The Wood Library
Janka hardness ~1,260 lbf Density ~640 kg/m³ Stability Moderate Workability Good
Hardwoods
Birch
Betula
A pale, even-grained hardwood that offers a lot of strength for the money. You will meet birch most often as the core of the very best plywood.
The facts
Best uses
- Premium plywood
- Cabinets & shelving
- Turned objects
- Toys
Watch out for
Birch is not durable outdoors and, like maple, can stain blotchily — it is happiest indoors with a clear or light finish.
Engineer's notes
Birch is the quiet value pick. Solid birch gives clean, modern furniture at a sensible price, and Baltic birch plywood — all those thin, void-free layers — is some of the finest sheet material we use in the workshop.
Want a piece made in this wood?
Talk to the workshop
