Any uses for spalted Sycamore

ozarkgem · April 08, 2016, 06:23:26 PM

I sawed up 2 8' Sycamore logs today and had some spalting in some of it. It was all my mill wanted. Big logs. 520 bf from 2 logs. Would have been a little more but mr. nail paid a visit. Here are some pics

any way a good day of sawing. I am still not sure what made my mill start sawing like it should. I guess all the mods finally came together. I really enjoy sawing now.
well I got 2 pics of the same thing. How do I remove one?

bkaimwood · April 08, 2016, 07:02:19 PM

Lord no...you should ship it all here...

ozarkgem · April 08, 2016, 07:42:50 PM

Quote from: bkaimwood on April 08, 2016, 07:02:19 PM
Lord no...you should ship it all here...

so its firewood?

bkaimwood · April 08, 2016, 07:52:00 PM

Heavens no...my motto is nothing with blackline spalting is firewood... Those are some pretty pieces of lumber... A friend of mine did a table with it...its kind of bland by nature, but the spalting negates it to a sense, and adds interest. Sycamore is prettiest quartersawn, has beautiful ray flecks to it...you may see it in a couple of pieces of you flat sawed it, the ones near the pith...

ozarkgem · April 08, 2016, 07:54:54 PM

Quote from: bkaimwood on April 08, 2016, 07:52:00 PM
Heavens no...my motto is nothing with blackline spalting is firewood... Those are some pretty pieces of lumber... A friend of mine did a table with it...its kind of bland by nature, but the spalting negates it to a sense, and adds interest. Sycamore is prettiest quartersawn, has beautiful ray flecks to it...you may see it in a couple of pieces of you flat sawed it, the ones near the pith...

I was thinking of using it for some bedroom furniture. Just to be different. I like working with Cedar but every Amish sawmill sells Cedar furniture so I need to be different. So I thought this might work.

bkaimwood · April 08, 2016, 08:26:53 PM

Certainly will!!! Nice and odd find...I love and look for odd stuff..everyone has plain stuff, special stuff, is, well, special... Congratulations on the find. Hope to see a thread on the furniture build...

gww · April 08, 2016, 09:56:43 PM

Ozark
I cut sycomore yesterday and today. They have been on the ground since last july. They had dark streaks in them also. I also flat sawed them but really had no choice cause they were only about 13/15 inch on the small side. I would quartersaw if I could find a big one. I have had mixed results with sycomore so far. I made an 8x8 beam that has been laying around since july and is strait as an arrow. I tried to make 2x4s and the log had so much stress that I could not get consistant thickness and they warped all over the place and were only good for brace boards to hold up walls while building and stakes.

I flat sawed today and am hoping that they stay good enough to use as porch flooring for a covered small porch in front of doors. I have my fingers crossed but have my doubts. The boards did look good coming off the mill but I did notice a small amount of stress and am worried about them going all funky before all is said and done. My blade loves sycomore and my body does too due to softness and weight. I have more to do so if you find a something that works real well with it please share.

I sure hope it works on the floor. I love cutting it but don't know what to do with it and mine are not big enough to quarter saw.
Cheers
gww

pineywoods · April 08, 2016, 11:12:17 PM

I slabbed a big 32 inch sycamore earlier this week. It was spalted through and through. Cut it into 2 inch and 4 inch slabs with 1 free edge. Customer will bookmatch pairs and make 4 ft wide table tops. No pics, but I still have the butt log, I'll try to saw it next week and get pics.

Kcwoodbutcher · April 09, 2016, 12:17:29 AM

I usually slab it if I know it's going to be spalted. Great use for sections with several knots as the spalting will infiltrate through the knots. I get $2.75 to $3.50 a BF for it and it doesn't stick around long.

123maxbars · April 09, 2016, 05:40:56 AM

Nice wood!

ozarkgem · April 09, 2016, 05:55:41 AM

Quote from: Kcwoodbutcher on April 09, 2016, 12:17:29 AM
I usually slab it if I know it's going to be spalted. Great use for sections with several knots as the spalting will infiltrate through the knots. I get $2.75 to $3.50 a BF for it and it doesn't stick around long.

That is good to know. These have been cut a little over a year. I have a lot more Sycamore trees to cut.

ozarkgem · April 09, 2016, 05:58:27 AM

Quote from: gww on April 08, 2016, 09:56:43 PM
Ozark
I cut sycomore yesterday and today. They have been on the ground since last july. They had dark streaks in them also. I also flat sawed them but really had no choice cause they were only about 13/15 inch on the small side. I would quartersaw if I could find a big one. I have had mixed results with sycomore so far. I made an 8x8 beam that has been laying around since july and is strait as an arrow. I tried to make 2x4s and the log had so much stress that I could not get consistant thickness and they warped all over the place and were only good for brace boards to hold up walls while building and stakes.

