Peeling Bark

Peeling tree bark could almost be described as a forgotten craft. To study large surfaces of tree bark structures, the first trees were peeled in spring 2018. Bark peeling takes place in spring between May and June. Results so far show that all trees that form a secondary bark can be peeled. The tree bark is under a high internal stress, which is why it has to be fixed for further processing.

The use of bark was largely related to its chemical properties. Over the centuries, various tree species were peeled at certain times of the year for medical applications and for leather tanning. In the literature, reports of experience with ear bark peeling indicate that peeling is only possible if the tree draws water. In this peeling process, long strips of oak bark were harvested with a specially shaped iron, the bark peeler.

The aim was to harvest material for large surfaces, and to create the possibility to research the properties of tree bark as large structures in different experiments. Scientific experiments mostly refer to a small selected area within the object to be studied. Often connectivity is lost in the overall context. By harvesting large surfaces, small experiments can then be up scaled.