Sweetgum ovals

[kelLOGg]

Sweetgum is notorious for being hard to keep straight after sawmilling. I have experimented with sawing ovals where one end of the log is elevated on the mill making about a 30 degree angle with the mill bed. The resulting ovals have been dried and sterilized successfully and the heartwood is striking when finished. See my ad on Raleigh CraigsList under materials and the title Sweetgum ovals.

 

[DSWalker]

Very nice!

https://raleigh.craigslist.org/mat/d/durham-sweetgum-ovals/6788648164.html

 

[ScottM]

Have you ever considered cutting plaque sized ovals. Say 10" by 12" ?

 

[awldune]

Out of curiosity, what would be a typical application for these ovals? They are pretty but I wonder what you would do with them.

 

[walnutjerry]

I have seen ovals used for wall clocks, tole paintings and various crafty items. Jerry

Out of curiosity, what would be a typical application for these ovals? They are pretty but I wonder what you would do with them.

 

[Bill Clemmons]

If those dry reasonably flat I could imagine someone making a coffee table, or a similar sized piece. It says they are 5' x 16". The grain is certainly interesting. What gave you the idea to cut them at a slant instead of the more traditional method?

 

[ScottM]

I have seen ovals used for wall clocks, tole paintings and various crafty items. Jerry

Me too but these oval are 5' long by 2" thick. Craft ovals are typically only 3/4" thick and seldom longer then 24". More like 8" to 16" long range.

 

[kelLOGg]

ScottM,

That size is approaching a round or "cookie" and I think it would be prone to crack as all cookies I have ever made have done. So, no, I have not tried the plaque-sized dimension you mentioned. Such a cut requires a near vertical orientation of the log on the mill so a short log would be required. If you have such a short log I would be glad to try it for you.

Sawyers sometimes get requests for "cookies" for table settings for a wedding and the general consensus among sawyers is to cut them the day of the wedding so they won't be cracked. In other words they should be treated like a wedding cake and picked up the same day.

Bob

 

[kelLOGg]

If those dry reasonably flat I could imagine someone making a coffee table, or a similar sized piece. It says they are 5' x 16". The grain is certainly interesting. What gave you the idea to cut them at a slant instead of the more traditional method?

I saw a utube video of someone sawing an elm the same way. Elm is another wood that walks away when it dries if it is sawn into typical lumber. I wondered if sweetgum would be a good candidate for this method because there is so much in the South and many people hate the tree. It is a good candidate. It saws like a dream. I air-dried for 3 - 4 months followed by kiln drying for two more months. It dries very slowly BUT the ovals are flat and straight IF they have bark 360 degrees around them; half ovals cracked when drying presumably due to the exposed wood on the ends.

My assumption is that they will end up as coffee tables; glass top and some suitable legs. I just can't decide on what would make good legs.

 

[scsmith42]

Well done Bob!

 

[kelLOGg]

Thanks, Scott. It has been a long process for the drying part. They were in and out of the kiln as I made space for other jobs but they finally dried. I am pleased with the success of sawing, stability of the ovals and the eventual drying. I thought I found a game-changer for sweetgum … and I did if I ignore that they are not selling. :<(

 

[scsmith42]

Thanks, Scott. It has been a long process for the drying part. They were in and out of the kiln as I made space for other jobs but they finally dried. I am pleased with the success of sawing, stability of the ovals and the eventual drying. I thought I found a game-changer for sweetgum … and I did if I ignore that they are not selling. :<(

Try sanding them, spraying with mineral spirits and then taking photo’s. It should really help pop the grain and hopefully lead to some sales. Those really look great.

 

[Xlogger]

Bob, don't get worried about sales. Sometimes I'll get what I think is the best looking slabs out of the kiln and they might sit around for a year before I sell them. You never know what folks are looking for and when they need something like you have. That's why I'm building a larger shed to replace the one the snow collapsed.

 

[kelLOGg]

Thanks for the encouragement, Scott and Xlogger. I guess I'll have to be more patient. One of the CL pics is of a planed oval that is rubbed with Tung oil. Will mineral spirits do a better job of showing off the grain? I'll try it and find out.

 

[Jeff]

I think this is about like the way Bob made his oval slabs. :icon_scra

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV8K_4AfG-A

 

[kelLOGg]

That's it, Jeff. Someone posted that on the Forestry Forum where I have participated for years and decided to apply it to sweetgum. The Utube poster warned of the risk of this sawing technique and of experiencing a "tipping point" where the log abruptly shifts. The way I supported the log I had no such tipping point and I didn't find it particularly dangerous as long as the band blade is very sharp and doesn't require much pushing force. I have cut only sweetgum which cuts very easily; I doubt I would cut other woods that behave better when drying. Sweetgum and elm just need to be QSawed or "ovalized" to make them behave.
Bob