Clean Up Live Edge Wood

Begin by removing a 6 8 section of bark starting at an end.

Clean up live edge wood.

Scrape the fibers off with a nylon or wire brush. It won t come loose later scraping away that layer creates a slippery smooth edge with more rounded features. The first thing to do is to begin sanding to a smooth touch using 120 grit paper. Work your way along the edge of the slab.

There are lots of methods for removing bark and smoothing the edge including using a wire brush abrasive pads and balls and the good old disk sander. I ve talked with a few wood turners that specialize in live edge work and all seem to agree that the bark will come off at some point no matter what you do. In this video we will walk you through the process we went through in order to clean up the live edge on our reclaimed wood countertop for our rv bathroom. The cambium layer the fibrous glue that connects the bark to the wood can add depth and character to the edge if you leave it.

If you work across it you may gouge the surface and leave marks.