Is Silver Birch any good for turning?

[Bucks]

I've got this largish limb to remove of this Silver Birch tree!
Is silver birch any good for turning or do I just cut it up for firewood? I get the impression Silver Birch is prety boring/non interesting timber?

 

[fingwe]

Why not chop it up, put it in some bin liners on the ground somewhere and see if you get any nice spalting?

 

[Bucks]

On the other hand, I'm quite exited to see how this dead Oak turns out once cut into pen blanks & stabilised!

 

[Bucks]

Why not chop it up, put it in some bin liners on the ground somewhere and see if you get any nice spalting?

I could give that a try if I can persuade the in laws to store it for us, as we don't have much space here

 

[fingwe]

I've never tried doing it, but apparently it needs to be kept warm and moist. How about sealing it in some bags and putting it in the loft?

 

[Bucks]

I've never tried doing it, but apparently it needs to be kept warm and moist. How about sealing it in some bags and putting it in the loft?

You haven't seen our loft

 

[Phil Dart]

Silver birch spalts very easily - but if you seal it in bags in the loft or anywhere else it wont happen. It needs to be piled up in the garden, so that at least some of the logs are in contact with the ground. Chuck some leaf mould over it to keep them moist, and to help introduce some "rot" to the party, a bit like a mulch, and forget it for a year. THEN seal it in bags. It gains the fungus that will start the spalting process by being in contact with rotting organics. They don't ALL need to be touching the ground, but as long as some are, and the other are piled on top, the fungus will transfer through the pile.

 

[fingwe]

Thanks Phil, I'd read about people doing it in sealed plastic bins or bags, with a load of fresh sawdust from 'infected' wood to help introduce the spores necessary for spalting....but your way is probably easier!

 

[Phil Dart]

It never occurred to me to include "infected" wood in there with it. That may work if the infected wood is still active and hasn't been seasoned. Once it's seasoned the fungus is dead.

 

[fingwe]

I've just been reading up....apparently you don't seal the container, just close it - it has to be able to breathe.

 

[Phil Dart]

I've read in the past that spalting can be achieved by dunking the wood in a fairly strong solution of liquid plant fertiliser for 24 hours, then bagging it - but I've never tried it.

 

[Bucks]

Thanks Melanie & Phil for your advice, I'll have to see if I can dump it at the father in laws for a year or so

Our garden isn't really suitable for rotting wood & leaf mould! that's the whole garden you can see in the attached photo lol

 

[Phil Dart]

Ah yes - I see your problem. That's a mighty penblank store you have there though

 

[fingwe]

Is that a hot tub?? Looks ideal for spalting wood in!

 

[Penpal]

Great place to store aussie burls in the winter.

Peter.

 

[wm460]

You haven't seen our loft

If it any thing like mine a mouse would have a hard time finding room.

 

[Penpal]

Paul you never know until you cut ande look make it can be very classy in there. I found keeping cut pieces in fair lengths upright worked for me, we do not have the waterfalling everywhere as in the uk though so already it could be spalted.

Peter.

 

[Bucks]

Ah yes - I see your problem. That's a mighty penblank store you have there though

I know every time we take wood in for the log burner I'm inspecting it for any really interesting pieces

Is that a hot tub?? Looks ideal for spalting wood in!

Now there's an idea

If it any thing like mine a mouse would have a hard time finding room.

You've got it Mark

 

[Bucks]

Paul you never know until you cut ande look make it can be very classy in there. I found keeping cut pieces in fair lengths upright worked for me, we do not have the waterfalling everywhere as in the uk though so already it could be spalted.

Peter.

Im not holding my breath on the Birch already being spalted or exiting, but I'll keep it in as large a pieces as I can handle & find somewhere to store it!

 

[Bucks]

On the other hand, I'm quite exited to see how this dead Oak turns out once cut into pen blanks & stabilised!
View attachment 31424

Unfortunately I didn't manage to acquire the whole lot, but I did get a couple of good sized pieces