Debarking a stave question.

[John Malone]

Hello Guys, So I watched a Mike Yancey video on youtube where he was debarking a hickory stave. Seems pretty straight forward. My question is how much shaping or smoothing do I need to do to the back at this point? If you can see in the pics there are a few spots that are a lil lower and still have that grayer fibrous layer. Does the back need to be scraped down smooth to remove this? I know ya can leave the other stuff on there and use it as camo, I kinda like it. I also know ya cant have nicks and cuts and what not on the back but how smooth is smooth?
And for my fellow new guys notice how Mr. Yancey  pulls that draw knife up from the bottom when prying that bark so as not to dig the sharp edge into the back, pay attention. I almost screwed that up. lucky I thought about it.  Its more natural to pry in the wrong direction. I only watched the free video it didn't go much further.
 
 
 
 
 

[skeaterbait]

I think most people will tell you to get the sap wood off. Once you do that you pick the ring you want to work down too and start shaving it down. I don't know that it's necessary though. I am sure more experience will chime in for that.

If you decide to take the sap wood off... Do not hurry this part. Take all the time you need to make sure to stay in that one ring. There is not much more frustrating than to get a single ring 3/4 the way down your stave then sneak through to the next one down and have to start over. There are lots of build alongs on the net to demonstrate chasing a ring.

[John Scifres]

Hickory is tough.  Leave it, scrape it off, doesn't really matter.  I have usually left it cause it's cool.

Hickory is mostly sapwood so the ring under the bark is what you are after.  I have never chased a ring on hickory unless it's a center split and there was some issue.

[Pat B]

2x what John said.

[skeaterbait]

Oops, I totally missed that this is hickory.      

[John Malone]

Thanks guys. It is pretty cool.

[Mo_coon-catcher]

I usually take it to the point you have there. After my cleanup sanding to remove any tool marks, if there are cambium pockets like that left I’ll leave them as it looks neat. If not I won’t fuss over it. If who I’m building for wants a clean back, I’ll sand it clean.

Kyle

[Pat B]

John, you are lucky that stave was summer cut otherwise the bark wouldn't come off that easily. I didn't realize it was summer cut until I saw these pics. Getting the bark off of a winter cut hickory stave will make you loose your religion.

[John Malone]

Luck of the Irish Pat. What did you have in mind for that stave had ya used it? I noticed you hand some marks on it.

[Pat B]

I don't think I had thought about it. What kind of marks?

[John Malone]

looked like center mark 4 inch handle 2 inch fades. Doesn't matter just curious.

[Forwardhandle]

X2 on winter cut hickory I lost my mind trying to debark one and  gave up and turned it into lams !

[Pat B]

That is my typical lay out, John.