# Yellow Birch any good for firewood.



## rob066 (Jul 14, 2011)

I was cutting a few trees around the Flagstone quarry I work at part time. Some of them were yellow birch. So I was wandering if Yellow Birch are any good for firewood? I know that Black Birch are OK for firewood. I do use them for firewood. Thanks in advance Rob


----------



## audible fart (Jul 14, 2011)

Yes


----------



## CTYank (Jul 14, 2011)

rob066 said:


> I was cutting a few trees around the Flagstone quarry I work at part time. Some of them were yellow birch. So I was wandering if Yellow Birch are any good for firewood? I know that Black Birch are OK for firewood. I do use them for firewood. Thanks in advance Rob


 
"Black birch are OK"? No.

Black birch is outstanding. Credit where due.


----------



## Currently (Jul 14, 2011)

Yellow birch makes great firewood, it is a biotch to split however.


----------



## Wood Doctor (Jul 14, 2011)

*Good stuff*



rob066 said:


> I was cutting a few trees around the Flagstone quarry I work at part time. Some of them were yellow birch. So I was wandering if Yellow Birch are any good for firewood? I know that Black Birch are OK for firewood. I do use them for firewood. Thanks in advance Rob


I make furniture with it. Hard as nails, good density, and the grain looks a bit like cherry, which is more expensive around here. Yellow birch has amazing bending strength. I think it has a lousy name, and other birches are not in the same league. That's why it's not priced higher. Not many people know about it.

I'm sure it will burn as hot as a $2 pistol when dry.


----------



## CWME (Jul 14, 2011)

I have some in my pile for 2011-2012. I would rather burn it than try to build anything with it. Darn stuff twists and warps at random. Did a small kitchen for a buddy and will never work with it again. Joint a flat side and edge for S2S, perfectly flat and straight. Run it through the planer to get it S3S and it comes out all warped.

Anyway hats off to you Wood Doc for working with it. Me I am going to burn it.


----------



## Currently (Jul 14, 2011)

CWME said:


> I have some in my pile for 2011-2012. I would rather burn it than try to build anything with it. Darn stuff twists and warps at random. Did a small kitchen for a buddy and will never work with it again. Joint a flat side and edge for S2S, perfectly flat and straight. Run it through the planer to get it S3S and it comes out all warped.
> 
> Anyway hats off to you Wood Doc for working with it. Me I am going to burn it.


 
The reason the wood warped ... any wood for that matter is because it did not grow straight up, it grew bent or leaning.

The term used for this is "reaction wood" and it will never be dimensionally stable.

If you put some thought to it, the wood spent its life fighting the effects of gravity and its structure when it grew was stronger on one side than the other. So the grain structure is not uniform.

Blame the tree, not the wood. My brother makes some pretty nice furniture with yellow birch. It does not take nailing well and you have to drill your holes for screws ... other than that, it makes tough furniture and cabinets.

Some links that explain it better than I did:

Understanding Reaction Wood

View attachment 190609


----------



## Blazin (Jul 15, 2011)

Hells yeah it is! I burn alot of it and it ranks right up there in the BTU's, but it is a pecker to split.


----------



## Cedar-Acres (Jul 15, 2011)

Currently said:


> The reason the wood warped ... any wood for that matter is because it did not grow straight up, it grew bent or leaning.
> 
> The term used for this is "reaction wood" and it will never be dimensionally stable.
> 
> ...


 
Interesting! I had not heard that term before. I recently had a pine 2x4 do just exactly that. It bent and twisted as I ripped it and bound up my tablesaw, caused the breaker to trip on the saw. Now I know why. I had set it aside, glad I did, will probably just burn it. Thanks!


----------



## Oldtimer (Jul 15, 2011)

Right up there with Beech and maple. Almost as good as red oak. Dries slow, like oak.


----------



## Wood Doctor (Jul 15, 2011)

CWME said:


> I have some in my pile for 2011-2012. I would rather burn it than try to build anything with it. Darn stuff twists and warps at random. Did a small kitchen for a buddy and will never work with it again. Joint a flat side and edge for S2S, perfectly flat and straight. Run it through the planer to get it S3S and it comes out all warped.
> 
> Anyway hats off to you Wood Doc for working with it. Me I am going to burn it.


Sounds like it wasn't dry enough before you planed it. Kiln drying or air drying the flitches stacked on stickers for over a year is a must. Anyway, yes, it is tough to work with for making furniture. So are shagbark hickory and white oak.


----------



## rmount (Jul 17, 2011)

This year about 3/4 of my pile is yellow birch. Seems to burn almost as good as hard maple. I find that most of it splits easily, especially in below freezing temps. But there are some rounds that just throw the maul right back at you. I've got about 10 of them sitting aside right now waiting until I feel like firing up the splitter because I whacked them in every direction and never made more than a dent.


----------



## Wood Doctor (Jul 17, 2011)

*Ship it all to me.*



rmount said:


> This year about 3/4 of my pile is yellow birch. Seems to burn almost as good as hard maple. I find that most of it splits easily, especially in below freezing temps. But there are some rounds that just throw the maul right back at you. I've got about 10 of them sitting aside right now waiting until I feel like firing up the splitter because I whacked them in every direction and never made more than a dent.


 
RMount, if you or anyone else in your neck of the woods has any yellow birch that you don't want, please ship all of it to me. I can't find yellow birch out here. Last I heard, gold was yellow also and gold bullions are rather hard to split as well.:msp_rolleyes:


Pssstt... One of my favorite basketball players when I was in college was Rick Mount at Purdue University. Don't tell anyone.


----------



## bobt (Jul 17, 2011)

rmount said:


> This year about 3/4 of my pile is yellow birch. Seems to burn almost as good as hard maple. I find that most of it splits easily, especially in below freezing temps. But there are some rounds that just throw the maul right back at you. I've got about 10 of them sitting aside right now waiting until I feel like firing up the splitter because I whacked them in every direction and never made more than a dent.


 
We love yellow birch as firewood as you say. Very similar burning as hard maple. But OH THE SPLITTING! The outside shell on large old rounds is twisted, stringy, and just hateful!

Just like you say it will bounce the mall right back at you, so don't get your noggin close. It laughs at wedges too, and just spits them back at ya and seems to smile!!!

Hydraulic splitter is the answer, and then you have some nice split firewood.

Bob


----------



## hamish (Jul 17, 2011)

As you get further north........yellow birch is the winner as far a firewood goes, right off the stump and into the stove it will keep you warm for the night. Let it season..........hell yeah!
Sure beats the poplar and cedar...that require a full cord a night.


----------



## Currently (Jul 17, 2011)

Plus the bark makes excellent firestarter ...:biggrin:


----------



## trimmmed (Jul 17, 2011)

CTYank said:


> "Black birch are OK"? No.
> 
> Black birch is outstanding. Credit where due.



+1


----------



## russhd1997 (Jul 21, 2011)

I burn everything, wood, not garbage, in my outdoor wood furnace. Yellow birch is one of the better woods. I don't burn much hard maple though. I make maple syrup and those gets tapped! The only ones that make it to the furnace are the ones that need to be cut so that the rest of the orchard can prosper.


----------

