Quartersawn Birch for Box Bands (Includes Cover & Bottom Band)

Please Note (11/3/24): Additional quantities will be available towards the end of December.

Note: The pricing includes both the top and bottom bands.

Please note: All lumber orders must meet a minimum total of $125.00. This ensures that your order qualifies for free shipping within the United States. We appreciate your understanding.

This quartersawn birch lumber is carefully selected and prepared to help you create beautiful Shaker-style boxes. The wood is sawn (not sliced) to prevent any knife splits, then run through a drum sander with a final pass at 180 grit for a smooth finish. It’s air-dried (not kiln dried), which helps retain its flexibility during the bending process.

Why Choose Quartersawn Birch?
Birch is a great choice for Shaker boxes, offering both beauty and ease of workability. It reminds me of working with cherry in terms of how easy it is to trim and bend—I feel it’s much easier than maple. Birch also takes paint exceptionally well, making it ideal for painted pieces. When clear coating, especially if heartwood is showing, birch can be very pretty indeed. If you plan on using this lumber for clear coating, please send me a note so I can pick out a few pieces that I think would look best.

A Bit of Final Touching Up:
The bands come sanded to 180 grit, but I recommend giving them a quick sanding after trimming the swallowtail joints and before bending. It’s not always necessary, but I believe it's worth the little bit of time it takes.

About the Dimensions:
I slightly increased the width of the bands by about 1/8" a few years back to better suit my process. This change shouldn’t affect your existing finger templates if you purchased them from John Wilson—I still use the ones I got from John back in 1993. The dimensions listed are approximate, with minor variations that shouldn’t impact your project. The thickness is a target, and since the final passes through the drum sander are done right before shipping, you can request a slightly thicker or thinner piece if needed—just let me know after your purchase.

Approximate Dimensions for Each Size:

• Size #0: Thickness: 0.062 inches, Bottom Width: 1 3/16 inches, Bottom Length: 11 7/8 inches, Top Width: 9/16 inches, Top Length: 12 1/4 inches
• Size #1: Thickness: 0.065 inches, Bottom Width: 1 5/8 inches, Bottom Length: 15 inches, Top Width: 5/8 inches, Top Length: 15 1/2 inches
• Size #2: Thickness: 0.070 inches, Bottom Width: 2 1/8 inches, Bottom Length: 19 inches, Top Width: 3/4 inches, Top Length: 19 3/4 inches
• Size #3: Thickness: 0.075 inches, Bottom Width: 2 5/8 inches, Bottom Length: 23 inches, Top Width: 13/16 inches, Top Length: 24 inches
• Size #4: Thickness: 0.080 inches, Bottom Width: 3 3/16 inches, Bottom Length: 27 inches, Top Width: 7/8 inches, Top Length: 28 inches
• Size #5: Thickness: 0.090 inches, Bottom Width: 3 13/16 inches, Bottom Length: 31 inches, Top Width: 1 1/16 inches, Top Length: 32 inches
• Size #6: Thickness: 0.095 inches, Bottom Width: 4 1/2 inches, Bottom Length: 36 inches, Top Width: 1 3/16 inches, Top Length: 37 inches
• Size #7: Thickness: 0.115 inches, Bottom Width: 5 3/16 inches, Bottom Length: 40 1/2 inches, Top Width: 1 1/4 inches, Top Length: 42 inches
• Size #8: Thickness: 0.125 inches, Bottom Width: 5 7/8 inches, Bottom Length: 45 inches, Top Width: 1 5/16 inches, Top Length: 46 1/2 inches

This birch lumber is ready for your next project, and I’m happy to help with any specific needs or questions you might have. Feel free to reach out!