Birch Bowl and Missed Opportunity

[steven carter]

Last summer I noticed a birch tree that had blown down a few miles from my house. It was located along a highway in a little pull off that has been there for many years that used to have a couple picnic tables. The main use for the pull-off now is for state troopers to sit and try to catch speeding cars coming down the hill. I wasn't sure if the tree was on the state highway right of way, or who owned the property. A friend of my wife's husband works for the state highway, so I tracked him down and he told me to help myself. I went to the site where the day before there was the whole tree, only to find it gone except for one half rotten crotch piece. The next day I played golf with a friend and some of his friends and was talking to one of them about the tree, and He was the owner of the land and the tree. He said he had just told a neighbor that he was having a hard time mowing around the fallen tree so the neighbor came and removed it and burned it. He said if he had only met me a day earlier, I could have had the whole tree. We don't have many birch trees in Indiana of any size, so I was very dissapointed to say the least. We do have a few river birch, but have never turned and don't know how they compare to white birch. The wood has some beautiful curl in it so I'm going to try to use as much as I can. I have this small bowl finished and my first winged bowl roughed out.

Anyway this is a small bowl 6.5" x 2.25 inches. The endgrain was fairly punky. I stabilized it with CA and filled in with sawdust which even though came out smooth, left it spotty looking. Finished with home brew oil, which from now on I'm calling HBO. Beall buffed and renaissance wax. Thanks for looking, comments/critiques welcome.

Steve

[Steve Schlumpf]

Great looking bowl Steve! To bad about missing the chance for the entire tree! White Birch is fairly abundant up here - so I get as much as I can! It is very easy to turn, can have beautiful grain patterns and can take a great finish!

Really like your bowl! Love the curl and the color variations! Hope you are able to locate some more White Birch one of these days as it can make for some wonderful turnings!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great looking bowl Steven. I like the curl and color of the wood. Nice form.

[Scott Lux]

It's ok, I suppose, if you're into beautiful grain and great shape and finish. ;)

[Don Carter]

Beautiful bowl, Steven. Love the colors and the curl. Maybe another tree will show up. Thanks for showing it.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Good looking bowl Steve, and you know you probably got the nicest part of the whole tree, Birch goes fast when it gets bad, there's a good chance all the wood below your crotch piece was soft and all gone, however you did a nice job on the piece you did get, thanks for showing :)

[alex carey]

I'm sorry you missed out on the rest of the tree but if it means anything it looks like you got the best part. Nice looking bowl.

[curtis rosche]

nice bowls, you should become a member of the national arbor day foundation(?) for signing up they send you a couple trees of your choice, and then seedlings after that are cheap. get some birch and plant it, maybe it will grow quick enough and you will get some wood from it, or at least some one in a future generation will

[Jim Kountz]

Yeah I like this one, simple form and excellent finish. Good job!!