 4"thick redwood crotch

. I used a pressure washer to loosen up the bark, prying it off as it loosened and washing some more until done. Then after the piece had dried I used a sand blaster gently to wash out the soft grain and get the stuff out of the little pockets. After this was all done I then flattened just the top and bottom and finished it with the smooth to and the blasted sides. Very fast! Customer loved it!

If you were in a hurry you would want to skip the pressure washer. My buddy has a kiln so I can just throw it is there with his load. It could eventually air dry, but it would take some time.

Larry

[William Hamilton]

A nice, sharp draw knife works great. If its a large slab, just secure it on it's edge and work your way down. After that I use some low grit sandpaper to get to where I want it.
drawknife.jpg