Sweet Gum

[NCDiesel]

I have an opportunity to get a big sweet gum tree that has already been dropped.  So I did some research.  Apparently the conventional wisdom here on this site is that it will twist and warp bad unless you nail it down green or possibly it will behave if you quartersaw, sticker well, and weight it good.  The tree is pretty straight but like all gum, its probably got a pretty twisted grain.

Problem is, I am not quite ready for the lumber.  Should I anchorseal the ends and wait until I am ready?   It will be a few months before I am ready.  Or would it be OK to quartersaw and sticker with heavy weights?

I was hoping to take my mill to the tree and haul lumber, rather than logs, back home. 

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[Magicman]

Saw it.  It has some beautifully colored wood grain and makes some very unique wall paneling, etc.  The lumber from old growth trees is better behaved than that from smaller trees.

[hackberry jake]

Saw it.  It has some beautifully colored wood grain and makes some very unique wall paneling, etc.  The lumber from old growth trees is better behaved than that from smaller trees.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

IMO....I would rather have a barn with SG siding than Pine siding.
But that's just me. 

[tjhammer]

   sawed one it had been down 1 1/2 yrs 28'' butt end dragged it off a creek bank sawed some 5/4 x8'' 2x4's and2x8's stacked in my shop and forgot about it for a couple yrs now I need dynamite to drive a nail but the lumber dryied fine except the quarter sawed it turned on one end
tj

[JohnM]

Saw it.  It has some beautifully colored wood grain and makes some very unique wall paneling, etc.  The lumber from old growth trees is better behaved than that from smaller trees.

x2  :D

[Magicman]

IMO....I would rather have a barn with SG siding than Pine siding. But that's just me. 

Not just you David.  SG siding will hold up probably as well as Poplar as long as you do not have any ground spatter or any area that gets roof runoff or that stays wet.

Everyone knows my dislike for Sweetgum, but it is the trees and sapling that will overtake any open land within a very few years.  It is very invasive, and I hates Sweetgum.

Logs and lumber is a completely different story, so I guess that I like dead Sweetgum.  Stickering the lumber can be problematic, but the lumber from large logs behaves quite well.  And yes, the colors in SG can be knockout pretty.  I have sawed many logs for customers that were used as wall paneling as well as board and batten siding.

[hackberry jake]

I cut down a sweet gum tree to build my sawshed, and I am still fighting sprouts that are coming out of the floor. The sawshed has been there over two years. There is little to no light that gets to the sprouts... surely they will give up the ghost one of these days.

[WDH]

I think that it all depends on what you do with the wood.  For siding, or for uses where each individual board is free to move on its own, like paneling or wainscotting or tongue-and-groove, it will work.  Glue it up in a wide panel for a piece of furniture like a table, not so easy, unless you like a cattywhompus table.  The spiral grain is difficult to deal with in sensitive situations  .

But, not all people are sensitive  :D. 

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

But, not all people are sensitive  :D.

[hackberry jake]

You guys talk about spiral grain like its a bad thing. Drive a nail into a straight grained board (like red oak or hickory) about an inch from the edge. It'll likely split on you. Try the same thing with a spiral grain board (like sweet gum, elm, or HACKBERRY) and theres a good chance she will stay together. just sayin. drying may be a little trickier but straight boards are kinda boring dont ya think? 8)

[WDH]

 :D :D

You have a point, but I don't use nails in my furniture  :-\.  It all depends on what you want to do with the wood.

[taylorsmissbeehaven]

Had  a fella ask for sweetgum for decking his equipment trailer. Never done that before. Any thoughts?Brian

[hackberry jake]

Tough and doesnt split. Also lighter weight and cheaper than oak. A lot of dumptruck sideboards are either black gum or sweet gum around here.