# Silver Birch



## Doofusme (2 Apr 2013)

Hi All 

spotted this on my local freecycle is it worth the trouble of collecting and seasoning ? or not, its 8ft tall and ready to collcet.

http://groups.freecycle.org/Hemel_UK/po ... b/29049165

Thanks 

Phil


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## marcros (2 Apr 2013)

looks like it has been attacked by a beaver. sorry, no help on whether it is any good or not, but shouldnt take much more felling!


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## EnErY (2 Apr 2013)

I Posted A silver birch bowl a few weeks ago I had the timber a short while my advice is use it asap because it rots very quickly and goes soft in s short time I turned mine wet in woodys workshop in October and finished it in march that looks ok but watch the beaver don't get yers ...........  
regards
Bill


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## Neil Farrer (2 Apr 2013)

It spalts very easily and can go too far quickly. Its worth a punt, pack garden muck around it and leave it in the garden for a month then dry it out. Birch is quite brittle and is dimensionally unstable as a timber which is why it is used as drawer lippings or cut into small bits and used in engineered flooring, the spalting process can help to remove some of the tension in the wood. As Bill says though it can go too far quickly.


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## henton49er (2 Apr 2013)

I have some silver birch in my wood store. I did not know that it deteriorates quickly - I had better have a look and see if I need to turn it straight away, or just put it on the woodburner!


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## EnErY (2 Apr 2013)

henton49er":4w7oq08j said:


> I have some silver birch in my wood store. I did not know that it deteriorates quickly - I had better have a look and see if I need to turn it straight away, or just put it on the woodburner!


Don't bung it on woodburner mike think Of me :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: 
regards
Bill


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## tekno.mage (5 Apr 2013)

henton49er":3jvkfhsb said:


> I have some silver birch in my wood store. I did not know that it deteriorates quickly - I had better have a look and see if I need to turn it straight away, or just put it on the woodburner!



It should be okay if it's in the dry and off any damp ground, Mike. I quite like birch for turning, although if grown around here it sometimes has rather wild grain (pretty) but this can make it rather difficult to get a good finish off the tool - and it doesn't respond well to a lot of sanding (it sands away very quickly!) It was often used to make craft tools like bobbins, knitting pins, drop spindles etc and works well for such items.


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## Racers (5 Apr 2013)

Hi, 

I turned some burrs they came out nice, lots of soft bits that needed super gluing before and during sanding.














Pete


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## EnErY (5 Apr 2013)

Hey Pete 3 very well Turned And finished specimens well done matey 
regards
Bill


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## Silverbirch (5 Apr 2013)

Very nice pieces, Pete. Who says Silver Birch is boring!

Ian


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## wabbitpoo (5 Apr 2013)

I had some BIG lumps but I assumed it would season reasonabl;y slowly in the garden.

WRONG

After a year it was rotten through and through. Well, the centre was, and I have managed to work on a few bits. Until the lathe exploded.


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