(Beginner) Ash Bark Basket/Container (Pic Heavy)

[Androo]

After a generous post by Kepis, I was determined to have a go at making at least one of these. I have ended up beginning 3, and hope to have a nice clean and tidy example by the end of the thread.

On the train earlier today (and other days) I spotted a large pile of felled Ash, if memory serves me correctly these were chopped last year some time. So I jumped on my bike this afternoon and set to peeling the bark:

The log above yeilded some 5mm thick bark, which I thought sufficient for me to have a go:

The largest log was approx 14" diameter, and there were many from a few inches to over a foot.

As I started to peel the bark, my hands were getting a battering from the tough bark, so I fashioned a quick spud out of some conveniently felled sycamore. This made the de-barking alot easier, and almost a pleasure!:

I was on my bike, so couldn't cycle the few miles home with a long length of bark - no matter how much I wanted to! In heindsight, I wish I had found a way now. However, there will be a next time...

I collected all I could carry, and ended up with 6 nice chunks of bark to start with (cutting the long lengths up was torture!) :

After 'squaring off' the bark, I followed Kepis' example and scored an elipse for the base, but on folding as carefully as I could the pressure needed to form the shape edged the inner bark away from the outer bark, and my first attempt split all the way along one bottom edge - much to my dismay . I ended up trying to fill the split with some decent wood glue (after binding), but it looks very messy now. I put my first attempt down to experience, but hope to rescue it into a useable container.

Inside Container One:

The binding was just cheapo garden twine as I have no root-cordage, or any decent organic cordage of any description...but read on, I think I have found some cordage that I'm happy with.

Below is a Pic of Container One along side my second attempt; bigger, sturdier, and with no elipsed base this time.
You can't really see it in this pic, but on closer inspection I noticed on the bottom left of Container One what could be a badger claw mark which I thought pretty cool.

Both are now resting with round containers wedged into the opening ready to dry a bit in preperation for adding a rim over the next few days.

Inside of Container Two:

Again, I hope to replace the cheapo garden twine with some of my recycled cordage at a later date, and add a rim maybe even a carry handle.

So...onto my 3rd and final attempt for the day. I went with the no elipse base, and while I was having a break I caught sight of the huge mass of paracord inner hanging up which is being made into a gill net. As I supped my tea, I thought that the tea bags would make a nice stain to take the WHITE colour away from the inners, and after half an hour of soaking it had taken the brightness away and looking below, it kinda works quite nicely:

The stitching on the face of the container is there 'cos I failed to notice a flaw in the bark, and hastily glued and sewed it to stop any further splitting and blue air!:

I sewed the cheapo garden twine with an awl, but during my break, I also rummaged thru the sewing kit that used to be my grans, and found a small crochet hook, which works brillaintly - thanks Gran!
One thing I am quite concerned about is the scored and folded seam along the bottom of the container. Even though it held all the way through stitching, it is still quite fragile...:

I'm pretty sure I will be stitching the base with the paracord inner, and I'm not gonna use any wood glue this time - I think I will find some Pitch Pine Glue (Of which I have none) - So will have to get hunting for some!
I'm also gonna make a tidy rim for this (as for all) and update the thread with the results.

Thanks for the inspiration Kepis, I really enjoyed the process so far, and even had an older neighbour pop her head over the fence saying: "I haven't seen on of those in years!"

Comments, improvements/consideration welcome and appreciated!

BTW, having a search pre-construction I found this: $180 dollars for an 18" handled Ash Bark Container!!!??! Wow!

 

[Man of Tanith]

Looking good mate
and a definate visible improvement from container one to three
i'm gonna have to give this a bash i think

 

[Kepis]

Excellent in every sense of the word, to stop it splitting so much when you fold the bottom, try scrapping some of the bark away each side of the score line, this makes is easier to bend as there is then less mass there, also if it is really dry bark, just soak it for a few hours or place it in hot water for a while and it should become a little more pliable again and far easier to work

 

[Androo]

Ta, I heartily recommend having a go Sam, it's alot easier than it seems.

Thanks Kepis, top tips. I chamfered the inner bark where the barks come together, deffo gonna have a play with the scrap bits to get the folding just right, the elipsed bases just make for a better basket, I suppose the thicker the inner bark, the more reliable the fold... Will definitely give them a soak too, there's lots more bark where that came from - enough to get this to a quality I'm happy with.

