Birch suvel: features, application and harvesting

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Birch suvel, or, as it is often called by the people, tree bone, is a unique natural formation that is of great value to craftsmen. After processing from this material, carvers make beautiful wooden products. In the article, we will consider what a birch suvel is, what it is used for.

What is this?

Suvel (sviel) is a rounded outgrowth on the trunks of birch trees. May also be found in other breeds. It grows pretty fast. Consists of twisted or deformed wood fibers. Suveli can be located in a circle of a tree or be in groups on the same section of the trunk.

Usually, this material is harvested in places of windbreak or at sawmills. The nature of the formation of outgrowths is still not fully known. Some argue that this is due to external influence on the trunk of the tree or disease, resulting in the formation of a hall, which after a while becomes overgrown with fibers.

What not to confuse with?

Newbies from those who are not veryfamiliar with what a birch suvel is, they can confuse it with a burl. By the way, the second one is much rarer and is considered more valuable. Their main difference is the presence of knots in the longitudinal section, a distinct core, a small pattern, pronounced ornate layers. Moreover, there are no repeating patterns of burls in nature, they all have a unique pattern.

The surface of the suvel under the bark is smooth, less often with large tubercles. In burls, it is small-bumpy, small branches grow from it. Suveli is not as dense and easier to process.

Amazing phenomenon

With the correct sawing of the birch tree, you can see amazing phenomena. To be more precise, the interweaving of wood fibers form mother-of-pearl areas with a unique pattern. They begin to emit a special glow, reflected from the sunlight. The effect looks very beautiful in finished products, for example, in a stacked handle made of birch suvel.

The pattern and color are distinguished by their uniqueness, as a rule, it is brownish-ocher, pale pink, straw with pearly sheen, less often - dark brown with a marsh tint.

What determines the appearance?

The color scheme of the material depends on the species and conditions of the area where the wood grows. For example, if a birch tree is cut in a wetland, its color is likely to be dark with a greenish tint.

And if it is found on the butt (10-20 cm underground or 10-20 cm above the soil surface) and covered with moss, it will most often have a dark browncolor with pinkish streaks or a yellowish-golden background with dark annual rings.

How to collect a suvel?

People who just walk in the forest, picking berries or mushrooms, do not notice the growths on the trees at all. If you purposefully look for caps or suveli, then you can meet them quite often. They can be located at the foot or at the top of the trunk, where it is almost impossible to get them without a ladder. If we talk about the terrain, it can be a swampy lowland or a sand and stone plain.

Rotting outgrowths are often encountered, giving the impression that the tree is trying to get rid of the stubble. If you cut off any undamaged part, it will also rot after a certain period of time.

The slower the tree grows in adverse conditions, the denser the plexus of fibers and the harder the material. It is impossible to predict the drawing of a suveli, but the more clumsy it is, the more beautiful the pattern will be. At the same time, it is possible to make a voluminous piece out of it only in exceptional cases.

Due to the fact that the material is hard, it is quite difficult to cut it off the first time, the canvas quickly becomes dull. From the second run, things go much faster. When harvesting a birch suvel, you need to try to ensure that the cut is even, runs parallel to the trunk. So that the tree does not die, it is advisable to treat the saw cut with a wound healing solution. It can be purchased from the garden section of the store.

If the growth encircles the trunk, then it cannot be cut down, as the tree may die.

How to dry suvelbirch trees?

The appearance of raw materials depends on the method of preparation of raw materials, and then the finished product. There are several different ways of initial processing. The wood can be left in the air under natural conditions for a year or two, or the process can be accelerated by other methods. Below we describe a faster way.

For drying, the bark is removed from the workpiece, wrapped in newspaper in several layers, then placed in a black plastic bag. The paper does not allow the material to heat up quickly, the package creates the effect of a steam room. Black polyethylene quickly heats up from sunlight (when drying suvel on the street) or from a battery. The process occurs evenly, which prevents cracking of the tree. The package must be tied, leaving a small vent. The first 10 days the newspapers are changed twice a day for dry ones, the next 15 days once is enough. By the end of the term, the paper should remain practically dry. In general, the process takes 25-30 days, the wood retains its natural color and does not crack.

How to cook?

