Sycamore tips

[John Hicks]

I was out getting some walnut logs and this guy had a huge sycamore log (over 5ft across), and of course, sopping wet green. He milled a nice chunk 3 inches thick, and bark to bark for me; I got 12 18x18 square blanks from it. The color is very pink in the center with some figure I wasn't expecting. I have never turned sycamore other than a piece or two for small lidded boxes.
Can this be turned wet? I've read it moves like crazy after turning, and is hard to stabilize. Do any of you have any suggestions on how to store/dry this stuff? I plan on cutting one of the blanks up into 3x3's for small lidded boxes.
There is always such great advise and a conglomerate of experience within this community; you'll have to excuse me for asking so many questions. I can't wait until my local AAW chapter is able to meet again, as I have saved a bunch of logs for the raffles.

 

[robo hippy]

Most of the sycamore I have turned is rather plain colored. I did get one that was redder than that when fresh cut, but the red faded when exposed to air. It still had more color than the other sycamore trees I had turned. Best figure is from the medullary rays, and to get the best showing of that, it needs to be quarter sawn, so with bowl blanks, you want the center of the tree to be the bottom of the bowl, or a center slab for platters. Yes, it holds a lot of water, and frequently warps way past the 10% rule for twice turning. You can leave it thicker than most woods for once turned bowls, say up to about 3/8 inch thick. It will soak up huge amounts of finish. It turns easily.

robo hippy

 

[Dave Bunge]

My only experience with sycamore was disappointing. The log had pretty bad ring shake. Some was obvious and easy to avoid. But some didn't show up until rough turned blanks started to dry. I don't think I ended up with any finished bowls. Not sure if that is common in sycamore or if I just got a bad log. But perhaps something for you to watch out for.

 

[Gary Beasley]

Quartersawn sycamore has a pattern similar to snakewood and can look quite nice finished out right.

 

[Richard Coers]

Flat sawn sycamore moves a lot when cut into lumber, and you should see a fair amount of movement as it dries. Turns just fine wet

 

[Donovan Bailey]

Here on the east coast, sycamore grows best in low-lying wet/damp areas (along streams, rivers, etc.). As such, the wood tends to warp pretty badly as it sheds all of the moisture so you need to turn is extra think if you are thinking of a twice-turning. I've tried to once-turn it on several occasions but not been very successful with it due to the warp. The wood cuts and sands great...but I always seem to end up with a greasy look to the final finish no matter what finish I try.

 

[hockenbery]

Sycamore has nice ray flecks.
Makes a nice NE Bowl,

Is ok for a twice turned bowl up to 12” where they don’t move so much.

Easy to turn and work with. Generally uninteresting wood except for the ray flecks

In this thread there is a link to the part of the demo where I return a dried bowl.
This dried bowl is sycamore 11” diameter. It’s roughed out at about 1.25”
It yields a nice long bowl around a 3/8 - 1/2” wall thickness
A screen grab from video shows the oval ness inside after the outside of the bowl is round.

My method of lining up then work for returning let’s you ge the largest finished bowl from a dried rough out.
https://www.aawforum.org/community/index.php?threads/working-with-green-wood.11626/
bowl was dried in bags.

 

[Randy Anderson]

I just this week cut up some very big slabs of sycamore I got from a neighbor. Huge tree. Most of top was dead and punky but a lot of bottom 6' or so was very solid wood that looks exactly like your blank. Some good color that I hope holds. Good to know how it moves a lot. All bark gone and outer part of tree not solid enough to keep so will plan my traditional bowls accordingly for warping.

 

[Lou Jacobs]

Like Dave, above, I’ve had some disappointing experience with sycamore with ring shake. Just a few days ago I threw a few pieces on the fire that I’d had drying for a couple of years, and saw were separating in a way that precluded getting any decent bowls out of them.

 

[Owen Lowe]

I love the sycamore that grows in the Pacific Northwest. One of my favorites to turn - yes, moves a lot - reminds me of Madrone in the surface textures left after drying. Finishes well with oil/varnish. The fine ray flecks are reminiscent of quarter-sawn cherry.

 

[robo hippy]

I think that most of what we have out west is London Plane, and you pretty much need to be an arborist to tell the difference. I remember the American Sycamore trees back in the mid west in the winter, they were white and kind of looked like skeletons out in the woods. They can have 1 inch growth rings out here because we get a lot of rain and have a long mild growing season. The biggest difference between madrone and sycamore warping is that I can predict what the sycamore will do. You just can't ever tell for sure with madrone.

robo hippy

 

[Jason Goodrich]

I just rough turned a pair of sycamore bowls at 22” and 23” diameter. Of course I look for advise after turning them. This tread is making me a bit nervous. I sealed them up and I guess I will just have to wait and see how they do.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

In turned a 16 inch bread bowl with little problem. Cannot tell you how bad the movement was but it is still making bread every week. Just use bags and watch it.