White Birch

[Caius]

Using my awesome powers of internet searching. The only tree in my province that isn't coniferous or poplar is birch. Has anyone used it before? If you have, whats it like to work with? Does it make good bows? Takes forever to season?

Cheers

[DEllis]

It seasons very quickly with almost no checking if you just glue the ends. You could split it and take it down to almost finished dimentions and bring it in the house and it will be ready to tiller in a couple weeks. Best made into a long, not too wide, bend in the handle bow. It will make a good flatbow too but it is very stiff so needs to be quite thin.......this means it is harder to tiller and it loves to fret if you give it half a chance. I have made them up to 70# and it works OK, but better if heat treated on the belly.
If you only want 50 to 60 pounds it is not bad stuff. Just make it longish and not too wide, and make sure the belly is smooth and flat. Keep the tiller as perfect as you can and break it in slowly.
Darcy

[Caius]

Awesome, thanks for the info. How long is long? And would a silk backing or something help with the frets?

[DEllis]

I draw 25.5 inches and like about 66" long. For a 28 inch draw I'd say 68inches long minimum for 55# or so. Here's a pic of a birch longbow that pulls 57#@28"
Darcy

[DEllis]

I don't think backing is needed, just keep the belly smooth, and tiller it well.

[Caius]

Sick bow. Really nice tiller. Random question though.
Am I freakishly long armed or am I not measuring my draw correctly, cause I draw to where you have your hand, and I'm at 33-34" by my reckoning.

[DEllis]

You are probably taller than me I'm a cross between a garden knome and a hobbit. If I draw to the corner of my mouth I draw around 26"(which is more or less my normal length) but  to my ear like in the above pic is 28" I am a bit over 5 foot 6".
But 33 to 34 inches sounds like way too long a draw. Try it with a finger to the corner of the mouth and measure to the back of the bow. You can see my normal draw length here......this is also a birch bow but 70#
Darcy

[sweeney3]

I haven't used birch, but if it already has a tendency to fret, I'd think silk backing would tend to exacerbate the problem.  It would protect the back and ultimatly help prevent failure, but would tend to cause the belly to have to deal with more forces.   Just my suspicions.  I'm sure it would make a fine bow though.

[bucksbuoy]

Birch is good and fast but yellow birch is significantly better then white, see if you can find some of that. Draw length is "typically" measured from the back of the bow to the corner of the mouth. You can draw farther, say to the ear, which will improve cast, penetration, speed, power, but you will likely have accuracy issues because its better to have a solid anchor point rather then a floating anchor. When I draw, I shoot two fingers under the arrow and one over, I put the tip of my middle finger into the corner of my mouth.

DEllis- dont feel bad. Ive always said my mother is danish and dutch and my father was a coyote. 

[Caius]

MY uncle did alot of forestry so I will have to ask him what trees are around here that I could steal a branch or two off of. And I just measured again, im at 33" to the corner of my mouth... Pretty sure it's got something to do with my retard shoulders, cause I'm only 6'

[Stoker]

Birch will build a good bow..Also around the Edmonton area you have Saskatoon , Chokecherry , River birch(black)..Pick up Trees of Alberta By Lone pine press.It's a great reference.
Side note : North Americian longbow safari is in Okatoks this year july 2 - 3 John Strunk is putting on a class might be something to look in to.
Thanks Leroy

[Caius]

Thanks for the tips And I would check it out except I will be in Squamish that week :/

[zenmonkeyman]

You may also want to befriend a tree service guy if you're right in town; they're cutting down elms and other trees all the time.

[Caius]

Another great idea. I do know people with the city so I can ask around.

[Canuck Archer]

Up here in Ontario, Canada, we have a lot of white birch and also yellow birch which is more beautiful, as it has a golden hue to it.  Both make a good bow.  Just make sure you let it dry well before you work on it.  White birch trees seem to grow straighter than yellow birch.  I'd take yellow over white.  But my favourite wood here is Hop Hornbeam or as we call it Ironwood.  I have made bows from maple, ash, white cedar, red cedar, lillac, oak, and hickory that is imported from the U.S.  I've also used tamarack, pine, and spruce although they are poor woods and you have to be very gentle with them.