Warning and question about birch

[stuckinthemud]

So, I asked duckduckgo if silver birch was better than downy birch for bows and the second entry on the browser page infected my phone with a virus, or at least opened a page that said "virus detected downloading data" with lots of flashing coloured lines over the page.  Dunno if it actually was a virus or a scare-you to click on a link type page but still you have been warned 

Anyway, where I live is heartland for downy birch and many, many windfalls all year round, so, is downy birch good for bow building? 

[jameswoodmot]

I’d expect the main issue would be finding a piece that is long and clean enough, does it grow like that round you?

[stuckinthemud]

Everywhere, it's endemic here, seems to be quick growing and shallow rooted so gets blown down frequently, typically when the stems get to about 8" diameter - was planted over old coal tips and roadside verges but grows along steep valley sides, etc

[willie]

many varieties of birch exist and it's range is circumpolar.
even within species, densities vary with growing conditions

I would judge a stave by its density, and less so by its species if I was looking for more poundage at typical widths and lengths

[superdav95]

I don’t have an answer to your question unfortunately as we only get paper or white birch up here and it’s great stuff.  We do find small patches of the yellow birch too now and then but not like the paper birch.  I find the yellow birch harder to come by and so have never used it.   Your downy birch upon looking into seems to be your better option for backings.   I steam mine but a lot of guys boil theirs too.  Both work well I’m sure as it just needs to be pliable and splitting easily.   As for a bow wood I hear white birch is pretty good.  That it doesn’t crack too bad either with drying.  Where I live we have a lot of it around.  It’s very very windy here in southern Alberta and my goal this year is to find a suitable limb to make a fire hardened one much like I’ve done with my hickory bows.  The benefit of where I live is that it available and very wind hardy!  We don’t see a lot of downed trees here.  They all grow up with harsh wind all the time from day one.  I am betting they will translate into very hardy bows too. 

[bassman211]

I have made a lot of white birch bows.  It grows around the coal mine areas in my part of the state. , but  is on the soft side, and not very dense, but works OK for low poundage bows. Proper belly heat treating can make , or break a bow. Never had a back fail with it. The belly seems to fret, or crush first. Prone to set if not made wide, and long enough. Not a fast shooting wood, but smooth drawing. Give your wood a try.  Nothing ventured nothing gained. Make your first one low poundage.