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Blunting Effect
Boring
Carving
Common Names
Common Uses
Countries of Distribution
Cutting Resistance
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying
Family Name
Gluing
Grain
Heartwood Color
Kiln Schedules
Luster
Mortising
Moulding
Movement in Service
Nailing
Natural Durability
Numerical Data
Planing
Polishing
Product Sources
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Routing & Recessing
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Staining
Steam Bending
Strength Properties
Texture
Trade Name
Tree Size
Turning
Veneering Qualities
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Common Names
Black birch, Common birch, English birch, European birch, Finnish birch, Glasbjork, Silver birch, Swedish birch, White birch
Regions of Distribution
Eastern Europe, Western Europe
Countries of Distribution
[VIEW MAP]
Finland, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Common Uses
Boat building (general), Boxes and crates, Broom handles, Brush backs & handles, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Chairs, Cooperages, Food containers, Furniture, Handles: general, Plywood, Posts, Pulp/Paper products, Textile equipment, Tool handles, Toys, Turnery, Vehicle parts, Veneer
Heartwood Color
| White |
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| Green/grey |
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| White to cream |
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| Pale brown |
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Sapwood Color
| White |
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| Color not distinct from heartwood |
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Grain
Texture
Luster
Natural Durability
| Durable |
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| Moderately durable |
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| Perishable |
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| Heartwood is susceptible to wood staining fungal attack |
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| Sapwood is susceptible to wood staining fungal attack |
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| Resistant to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles |
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| Non durable |
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Kiln Schedules
| Drying (speed) is fast |
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| Dry at a moderate speed |
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| UK=F US=T6D4/T3D3 Fr=6 |
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Drying Defects
| Slight twist/warp |
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| Moderate twist/warp |
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Ease of Drying
| Fairly Easy |
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| Thick Stock Requires Care |
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| Requires special attention |
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| Easy |
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Tree Size
Product Sources
Birch is available in large quantities, but the three leading commercially valuable birches, Yellow birch (B. alleghaniensis), White birch (B. papyrifera), and Sweet birch (B. lenta), are often mixed and marketed together under the trade name Birch.
Blunting Effect
| Little |
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| Blunting effect on machining is moderate |
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Boring
| Fairly difficult to very difficult |
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Carving
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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Cutting Resistance
| Easy to saw |
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| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw |
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| Cutting Resistance with green wood is moderate |
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| Cutting Resistance with dry wood is moderate |
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Gluing
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Easy to glue |
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Mortising
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Finishes well |
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Moulding
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| The moulding finish is usually good |
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Movement in Service
| Unstable with Poor Stability - Large Movement |
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| Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement |
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Nailing
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Poor to Very Poor Results |
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| Possible if prebored |
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| Holds satisfactorily |
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Planing
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Planes well, to a good finish |
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| Ease of planing is moderate |
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Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
| Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work |
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| Easy to machine |
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| Moderate working qualities |
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Routing & Recessing
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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Turning
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Good results |
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| Easy to turn |
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Veneering Qualities
| There is slight to moderate drying degrade and the potential for buckles and splits |
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| No drying degrade. Dries flat without splitting |
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| Easy to cut |
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Steam Bending
Polishing
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Surface Preparation |
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| Satisfactory results |
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| Good results |
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Staining
| Finish is generally good |
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| Finish is generally satisfactory |
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Strength Properties
| Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft. |
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| Shrinkage, Tangential = large |
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| Shrinkage, Radial = large |
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| Toughness-Hammer drop (impact strength) = medium |
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| Toughness-Hammer drop (Impact Strength) = low |
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| Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = medium |
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| Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low |
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| Max. crushing strength = medium |
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| Max. crushing strength = high |
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| Bending strength (MOR) = medium |
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| Bending strength (MOR) = high |
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Numerical Data
| Item | Green | Dry | English |
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| Bending Strength | 11442 | 17761 | psi |
| Density | | 40 | lbs/ft3 |
| Impact Strength | | 34 | inches |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 5408 | 8171 | psi |
| Stiffness | 1511 | 1745 | 1000 psi |
| Weight | 39 | 31 | lbs/ft3 |
| Radial Shrinkage | 6 | | % |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 10 | | % |
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| Item | Green | Dry | Metric |
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| Bending Strength | 804 | 1248 | kg/cm2 |
| Density | | 641 | kg/m3 |
| Impact Strength | | 86 | cm |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 380 | 574 | kg/cm2 |
| Stiffness | 106 | 122 | 1000 kg/cm2 |
| Weight | 624 | 496 | kg/m3 |
| Radial Shrinkage | 6 | | % |
References
Brown, W.H.,1978,Timbers of the World, No. 6 Europe,TRADA, Red Booklet Series
Farmer, R.H.,1972,Handbook of Hardwoods,HMSO
Forest Products Research Laboratory, U.K.,1937,A Handbook of Home-Grown Timbers,HMSO
Forests Products Research Laboratory, U.K.,1956,A Handbook of Hardwoods,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Department of,Science and Industrial Research, Building Research Establishment
I.U.F.R.O.,1973,Veneer Species of the World,Assembled at F.P.L. Madison on behalf of I.U.F.R.O. Working Party on,Slicing and Veneer Cutting
Patterson, D.,1988,Commercial Timbers of the World, 5th Edition,Gower Technical Press
T.D.A.,1942,Timber Leaflet No.69 Birch,TRADA Timber Leaflet
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