Tom,
I have turned several different species of birch but not silver. The
quality of the wood from birch trees differs significantly from species to
species. White and yellow birch are fast growing trees with wide growth
rings and tend to deteriorate quickly. On the other hand, black and river
birch are slow growing trees with very tight growth rings. These are
excellent to turn and will store indefinitely if kept in a dry place. I
love the look of the slower growing birches. With an oil finish the wood
has some great depth and can have chatoyance. Hope this helps.
Tony Manella
ndd1"at"prolog.net (remove "at")
http://home.ptd.net/~ndd1/
Lehigh Valley Woodturners
www.lehighvalleywoodturners.com

"Tom Dougall" wrote in message
...
Another question about suitable wood for turning.

I can get a hold of a quantity of Silver Birch newly cut. I have been
told that it gets softer as it dries and is unsuitable for turning. Any
comments please.

Tom.