birch wood

[Rabbitsmacker]

hi everyone,

this side of christmas myself and father in law are cutting down a 15 metre silver birch in my garden. the tree is a mature tree, and has produced 2 batches of catkins this year so is for the chop.

what would you guys do with the wood? lots of carving potential i know, what is it suitable for mostly?
ideas and laterall thinkers welcome!

 

[Silverhill]

I dunno' for sure if it would work, or indeed if you have use for it, buy you could keep a little of the trunk aside in a dark and damp part of your plot to see if you can farm a little birch polypore?

 

[Everything Mac]

I'd pick the biggest burl chop it of and send it to a BCUK member called Everything Mac.

or raffle it off?

lots of bowls/spoons/kuksa's??

Andy

 

[Harvestman]

Make a shave horse first. That will make creating things from the rest of the wood easier.

 

[Graham_S]

I like Birch, it's my favourite wood for carving.
Depending on the diameter of the trunk I'd be making bowls, Kuskas, spoons, spatulas, all sorts of things.

 

[Rabbitsmacker]

diameter of the trunk is about 55-65 cm i reckon, and is a single trunk up to about 15 feet or more.

 

[_scorpio_]

i would leave 6' standing for birch polypore*, remove all the bark for fire lighting, split the main part of the trunk up to season (except the thickest part, which i would make into a large bowl) and use the larger diameter branches for carving and all the smaller branches as kindling.

*once it has all rotted away (a few years if its standing) you will be left with a 6' tube of birch bark, or if its too dry to rot it will just season slowly (make sure you cut off any new growth, polypore will kill it once established).

 

[Stiks]

After all that carving I wonder what Birch chippings/saw dust is like for smoking fish, anyone?