If you are interested in carving birch wood, have a look at this article to hopefully find some useful information about the wood, and moreover about carving it. Through in our experience carving birchwood can be a little bit challenging, stay tuned to find out some tips and tricks for it.
Birch wood is not the most popular wood among carvers because birch wood is extremely hard, and its density is really high. Usually is used in all aspects of furniture construction because of how durable birch wood can be. The wood is light yellowish-brown, very similar in color and grain to maple with fine grains.
How Good is Birch Wood For Carving?
Some may say that the properties of birch wood are similar to Oak. Oak wood is popular wood among carvers, with a range of features to make it almost ideal. it’s a strong and sturdy wood. Same with birch wood is considered a hardwood, also the grain is defined and the density of the wood is indeed high, meaning you will need some power to carve it, but the end result will be magnificent.
As I said before birch wood it’s perfect for lavishing furniture as it is lightweight, textured, and beautiful grained. Many carpenters think that is the ideal wood for indoor cabinets.
Hand carving birch wood
Birch wood is very hard to carve using hand tools, though not impossible, with practice and muscle you can carve it. That’s why a lot of carvers use power tools to dig in that beautiful wood. Carving the wood leaves you with a pleasant sense of smell. Also, the final result of the carving looks polished light yellow with fine pleasing grains.
Moreover, If you use hand tools, you can use large gouges and a mullet to carve it, but if you are thinking to whittle with birch wood, that is almost impossible. As I Mention before birch wood is hard, and try to carve it with micro tools or even a knife is going to make your life hell. Am not saying it’s impossible, but let’s say you whittle something small with a softer wood, it will take you 2 hours, whittle it with a birch wood it will double your time. If you want to carve a small piece, and turn it into a caricature or anything you can imagine, I suggest you do it by using a rotary or any other type of power tool.
You can also try to hand carve birch wood when it’s still green, or at least not fully dried. Spoon carvers often use green woods for their creation. Birch is perhaps my favorite wood to carve when it’s green, and when I am trying to carve a spoon, a kuska, or a serving plate. While green, the wood is easy to cut, but close-grained enough that when dry it gives a fantastically smooth finish. there is a twist with green birch and in general green wood, it may be easier, but you need to give it some time to properly dry so you don’t end up with a cracked masterpiece.
Carving birch wood, as I mentioned before is pretty popular. Woodturners also like this type of wood. Creating wooden legs for furniture that are durable and magnificent, or even a centerpiece for your table.
A downfall for this magnificent wood is it’s his price. It is considered an expensive wood. The reason for that is that 11 species of Betula genuine are on the red list of threatened species. Additionally, birch wood grows slowly (as most of the hardwoods) and it’s difficult to cut if you don’t use power tools.
How To Prevent Birch Wood From Cracking
A cool trick is to put your creation in a zip bag, letting it slowly dry out, with that you minimalize your chances of damaging(cracking) the wood. It will prevent your project from damage. Also, as a general rule, when you carve green wood don’t leave it in the sun to dry, if you do you maximize your chances for a crack.
Furthermore, birch wood is easy to maintain because it is considered a hard wood. Just use any oil on your carving, varnish, or wax. That’s what you need to preserve your birch wood. Also, if you are using it for a spoon or a kuska, or a utility creation, make sure you use oil that is not toxic, that is for those uses.
Is Birch a Hardwood or Softwood?
Birch is a hardwood. The term “hardwood” refers to wood that comes from a dicot tree, such as a broadleaf variety, while the term “softwood” means the wood comes from a gymnosperm, such as a needle variety.
It doesn’t necessarily relate to how durable the wood is, but it’s often an indicator. Those, familiar with what a birch tree looks like can then easily identify it as a dicot or hardwood based on its leaves. Others in the same group include cherry, oak, walnut, and maple. On the flip side, options like fir, cedar, and pine, have needles. They’re gymnosperm trees, and thus are softwoods.
Grain Pattern of Birch Wood
Birch wood is typically straight-grained with a fine and even texture, though some pieces have more of a wavy grain and others may possess a curl quite like cherry. Usually, those pieces of wood are closer to the root.
Finishing and Texture
As I mentioned before birch wood is often compared with maple wood. The texture of birch wood is harsh and does not finish with a smooth and glossy appearance like hard maple wood does. The color of the wood is light brown (in most species of birch wood), so you may want to use a darker Stainer. If you do that you need to be really careful, the wood doesn’t absorb it in an even way. To prevent the stain from blotching you can sandpaper it, with a sandpaper 100-140-grit. When you finish it without any sort of stain, birch has a golden warm color.
To Conclude
Birch wood can be used for carving, but you need to have in mind what do you want to carve. Have a plan from the beginning of your project will save you a lot of time. Use birch wood to carve a spoon, or kuska when it’s still green, it will save you a lot of time and effort. Finish it with oil or wax to highlight the beautiful grain of the wood.
