hickory question, debark or not?

[Dogbyte]

i have a 8-10 inch pignut hickory at a friends house, that we are gonna fell, and get a few staves out of....

Reading on Osage, you leave the bark on, then shellac the ends, and maybe shellac the back if you steam it early, but after you debark it of course.

what about hickory? i see folks want the bark off as soon as you can cause its hard get off later...

so then do you shellac the entire back of the splits to prevent checking? I see more than a couple posts on here that have checking problems later on, and they debarked.

Is the bark just that hard to get off? where its worth the extra drying it will cause?

[Dean Marlow]

You don't have to debark them quickly but it will be easier now than waiting a while on them. You should seal the back of the stave no matter when you take the bark off. I have had staves 6 months old that checked on me when I didn't seal them. So yes seal the back. I use Shellac and at least 2 coats. Dean

[okie64]

If you cut whitewoods in the summertime the bark peels right off in big strips. I usually cut mine and debark them within a couple of days and seal the back and ends with a couple of coats of shellac or wood glue. The longer you leave the bark on the better the chance that some fungus could get to it.

[Dogbyte]

Is there any use for the bark once its stripped, ive seen some folks mention something about it here and there, but i didnt understand the reference.

[Tom Leemans]

I'd debark it and seal it just to keep wood borers out if anything.

[TIM B]

How soon after debarking the stave would you seal?  Maybe a couple hours or immediately?  Won't the be a little damp right after you debark?  
Will polyurethane seal good enough?
TIM B

[Dogbyte]

i sealed the backs of my splits with 3lbs shellac mix just minutes after debarking. did two coats, the shellac dries ultra fast, and nearly almost as soon as i finished the first coat, i was starting on the second coat. sealed the ends, and backs.

if the shellac will not gum up when you drag sand paper across it, then its dry enough for another coat.

looked all over for shellac, and found it finally at Lowes, made by Rustoleum, yellow can, comes in a gallon, or quart.