Post #238323 by Bay Park Buzzy on Sat, Jun 17, 2006 1:59 PM

Debarking mexican fan palms:The easiest way

IsleConch: Always nice to hear from new tiki friends. Hope this helps:
I usually use Mexican fan palms.
Here is picture showing the bark parts. The area on the bottom was cleaned by a tree service several years ago. You can tell because the fresh cleaned ones are brownish/orange. The top area has newer leaf stocks sticking out of it. What I do first is remove these

To do this, I use a specially designed, professional grade rechargeable motorized vibrating razor tool. I bought this one used for $100 from my friend at the tree service. I've been using it for months now and I still have not had to recharge it.
[edit-the preceeding was a joke. It is a regular $6 box cutter. Clysdalle=Duh!]

If you would like one, I will give you his contact information.
Cut just above where the leaf is attached to the trunk while wearing your safety goggles

I need to cut my fingernails and It should lift off in one piece

do this all the way up the tree.

A professional tree service bids cleaning like this at eight feet an hour. They are also on ladders, 50 above ground. A five foot log takes me about 10 minutes

For the next step:
I use a Ryobi hand planer. It is more of a consumer grade version but it doesn't weigh as much as most other models. I think it was about $75 regular price at Home Depot. The only problem that I've had with it is it gets clogged frequently and if you don't unclog it the motor wheel will get super hot and actually melt the plastic belt. the replacement belt was only about $4 but I had to order it and it took 5 days and cost $8 to ship. After learning about melting belts, I only run it about an hour or two and wait about 3-4 until it cools to run it again.
Here are some pictures with comments:
Here's the tool(it comes in a big gray plastic carrying case)

I think this shows the model# hpl 51

I work from the bottom of the tree towards the top. In this picture, the log is upside down with the bottom of the tree on the top. I'll start from the top and run the planer downhill.When you try this, it will be obvious which direction to go. The right way will leave a smooth plane and the wrong way leaves a mess of rough fiber on the plane and clogs the machine almost immediately

I keep going in one stripe until the good wood appears

then I look for the peak or angle and start bringing this down from the apex

this is the peak after about 3 passes

Then I just move in the same direction to the next peak you can see in the picture until the whole log is done. This log is a throw away so I'm not going to finish it but you probably get the idea. After a day or so i remove the fibers and lines that the planer left with a 3x18" belt sander. If the log is fairly dry when you plane it you might not need to sand it down. If I store them outside for a couple weeks they sometimes get surface mildew if it rains. I find that this comes off easily with the sander.

[ Edited by: Bay Park Buzzy 2007-07-15 14:40 ]

[ Edited by: Bay Park Buzzy 2007-07-15 14:42 ]