This method is used by many masters. During the cooking of the material in one way or another, you can give the wood the desired shade, speed up the drying or develop the existing pattern. The appearance of the birch suvel product will depend on this.

The process is as follows:

1. Place blanks, previously peeled from bark, in a pan. Next, pour water in such a way that it covers the wood by 2-3 cm. Then add 2 tbsp. tablespoons of coarse s alt per liter of water and put on fire. In addition to this, inthe solution is added coniferous, birch or alder sawdust. They give the suvel a dark amber to golden color.
2. After the water boils, the fire is made slow and the material is cooked for 4 hours, if the workpiece is large - 6 hours. Then the liquid is drained and the wood is left to dry. On the second and third day, the process must be repeated. The result should be 12-18 hours of cooking in 3 days.
3. Cooking in brine is due to a simple physical reaction. The tree contains sap, the density of which is lower than saline. During cooking, the liquid penetrates the material and dehydrates it. This happens by displacing the tree sap and imbibing the s alt solution. As a result, the diffusion of the liquid occurs and the suvel dries up. After cooking, the wood is wrapped in newspaper and packed in a plastic bag. The next day, the paper should be slightly damp, the suvel can be left to dry naturally. If desired, you can dry the material for another day with the help of a newspaper.

Roughing

Before starting work, it is important to decide on the type of future product. If the birch suvel craft is vertical (for example, a vase, a candlestick), then it is better to cut in this direction and immediately form the bottom of the product. When making a bowl, box, dish, the inside is chosen from top to bottom. Remove excess wood, moving from the walls to the center at an angle of 45 °. The best option would be to use a semicircular chisel or drill.

Note: don't overdo itthin the walls. When dry, they can become brittle or crack. As a rule, products with sufficient bead thickness look prettier, more durable and last longer.

After pre-shaping, the wood is left for another 1-2 days outdoors away from direct sunlight (or indoors, again wrapped in newspaper). After that, proceed to the next stage.

Finishing the product

Because each piece of material is unique in nature, it must be carefully inspected before being finished. Perhaps the knot that was originally wanted to be removed will be the highlight of the finished product, for example, handles made of birch suvel.

During finishing, the angularity of the material forms is removed in order to bring it closer to the finished look and reveal the structure of the tree. If natural flaws or small cracks are revealed during processing, they will have to be repaired with a mixture of sawdust and glue. In the worst case, you will need to deviate from the original idea and modify the product.

After completing the internal and external processing of the suvel, they begin to clean up the roughness. This can be done with a scraper, wire brush, rasp. Movements should be frequent and small so as not to spoil the material. At the end, grinding is performed with a drill with special nozzles. If one is not available, they are processed manually with sandpaper, the second option is even more welcome. You need to start with a large (five), then in descending order move to the finest grit.

The finished product is cleaned of dust, tinted if necessary. If desired, you can varnish the wood, rub it with wax or hot drying oil. The process of working with strilis is very long and laborious, which is why products made from it have a high cost. The price of a birch suvel varies from 100 rubles. for a processed bar with a size of 120 × 40 × 30 mm up to 200 rubles. per kilogram of sawn raw materials.

What can be made?

The beauty of the suvel allows you to make a variety of items from it, it all depends on the master's imagination. Very often you can see the original jewelry made from this wood material: earrings, pendants, bracelets and rings. In ancient times, carvers made dishes, mugs, spoons, bowls from it. All this was used in the economy for its intended purpose. For example, the Finns make their traditional Scandinavian kuksa from this raw material.

However, most often birch burl is taken on the handle of knives. The unchanging qualities of the material played a role in this, such as density, ease of processing, hardness, pliability to polishing, beautiful texture, weaving of fibers and radiance.

Thanks to the natural pattern on the wood, figurines of animals and birds are carved from suvel. The pattern successfully imitates plumage, wool or skin. Smooth bends themselves suggest the idea of what can be done from it, it is enough just to remove the excess. Often, a framed wood pattern serves as a decorative panel or other art objects.

If we talk about functional things from birch suvel, knives stand here onfirst place. More precisely, their handles. Next come boxes, frames, mouthpieces and pipes, reed and instrument bases, office supplies and more. Such items not only fulfill their function, but also speak of the good taste and status of their owner.