I flat sawed today and am hoping that they stay good enough to use as porch flooring for a covered small porch in front of doors. I have my fingers crossed but have my doubts. The boards did look good coming off the mill but I did notice a small amount of stress and am worried about them going all funky before all is said and done. My blade loves sycomore and my body does too due to softness and weight. I have more to do so if you find a something that works real well with it please share.

I sure hope it works on the floor. I love cutting it but don't know what to do with it and mine are not big enough to quarter saw.
Cheers
gww
I have some 500 lb concrete blocks I poured just for weighing down rebel wood. I will let you know how it works. I will put a sheet of tin on then the blocks. I plan on using most of it in my next cabin build.

rooster 58 · April 09, 2016, 06:41:16 AM

Turkey calls ;)

gww · April 09, 2016, 08:43:07 AM

You can't see the ink lines well in these pictures but the last log I took to my brothers was a little bigger and a little more colorful. I have several logs elsewhere also. I don't know why the pics turned out so bad.

gww

WDH · April 09, 2016, 09:58:45 AM

I have sworn to never flat saw sycamore. If it can't be quartersawn, I don't want to fool with it. At least 50% loss due to twist and warp. Quartersawn, however, it is the Queen of the Ball. One of my most favorite woods. Here is some that I planed today. Customsawyer and I milled it late last Fall. The board on the right is a bit more than 12" wide.

tule peak timber · April 09, 2016, 10:18:44 AM

WDH ,,,stunning looking wood !

To answer Ozarks original question-try harp makers. Rob

ozarkgem · April 09, 2016, 06:20:03 PM

Quote from: tule peak timber on April 09, 2016, 10:18:44 AM
WDH ,,,stunning looking wood ! To answer Ozarks original question-try harp makers. Rob
[/quote
Harp makers. who would have thought.

tule peak timber · April 09, 2016, 07:29:44 PM

Just my experience

Kcwoodbutcher · April 09, 2016, 09:57:22 PM

When I'm slabing a large spalted sycamore log the slabs from the center with the Qs figure go for a premium. I've not had much trouble with twist and warp if I saw at 2 !/4" thick and let the log get just to the right side of punky.

gww · April 10, 2016, 12:05:43 AM

kc

QuoteI've not had much trouble with twist and warp if I saw at 2 !/4" thick and let the log get just to the right side of punky.

When I cut the log right after falling it the stress was horrible. I cut these older ones and I noticed a little stress on one bark cut but over all they actually came off the mill consistent and flat. I was cutting one inch thick. I had such a bad experiance before that I only recently tackled another one or two. I really love how the saw goes through them compared to oak. I was wondering if it was the oldness and degrading of the wood that was making it a bit less stressfull. I still wonder how they are going to dry though.
Cheers
gww

Ozarker · April 11, 2016, 08:09:26 AM

Might see if any makers of mountain dulcimers are interested in it. I'd think they'd be more interested in quarter-sawn, but ya' don't know 'til ya' ask.

There was a man in Missouri who hand-made all of his. Good instruments at a good price, but I can't recall his name, or location, at the moment. Can check for that the next time I go to town.

McSpadden Dulcimers, at Mountain View, Arkansas makes a lot of instruments, so may be a possibly interested venue. They're known for high quality.

And, for all I know the makers of hammered dulcimers might be interested. Rick Thum is located near High Ridge, Missouri. Again, known for high quality.

ozarkgem · April 11, 2016, 06:52:28 PM

Quote from: Ozarker on April 11, 2016, 08:09:26 AM
Might see if any makers of mountain dulcimers are interested in it. I'd think they'd be more interested in quarter-sawn, but ya' don't know 'til ya' ask.

There was a man in Missouri who hand-made all of is. Good instruments at a good price, but I can't recall his name, or location, at the moment. Can check for that the next time I go to town.

McSpadden Dulcimers, at Mountain View, Arkansas makes a lot of instruments, so may be a possibly interested venue. They're known for high quality.

And, for all I know the makers of hammered dulcimers might be interested. Rick Thum is located near High Ridge, Missouri. Again, known for high quality.

Thanks for the info. You must be just across the line if you are in the Boston mts. That is a great place to be.