Company putting in new bridge gave me some sycamore logs… largest is 38″ on big end…..too big for my Norwood Sawmill…mite have to find a Woodmizer sawyer with hydraulic lifts and turners.
Not to familiar with Syc as Im a ridge runner not a bottom land feeder as far as wood harvesting goes.. Anyone know how it saws out? Is it stable? I heard its pretty quarter sawn.
Its going to be a real chore dealing with such big stuff just trying to make sure it will be worth the work. Dont see stuff this big much hate to see them go to waste.
Replies
I don't know anything about the cutting and drying of sycamore, but I do know that the quartersawn stuff can be really pretty. It has a ray pattern similiar to qs white oak. What I have bought is very nice to work with.
I hope someone else can give you info on cutting and drying.
Bruce
tree,
It's not especially attractive or stable flatsawn. Quartersawn is the way to go - beautiful ray fleck pattern. You should get some really nice QS boards from that log.
Good luck,
Lee
I have only used Sycamore a few times. Well worth keeping if you can get it!
Sycamore has always been considered a secondary wood used for frames drawer boxes and runners. Sycamore twists a lot if it is not dried properly and is flat sawed. With logs that size I would seriously consider having the whole lot of them q-sawn. Quatersawn sycamore has been substituted for lacewood in some situations by less than honest dealers. If you Q-S the logs I think you will have beautiful stock that you can use wherever. Sycamore works a lot like soft maple and is a little fuzzy, but still worth using. Stack it carefully and dry it slowly and you will have no trouble with it snaking on you unless the trees were leaning on the side of a hill. Leaners drive me crazy.
A sawyer I use to get stuff from had some pink sycamore that when I looked at it swore it was lacewood. Absolutely fantastic! Go to http://www.woodweb.com find a sawyer and get it cut QS. OOH's and AAAH's will follow. I wish I had some free logs!
If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it.
And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
It is a fun wood for the lathe....bowls etc. As other have said 1/4 sawn it is a nice wood with a awesome grain pattern
Sycamore has spiral grain, and flatsawn, is apt to bow and twist. Especially if glued up in panels. It is beautiful, but it can break your heart. Q-sawn is better for stability. There is a reason that sycamore is not a significant commercial wood and that it is not grown and targeted for commercially. That is because of the instability resulting from the spiral grain. Otherwise, since it grows very fast, it would be a target species for commercial timber production. But, it is not.
Used as a secondary wood for drawer sides, etc. it works. But that is because it is not usually needed to be used in wide glued panels. It is more hydroscopic than most woods; it seems to pick up and retain moisture (like from changes in humidiity) than other important commercial hardwoods.
It is the most difficult wood that I have ever worked with, but also one of the most beautiful. Nature of the beast.
It is the anti-poplar, referring to a wood similiar in density i.e. yellow poplar, but it has all the adverse characteristics that yellow poplar does not. A similar beautiful wood that is exceedingly abundant, sweetgum, also has spiral grain and the resulting difficulties thereof. So, sweetgum, although beautiful, has been relegated to a wood used mainly for pallets and crossties rather than for furniture. There is a good reason for that. Spiral grain.
You can use it, and to beautiful effect, but you have to understand it and be exceedingly patient and forgiving. Otherwise it will captivate you, then break your heart.
This is just my experience. Others may be different.
Edited 3/18/2009 11:08 pm ET by DHAM
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