B. nigra<\/em> is often found in low-elevation regions from as far north as New Hampshire to as far south as northern Florida. It can be found extending west to Kansas and east to the coast where proper habitat conditions occur.<\/p>\n Betula nigra Natural Range Map<\/p><\/div>\n For the sake of simplicity and common understanding I will hereafter refer to B. nigra<\/em> as River Birch. The specifics given below apply equally well to most all Betula spp.<\/em><\/p>\n The sapwood of the River Birch is nearly white while the heartwood is often of a light reddish brown color.<\/p>\n As there is virtually no color distinction between annual growth rings, River Birch often presents with a somewhat dull and uniform appearance.<\/p>\n The grain of the River Birch is most often straight or slightly wavy. On rare occasions figured pieces of River Birch can be found that have a curly figure similar to that sometimes found in Cherry (Prunus serotina<\/em>).<\/p>\n River Birch has a fine and even texture but a low natural luster even when finely surfaced.<\/p>\n River Birch is quite perishable and will readily rot and decay if exposed to the elements. River Birch is also susceptible to attack by various insects.<\/p>\n In general, River Birch is easy to work with both hand and machine powered tools. As is the case with most any species of wood, pieces of River Birch with significantly figured grain patters may experience difficulty with some operations, especially planing. There are methods available to help reduce this tendency toward tearout.<\/a><\/p>\n River Birch is known to turn, glue, and finish nicely.<\/p>\n River Birch does not have a distinctive or characteristic odor.<\/p>\n River Birch, and all Birch in general, is likely to be of relatively low cost when available. As is always the case, pieces with significant figure will be more expensive but plain lumber is in the same price range as maple or oak. Most of the “Birch” offered for sale is Yellow Birch (B. alleghaniensis<\/em>) as this is the most commonly commercially sourced species. Species specific River Birch is difficult to find.<\/p>\n In this blog, I almost always recommend several vendors with whom I have done considerable business and in whom I have great confidence. These vendors are: West Penn Hardwoods<\/a>, Bell Forest Products<\/a>, NCWood<\/a>, WoodTurningz<\/a>, Amazon Exotic Hardwoods<\/a>, Griffin Exotic Wood<\/a>, Exotic Woods USA<\/a>, Got Wood?<\/a>, and Wood Turning Blanks 4U<\/a>. Note: ALWAYS green turn wet blanks from NCWood as their wax will not hold for extended drying periods.<\/p>\n I originally sourced my species specific River Birch from NCWood but they are currently out of stock and no longer list this species.<\/p>\n Bell Forest Products does list a “birch” but on closer inspection it is Yellow Birch (B. alleghaniensis<\/em>). Turning blanks, which are listed as only spindle sizes, are out of stock.<\/p>\n The gentlemen at Got Wood? do have a nice selection of “Birch” turning blanks although it is not clear as to which species they are referring, in which case I would assume Yellow Birch. Their smallest bowl blank is 6” x 3” at $4.88 and the largest is 12” x 2” for $13.00. There is also a spindle size of 2” x 2” x12” for $2.17. These prices make it clear that “Birch” is not an expensive wood.<\/p>\n Woodfinder<\/a> is an excellent website that is dedicated to advertising wood dealers. In your search for River Birch, this can be an invaluable resource provided you use multiple search terms to capture all the possible listings. I can’t speak to the quality of any of the listed dealers, but Woodfinder does have the advantage of allowing searches to be performed based on location which might allow an interested buyer to visit a listed wood dealer in person to hand pick pieces at a comfortable price.<\/p>\n A significant problem with using Woodfinder is that many vendors are listed for woods that, upon further investigation, they do not offer. I don’t know if perhaps once they did and they didn’t update their listings or if some vendors use a standardized list of woods that include most everything conceivable with the idea that once you land on their page you will find something you want to buy even if you didn’t know it beforehand. It happens to me all the time!<\/p>\n Birch, including River Birch when it is available, is very much a utility wood that finds use in plywood, boxes, crates, turned objects, interior trim, and other small specialty wood items.<\/p>\n River Birch is not listed as being endangered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II<\/a> nor does it appear on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. <\/a><\/p>\n To the best of my knowledge, River Birch is not subject to any additional special restrictions by any United States government agency.<\/p>\n I realize that inherent in working with wood is the killing of a part of the natural world that may be slow to return and if I become deeply concerned about this fact, I will have to find a new hobby. I hope that such a time does not come to pass or at least not any time soon. In part because I am concerned about legally and responsibly obtained wood, I am reluctant to buy from sellers outside of well-established and known vendors. I am highly unlikely, for example, to purchase any wood from auction sites, such as Ebay, because of uncertain sourcing and documentation, as well as the potential, even likelihood, of material being misidentified in order to achieve a higher selling price.