Making colored stacked birch-bark blocks for handles

Joseph

Active Member
Here is a method of making birch-bark blocks derived from these excellent tutorials and instructions on making full length traditional birch bark handles:
scroll down to post number 24 for instructions by Joonas Kalliomieni (well known Scandinavian maker)

(hopefully it is OK to post these here)




Finished blocks can be drilled out and the holes easily shaped with simple tools to eventually glue them onto a tang and form a handle:

sawable.jpg
stacked block handle.jpg
knife side - Copy.jpg

There is a lot of room for experimentation to get different colors by varying temperatures and bake times. Unfortunately I had a very small bark supply and had to limit my trials.

If any of you manage to obtain different colors, please, share them with us.

This is the one and only time I've ever done this, so have no clue as to how this will look like 10/20/30 years down the road. So far so good, but try at your own risk.


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Essentially,the method consists of compressing the bark between two steel plates and baking them. It is necessary to use runners between the plates for the blocks to end up with two parallel faces.

clamp press.jpg

Basic Method:

1)gently use 120 grit sandpaper to even-up and remove the loose stuff from the bark

2)cut the bark into squares

3) stack them to a predetermined thickness (here it was about 3/4") with the grain of each level 90* to the next, and the outer white bark of one layer contacting the brownish inner side of the next

4)wrap the stack in foil to keep it together and prevent it from sticking to the plates
foil.jpg

5)place the foil block into the press and bake for an hour at 100*C (212*F) for an hour to get the basic pale color

6) let cool, unclamp, remove foil, and it is ready to use​





Tips and tricks:


1)Compression is required for the block to hold together properly

For the bark layers to look uniform from block to block, go for an equal compression rate. In my initial testing, a 12% compression rate was achieved with a gentle turn of the clamp handle, a 19% compression actually bent the steel plates I was using. I settled for a 15% compression rate for about 3/4" blocks.

Measuring is easily done holding the stack between two spring clamps and using a caliper:

spring clamps.jpg

2)It is easier to compress in two shots.

Notice the Popsicle sticks under the runners in the clamp press above...you first clamp the stack in place and bake for 40 minutes until it softens up. Then you slightly tighten the clamp, slide the Popsicle sticks out with pliers, then retighten the clamp till the runners touch the plate and finish baking for the last 20 minutes​
.

3)Different colors can be achieved with different bake times and temperatures.

I discovered this accidentally when I inadvertently placed the clamp directly over the heating element on the bottom shelf. After a while it started smelling, so I just moved it away from the element and let it finish its hour bake. The result was a nice maroon color (left one in picture below). I experimented with a few more different temperatures and bake times but had to stop because of lack of bark.

A cookie sheet on the lowest oven rack makes a good heat shield and an oven thermometer is also practically indispensable.

color.jpg

4) Separate blocks can be reheated and fused together to create striped blocks (100*C for an hour)

fused color.jpg

5)Separate blocks can also be fused to raw bark to create striped blocks (100*C for an hour)...method used for the knife in this thread.

6) To be certain that the two dark stripes in this knife ended up the same color, two separate small stacks were baked at the same time in the same press as above with a spacer block between them.

7)Interesting visual effect that might affect design considerations

Just like wood, the bark end-grain and bark side-grain absorbs oil finishes differently. The end-grain ends up darker and the side grain lighter. So turning a rounded handle in the light, you see the same layer of bark go from dark to light...it's pretty neat.

polished block cut at 90*:

endgrain effect.jpg

8)Do not be tempted to use the corky inner layer of the birch bark

Being that it is almost 1/4" thick, it is very tempting to use. Testing revealed that it does stick together to make a solid block BUT it fell apart after an overnight soak in some water.

coins.jpg


9)Next time, I'll get bigger plates

The plates I had at hand only allowed me to make one block at a time...so the handle took six hours of bake time. I'm pretty sure that making 3"x 3"x 3/4"birch bark "sandwiches" and cutting them down to 1.5" blocks with the bandsaw would work, assuming of course that it cooks all the way through....Again if someone has the chance to test this, please let us know.​
 
This post is brilliant! Thanks for putting all of the links and your own experiementations in the same place. I acquired about 2 square feet of birchbark last time I was in British Columbia, and have been planning to give this a try.
 
I had someone mention that they plan to make a handle with the bark parallel to the knife tang (pictured on the right side below).

bark2.jpg

I don't think it would be such a good idea... although the blocks are solid, I believe they need correct bark orientation and should be "sandwiched" between a butt plate and a guard made of harder materials to make a durable handle.
 
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