I'm suprised at how straight forward this is, no heavily technical or overly time consuming techniques and a long lasting, sturdy basket that will surely come in very handy in many situations.

 

[bikebum1975]

Damn impressive work there.

 

[Ratbag]

.... to stop it splitting so much when you fold the bottom, try scrapping some of the bark away each side of the score line.....

Scrap away the outer bark, or inner bark? It's all bark!

Thanks

Rat

 

[Kepis]

the inside is the Cambium layer so scrape the outer bark, leave the inner surface intact

 

[plastic-ninja]

Androo they look very cool.
A learning curve from 1 to 3 which is,after all what it's all about.
Neat stitching too with the paracord intestines.
Good work.I reckon with practice you could sell those at shows easily.
Cheers , Simon

 

[grey-array]

Looking good Androo, guess I will have to go out sometime hunting for some Fir, They start killing of all the firs, pines and spruce in my area trying to rid the area as it was "not natural" in the dune environment, I couldnt disagree more with them but they are felling entire acres of them such a waste, so better put all that wood to good use. and strip some bark from them in the mean time ^^.
Yours sincerely Ruud

 

[Androo]

Scrap away the outer bark, or inner bark? It's all bark!

Thanks

Rat

It has to be the outer bark as the inner bark is the 'lining' for the basket. when I was folding I could see the outer bark kinda splintering at right angles to the score-line - not very clean at all. But didn't want to score it any deeper than I had to.
I'm thinking maybe get a V or round gouge on the job and try to get a stable, consistent and cleaner line...

 

[Androo]

Androo they look very cool.
A learning curve from 1 to 3 which is,after all what it's all about.
Neat stitching too with the paracord intestines.
Good work.I reckon with practice you could sell those at shows easily.
Cheers , Simon

Cheers, aye I'm getting there. So much to do and I'm sitting about making baskets! or atleast attempting to...
I like the intestinal cordage too, almost zero time harvesting and easy to dye as well as strong.
Selling? that would be very nice, to sit around making stuff and make my living selling it.. like that chat we had the other day, I think it's the kinda direction I wanna head. Thanks for the encouraging comments

 

[Androo]

Cheers Ruud,
Wow, acres and acres of murdered wood... just think of all that potential spruce-root cordage alone!
Here in the UK, there is no where near the size of plantation that you have in the Netherlands, we're seriously overcrowded.
Be sure to show us the fruits of your labours Ruud, it would be nice to see.

Oh and just if anyone close to S. Cumbria/N. Lancs and knows of a place called Whitbarrow Scar, a local tree surgeon tells me they are felling 100s & 100s of Silver and Downy Birch... bark and carving timber galore! If only I had a car!

Right, back to it!

Gonna have a go at some rims now, I may try some Ash sapling rims along with the split Hazel from Kepis' example.

 

[plastic-ninja]

If you have permission to gather some of that birch
i will happily transport some for a small share of the
harvest to carve away at.
You know where to find me.
Simon

 

[Androo]

If you have permission to gather some of that birch
i will happily transport some for a small share of the
harvest to carve away at.
You know where to find me.
Simon

K, Cheers, I'll ask matey. He has a woodyard too, and always has loads of stock in ready to log up.

 

[Androo]

Right, update for the thread and hopefully some guidance I can repay at somepoint!

I spent a fair while gathering and splitting some small green Ash and some green Hazel. I then soaked the split stuff for a couple of hours and even dowsed them in hot water prior to use. But it seems I've not done it right. I will persevere, and if its just practice then I am determined to get this sorted!

I began with the split Ash for Container 3...it began well, but as I went round the rim, I heard a light crack
It has cracked slightly at the edge where the two bark sheets joined, and when I got close to the join, the split decided to crack horizontally...(see pics)
One thing I am struggling with is getting the buggers to join neatly! They seem to want to straighten back out and not join. I really am having trouble getting them to sit properly. Is this down to my sewing technique and/or material?, is there something I am missing or are joining ends usually this finneky? Is the paracord inner too thin to get enough evenly spread pressure?

