A side bar to the construction is the making of three mantels we are going to place above the fireplaces. I found that debarking an aspen log is quite a trick. First I tried scraping with a draw knife but found I couldn't tell the difference between bark close to the wood and the wood itself. I then discovered that using a chisel to peel the bark like an orange gave me a better idea as to where the wood started. Once I got that far it was a snap to use the draw knife to smooth out the rough log and make ready for sanding.
Here are a couple of pictures to give you an idea of what is involved.
Cutting logs can be easy if one has a really good chain saw.
Two logs gave me four potential mantels. Should I make an extra just in case? I think yes.
A draw knife by itself doesn't help make much progress.
Peel it like an orange, I say!
Peeling makes quick work of a lot of bark
Then it is easier to use the draw knife.
Whittling on a large scale.
Much different than the original log. Takes about an hour or so per log to strip the bark.
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