White birch ?

[Mad Professor]

I don't get a lot of white birch, I know it rots pretty quick standing dead.

There is a ca. 28" standing dead I noticed last fall, all branches still there. Recent winds snapped off a branch and looks like starting to rot, or maybe just that branch died earlier. Bark is still solid on trunk.

I usually block up wood and stack and cover the top, if I don't have time to move and split. Will birch season like this O.K. without splitting?

I don't want to waste the tree as there is a lot of wood there. Might save a butt log or two for milling if still solid (first ca. 25' is clear) and do some live edge slabs w/bark on for tables.

 

[zogger]

Needs splitting or score the trunk two places, like down one side and back the other once it is felled. Just bucked up, won't last.

 

[Mad Professor]

Needs splitting or score the trunk two places, like down one side and back the other once it is felled. Just bucked up, won't last.

Thanks.

I'll split in two before stacking.

 

[svk]

28" would be a huge white birch unless it's a double leader. Are you sure it's not a yellow birch?

 

[Mad Professor]

28" would be a huge white birch unless it's a double leader. Are you sure it's not a yellow birch?

Huge white/paper birch, clear no branches for most of trunk. Bark would make good canoe material. Will use my 038M w/25" bar to fell and buck.

I have seen a whole grove of birch like this in a national forest wilderness area. Pieces of outer bark would slough off on their own big enough to use for mats or ground cover for bedding. We would always stop there to pick up what was available on the ground when backpacking, rolled them up like wallpaper and strapped it onto our packs. Used the pieces to set up places to layout cooking areas, mats in front of tents, and of course to start fires.

 

[svk]

I'd love to see pictures of ones that big!

 

[blacklocst]

Might save a butt log or two for milling if still solid (first ca. 25' is clear) and do some live edge slabs w/bark on for tables.

If you want the bark to stay on, the tree has to be cut in the dead of winter.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I wish I had the logs out of it for my BSM!

SR

 

[absrio]

BSM? boring school math?? been socially missing? buncha slow morons? big sore muscles? birch smoking machine?

 

[Sawyer Rob]

How about ---------------> Band Saw Mill?

SR

 

[Mad Professor]

If you want the bark to stay on, the tree has to be cut in the dead of winter.

Still cold here, low of 11 oF predicted for Tuesday. If I get some big slabs and the bark loosens I'll save that, matched and marked, to glue on after seasoning. Should be able to get a few nice boards too.

 

[GVS]

I don't get a lot of white birch, I know it rots pretty quick standing dead.

There is a ca. 28" standing dead I noticed last fall, all branches still there. Recent winds snapped off a branch and looks like starting to rot, or maybe just that branch died earlier. Bark is still solid on trunk.

I usually block up wood and stack and cover the top, if I don't have time to move and split. Will birch season like this O.K. without splitting?

I don't want to waste the tree as there is a lot of wood there. Might save a butt log or two for milling if still solid (first ca. 25' is clear) and do some live edge slabs w/bark on for tables.

Best to cut and split birch right away.It'll rot pretty quick if allowed to stay in the bark very long.Save some of the bark,no better tinder!