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Ken Fitzgerald
11-23-2006, 11:02 PM
Has anyone had success turning birch? I've tried to pieces of the birch I got from my son. Both pieces were developing cracks as I turned the outside of the bowl.

I can't get one roughed out to try DNA. The rough out's have cracks.

Any one have any experience?
Bernie Weishapl
11-23-2006, 11:07 PM
Ken I turned some river birch with pretty good luck. I forget what the other birch was I had and only had a piece of it. It cracked all the way thru from one side to the other when roughing the inside. :mad: :mad:
Andy Hoyt
11-23-2006, 11:09 PM
A guy in my club just did (http://www.mainewoodturners.org/assets/images/nov06_st_-_rogers_01.jpg). Looked pretty nice.
Mark Cothren
11-23-2006, 11:49 PM
Yep - good stuff.
Steve Schlumpf
11-24-2006, 10:52 PM
Most of what I turn has been out of birch - primarily because it is what I can get my hands on. I've had good luck with bowls rough turned while green and then DNA.
Pat Doble
11-25-2006, 11:03 PM
It works for me - lots of it dying on it's own in my FIL's woods. Just have to get it before it rots/gets punky (which in birch's case isn't long). Haven't had any problems with it yet - rough turning and using the dish soap soak...
Corey Hallagan
11-26-2006, 12:02 AM
I have turned quite a few pieces of dry birch. I really like it.

Corey
Tom Kluck
11-26-2006, 4:37 PM
Turned birch green and dry. Seems to dry well under cover sitting on end on a concrete floor (lack of space). Came across some stored in a shed for at least 15 years, beautyfuly spalted.
Chewing birch bark off on the lathe can get exciting...
Green birch projects have to be finished in one day, with reletivly thin (1/4-3/8), even walls and bottom. Blanks will crack overnight on the lathe. The friciton of sanding the thin sections will dry the piece. Never tried DNA.
Derek Andrews
11-26-2006, 5:24 PM
I don't recall ever having had problems with yellow birch. What species do you have there in Idaho?
Ken Fitzgerald
11-26-2006, 5:30 PM
Derek I really don't know what type I've got. My son cut a large birch tree down 6 weeks or so ago. I rushed over; cut it into manageable sized pieces and sealed it. I've tried to turn 2 bowls so far. Both of them as I was roughing out the outside and turning a tenon on the bottom....they were splitting out as I was turning them. I've got more to turn ...maybe my luck will change.