Looks alright to start with, the split Ash suits well:

Oh, and the badger claw mark:

Nobody likes a cracked rim ;O)

Aerial view. Crack to the right, dodgy join (and dodgy workmanship!) where it's obvious...

Maybe I'm asking too much due to the diameter of the basket? I have the larger container (Container 2) to work with tomorrow, will see if this works better.

I also had a faff with the scrap bits of bark and came up with this:

Which I'm almost pleased with, but when I got to joining the split Ash rim, it - again - wasn't gonna sit nicely for me, even after a couple of hours soaking and hot water dowsing...

Any tips before I make a total balls up of what is potentially a great product?

 

[Kepis]

try taking the rim wood thinner, the pieces on the one i did are just a few mm thick

 

[grey-array]

Cheers Ruud,
Wow, acres and acres of murdered wood... just think of all that potential spruce-root cordage alone!
Here in the UK, there is no where near the size of plantation that you have in the Netherlands, we're seriously overcrowded.
Be sure to show us the fruits of your labours Ruud, it would be nice to see.

Oh and just if anyone close to S. Cumbria/N. Lancs and knows of a place called Whitbarrow Scar, a local tree surgeon tells me they are felling 100s & 100s of Silver and Downy Birch... bark and carving timber galore! If only I had a car!

Right, back to it!

Gonna have a go at some rims now, I may try some Ash sapling rims along with the split Hazel from Kepis' example.

Well its not a plantation its a natural reserve sort of, yet they figured there was no place for firs or any other conifers sadly, But now you said it, never thought about them roots, I'dd better start digging ^^, and sadly the large trunks of the wood they felled was take away but perhaps a good look around will help me find something else appropriate so many lil project in mind ^^.
Yours sincerely Ruud
Thanks for the great ideas ^^

 

[Androo]

Thinner? Thinner you say?...I'd best get practising. Thanks Kepis

 

[Androo]

Update:

Spent a little while this morning getting used to making these. I replaced the rim on No. 3, finished the sewing and added an inner and outer rim on No. 2. although I did chicken out of using the Hazel and used some soaked Willow; it just wasn't splitting to a consistent thickness - more practice and better stock selection needed.

Container No. 3 with split willow outside rim:

Almost pleased with this, but the aerial shot shows how out of round this is:

Could probably improve this with willow soaked for longer.
Close up of where the rim joins:

Needs more attention when putting together to match up the rim ends and tighter binding. (I put the looser binding down to the short lengths of paracord inner, and the difficulty with tying them off tightly - one single length will probably negate this problem)

Container No. 2:

A little rounder, the inner and outer rims helped with this, but I guess this would be sturdier with well split Hazel:

Close ups of the rim end joins:

Better stock selection and more attention to detail needed!

Difficulties I encountered with the paracord inners included having long enough lengths to do away with the need for tying of and starting new lengths as I worked up, down and around the container. I ended up knotting and burning/melting the loose ends, but this has lead to messy ends here and there which I'm not happy with.

Next up is sourcing some PPG, adding some handles, and maybe sourcing some spruce roots. I intend to pick up Container No. 1 soon and practice some more. I do have some more bark keeping wet and will probably have a go at No. 4 once I've gotten these 3 prototypes/practice pieces finished. I think they should all be useable, but probably not sellable.

 

[Androo]

An update for the thread...

Today I went for a spruce-root harvest. In 20 minutes I'd pulled up around a dozen 6-7 foot lengths, then spent around an hour and a half stripping the bark in a notched piece of wood. I replaced the paracord intestines with spruce root and finished one of last years baskets to the stage where it just needs sealing up with PPG (Can I find the stuff? Can I 'ell!). Had some scrap leather so attached a strap for carrying, now I just need to find a use for it!

I also found some more chunky bark and made 3 more baskets today. Even after an overnight soak in cold water and an hour in very warm water and some warm water dowsing during the bend, they still split so I took that into the process and expected them to split. A tight weave with the spruce roots, a tight clamp while they dry and some PPG will sort this out.

Work in progress:

Rims to be split and fitted soon, where I will decide if I go for more leather handles or something more solid like split hazel or ash.

One of the biggest things I'm thinking about when looking at them is: What will I use them for, Quivver? Sharps storage?

What would you use them for? Comments, suggestions and constructive criticism welcome.