Gauging interest - American Sycamore.

[jeff...]

Next weekend I’m going to be milling one of the wildest looking tress I’ve seen. It’s an American Sycamore, he told me it was a box elder but I stopped by today and it’s not. The main trunk spirals up about 8’ to a multi limbed crotch and the burl curls around the main trunk in the opposite direction like a barber shop pole. It’s approx 30” in dia and should yield some wild looking lumber; it’s a twisted sister for sure. We’ll be milling it into 8/4 as wide as we can get it. If there is interest I could go thicker for bowl blanks (no pith this time).
Also at the same location we’ll be milling up 8 black walnut trees ranging from 14” to 30” dia. The guy is an avid hunter, makes turkey calls and wants some black walnut gun stock blanks, I think those are 8/4 too. We’ll be splitting every thing 50-50, so if everything goes well I should have an abundance.

He also said he’ll be hunting a pecking for some other stuff in the woods, so we’ll see what he drags up to be sawed.

If anyone is interested let me know. Oh price, everyone wants to know price, cheap - I’m not in it to make a ton of money.

Thanks

 

[woodguy1975]

Next weekend I’m going to be milling one of the wildest looking tress I’ve seen. It’s an American Sycamore, he told me it was a box elder but I stopped by today and it’s not. The main trunk spirals up about 8’ to a multi limbed crotch and the burl curls around the main trunk in the opposite direction like a barber shop pole. It’s approx 30” in dia and should yield some wild looking lumber; it’s a twisted sister for sure. We’ll be milling it into 8/4 as wide as we can get it. If there is interest I could go thicker for bowl blanks (no pith this time).
Also at the same location we’ll be milling up 8 black walnut trees ranging from 14” to 30” dia. The guy is an avid hunter, makes turkey calls and wants some black walnut gun stock blanks, I think those are 8/4 too. We’ll be splitting every thing 50-50, so if everything goes well I should have an abundance.

He also said he’ll be hunting a pecking for some other stuff in the woods, so we’ll see what he drags up to be sawed.

If anyone is interested let me know. Oh price, everyone wants to know price, cheap - I’m not in it to make a ton of money.

Thanks

I'm in for either the walnut or the sycamore. I've been looking to locate some sycamore for a chair. I think the grain pattern could really make for a stunning rocker.

Thanks,

John

 

[NZAPP1]

Jeff
I would be interested in 2 0r 3- 4 or 6 inch thick 8x8 or 10x 10 bowl blanks of each. Let me know what you are thinking of making. :icon_thum :eusa_danc

 

[Travis Porter]

I might be interested. Never used any sycamore before. Isn't it supposed to be straight grained?

 

[jeff...]

John, please post, a cutting schedule and I'll see if I can match it.

Thanks

 

[Kyle]

If it has a spiral grain it wont be wortha hoot as every board will have twist as it drys. Aint no way to get this out either. I have sawed a cherry and a holly this year (big!) that had a counter clockwise twist to the trunk and hardly any of it stayed straight..

Not to be a buzz kill just an FYI before you spend a lot of time TRYING to dry it flat.

 

[cskipper]

I'd be interested in both.

 

[jeff...]

Kyle thanks for the heads up, I appreciate you sharing knowledge. Quick question; did the boards twist as the came off the log? I've had a couple logs do that to me seems there's lots of tension in the log. I saw those logs up into fire wood, because I know the lumber that comes off them isn't worth a hoot anyways. I'll have to see what boards fall off the log, if they aren't any good, there's always firewood. I'll try and take a few pics for you to look at so you can see what you think.

Thanks again

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

I saw a dresser that had 1/4 sawn sycamore drawer boxes. They really looked fantastic!!!!!

 

[jeff...]

Interesting Alan, thanks - I didn't know American Sycamore could benefit from being quartered, I'm a sycamore virgin, this will be my first :lol:. I've got to do a little research before next weekend and see if there is anything different I need to do. Every tree species is a little different, so I'll keep this in mind while researching.

Thanks again...

 

[ccccarving]

Jeff
I wouldn't mind having a couple pieces for bowls. Let me know how much it will cost me and how to get it.
Thanks Charlie

 

[jeff...]

Jeff
I wouldn't mind having a couple pieces for bowls. Let me know how much it will cost me and how to get it.
Thanks Charlie

Charlie, I'm trying to learn how to relief carve. Nothing at all like your red tail hawk. How about a few pointers in exchange for some lumber? I'll even deliver.


Thanks

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

Interesting Alan, thanks - I didn't know American Sycamore could benefit from being quartered, I'm a sycamore virgin, this will be my first :lol:. I've got to do a little research before next weekend and see if there is anything different I need to do. Every tree species is a little different, so I'll keep this in mind while researching.

Thanks again...

I didn't either so you can't prove it by me. That's what they told me though.

 

[DaveO]

Jeff...check this out. Might give you some idea of what you could be cutting.
Exotic Wood sycamore
HTH, Dave

 

[jeff...]

Dave Thanks for the link - interesting read and pictures. I think what I might do is half this log down the pitch, put half on my trailer to cut up later at home. From the looks of the pictures it might require me to study the log a little to figure out how to get the best whatevre from it. Expecially since I've never sawed any before.

Thanks again...

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

Jeff...check this out. Might give you some idea of what you could be cutting.
Exotic Wood sycamore
HTH, Dave

Yup, that's the stuff I remember on the drawer boxes -

 

[Larry Rose]

I just finished 2 demilune tables using walnut for the legs and frame and QS sycamore for the top. I was going to use lace wood but was scared off by an earlier thread. It turned out great, looks just like lacewood and worked fair ( a little easy to get tearout ) I got mine from a company called Curly Woods. Ad is in Fine Woodworking.

 

[ccccarving]

Jeff,
I've never done any releif carving, but I'll be glad to help anyway I can. Your welcome to come to my house or I'll meet you somewhere.
Thanks again Craig:lol:

 

[woodguy1975]

John, please post, a cutting schedule and I'll see if I can match it.

Thanks

I'll hold off on the sycamore since it does exibit the spiral characteristic. I really want flat 8/4 wood for my work.

Thanks,

John

 

[BobN]

Jeff,
I would be interested in some of the Sycamore. I have a couple pieces of quarter sawn Sycamore that is beautiful, but not enough to build any furniture from. Would also be interested in some turning blanks if I can get them large enough to turn something from. At least a 20 inch square about 3 - 5 inches thick.

By the way the Walnut is drying pretty good. Checked it yesterday and the boards on top were at 18% and the boards close to the bottom of the stack were at 20 - 22%. By spring it will probably be OK to use. May take my stack down and re-stack it putting the boards from the bottom on top. By comparison some Walnut I have in my shed is at 6%. It has been in the shed since early June when I got the wood from The North Carolina Hardwood Store. I would have figured that it would have pick up more moisture than that having been stored in the shed all summer, but it hasn't.

Let me know about the Sycamore, I would take smaller turning blanks, but would sure love to get some large ones to turn.

Bob