<\/p>\n However, due to the commercial scarcity of some woods, resorting to auction sites such as Ebay or Etsy may be the only way to obtain some desirable domestic, or in some cases exotic imported, species that are not routinely commercially harvested. The potential risks of buying in these marketplaces have to be balanced against the desire to work with a specific species of wood. That is inherently an individual decision.<\/p>\n I also realize that many, if not most, wood workers do not have endangered species lists memorized, therefore I think it worthwhile and important to do even a small amount of research before purchasing any lumber, domestic as well as imported, to be certain of the potential impact you are having, even in a small way, on threatened or endangered populations. This information is easy to come by and takes only minutes to locate through any Internet search engine, including those you can access on your phone as you are standing in the lumber yard or store. Unfortunately, you simply cannot count on a vendor to tell you a product they are selling is endangered.<\/p>\n In addition to the usual hazards posed by wood dust, it is important to note that all Birch in the Betula<\/em> genus has been reported as a sensitizer. The most common reactions include skin and respiratory irritation. As always, caution is essential until you are certain you are not sensitive to River Birch.<\/p>\n It is important to remember that although many people may, or may not, be sensitive to any given wood, the only experience that truly counts is your own, so use reported side effects as guidance but not as a substitute for cautious and safe practices.<\/p>\n Appropriate protective equipment is therefore always recommended when working with this, or any other, wood, exotic or domestic, unless you have worked with the species before and are certain you are not sensitive to it.<\/p>\n Complete information about health hazards<\/a> associated with a wide variety of exotic hardwoods is available from The Wood Database<\/a>. Additional information about how to best use a dust collection system and personal protective equipment, such as respirators, can also be found through this excellent and comprehensive resource.<\/a><\/p>\n Fortunately, I experienced no negative side effects when working with River Birch.<\/p>\n I just finished a River Birch bowl today. It measures 9″ x 4″. River Birch is fairly plain wood although it does have some speckling and a streak in the bottom. But still, pretty plain. The only reason I bought this wood was because I lived on a street named River Birch Drive, so it seemed appropriate to make something from the wood to keep in the house. Sadly, I never turned the wood while I lived there but I will ship this piece to our old neighbors who still live on the street.<\/p>\n River Birch Bowl Interior<\/p><\/div>\n River Birch is fairly soft so it cuts easily but it does NOT cut cleanly. It was almost a 30 minute torture session burning through lots of sand paper to pound it into submission. Frankly, I don’t like putting that much work into a wood that doesn’t move me much to begin with. In half the time I could have a really stunning piece of Claro Walnut or Cherry. Sadly, I was very enthusiastic about the idea when I bought the blank and I have three more just like this one. It’ll be awhile before I sign up the experience.<\/p>\n I finish almost everything with Shellawax<\/a> and regular readers know, but this time I sanded the Shellawax off. Shellawax, on certain woods like maples and apparently birches, goes on splotchy and it is impossible to even out the appearance. Instead, I used Odie’s Clear Wax<\/a> and I am pleased with the result.<\/p>\n River Birch Bowl Side View<\/p><\/div>\n All cuts were made using the Easy Wood Tool<\/a> system on my Robust American Beauty<\/a> lathe. Forward chucking was in a Nova Chuck,<\/a> while reverse chucking was done using a Nova Chuck with Cole Jaws<\/a>. Sanding was with Gold and Green Wave sanding discs from Packard Woodworks<\/a>. Final finish is as described above.<\/p>\n As always, I wish all my readers a great experience in whatever your wood working interests happen to be and to those who like working with lathes especially, do a good turn today!<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The grain of the River Birch is most often straight or slightly wavy. On rare occasions figured pieces of River Birch can be found that have a curly figure similar to that sometimes found in Cherry (Prunus serotina). <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":175,"featured_media":2938,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[138,139,130],"tags":[154,168,171,181,183,200,210,217,240,247],"yoast_head":"\nGeneral Characteristics:<\/h2>\n
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