black birch for bow

[cobbler]

Was cutting firewood for my dad and found a nice black birch with a knot free section.  Split it up into 70 inch staves and sealed the ends.  Has anyone made a bow from black or yellow birch?  This is not a ring porous wood so it may get interesting chasing the rings on it with my tired eyes.  Was thinking that I might plane the outside of a stave and glue a backer to it if chasing the ring gets difficult.  Interested in hearing your experience.  Thanks for your advice, Cobble

[Pat B]

I made a few sweet birch(Betula lenta)bows years ago using Paul Comstock's overbuilt bow as an example. Yellow birch is the stronger birch I think. All of them are week in tension go a backing would be helpful. A simple cloth or paper backing should suffice. I wouldn't use boo or hickory on it.   Pat

[cobbler]

Thanks Pat - New to bow making and curious what kind of paper or cloth would be good and what glue works right.  Smoothon?  Did you use bring the back down to a single growth ring first?  Are bamboo and hickory overkill or would they cause other problems?   Cobble

[Pat B]

Cobble,  Brown grocery bag makes a good backing that will keep splinters from lifting. Silk or linen are a bit stronger. Tite-Bond II or TBIII works well, are cheap, readily available and is easy to clean up and has no odor. Hickory and especially bamboo would be overkill in my opinion. If this is your first bow make a simple flat bow(overbuilt) and learn the tillering process. The simple cloth or paper backing are easy to do and shouldn't effect the tiller.     Pat

[cobbler]

Thanks Pat - This is my first bow.  Have to wait a while before I can start on it as we are in the middle of prepping our house for sale and relocation.  For a guy who likes to build things it's hard to have most of your workshop packed away.   Now I know what to do with my old ties after I retire     Cobble

[Jim now in Kentucky]

Don't chase rings. Just use the first ring under the bark. I have made several unbacked pyramid bows  from yellow  birch.  I found it prone to warping  and twisting as it dried and all the bows took a lot of  string follow  compared to ash,  for instance.

Black Birch is listed as strongest here:

 http://www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/TechSheets/HardwoodNA/hardcommon.html

[Jim now in Kentucky]

(Black birch is the "sweet birch" in the table)

[Pat B]

River birch(Betula niger) is also called black birch. My field guide refers to both sweet and river birch as black birch.
   Cobbler, neck ties make good backings...especially the silk ones. Where are you moving to after Arlington? My daughter lives in DC but is soon moving to San Diego.    Pat