Mark the whole surface with a pencil and slowly remove the pencil with 120 grit.
Finishing live edge wood with bark.
Then sand the sap wood live edge with a smaller headed sander to bring out the color and remove any bark or dirt.
Live edge bowl and turned box.
Sand the whole surface with 80 grit continuing to 120 on the aggressive setting.
Don t use an accelerator so it has the opportunity to get in as far as possible.
Cut the stock in the winter when the sap is not flowing.
Bark on natural edge bowl.
Live edge myrtle slab.
Finish for live edge.
Once the surface is prepped to 120 grit with the aggressive sander move onto a random orbit finishing sander.
Just drip it on and let the wood soak it in.
The other thing that you can do is to use thin ca between the bark and sapwood to help keep it on.
Bacteria or mold growing under the bark will reduce its bond to the wood store your harvested pieces in a cool dry place.
Or if you can put it in a kiln right away that is even better.
Then sand the sap wood live edge with a smaller headed sander to bring out the color and remove any bark or dirt.
Live edge walnut bench.
Once the bark is gone take a rotary tool with a sanding flap wheel and sand the edges down smooth.
There are a couple of things that you can do to improve your chances of keeping the bark on your wood.
Once the surface is prepped to 120 grit with the aggressive sander move onto a random orbit finishing sander.
Finally use a spray finish such as polyurethane over the bark to get an even finish.