Sweet Gum??

flip · November 22, 2005, 02:54:41 PM

Sorry for no pics. but I'm gonna try. A mystery tree fell in along side a 42" red oak. I thought it was a big maple of some sort (no leaves or nuts on any branches). So I threw a couple of logs on last night and cut them up to prove that they weren't poplar. Well I'm stumped. The logs were about 22" inches across and had about 1-2" inches of degrade on the outside. The inside of the log looks great, but, the thing that stumps me is this...The heart wood is a reddish brown and doesn't really have any flow or pattern to the grain. Sap wood is white like like maple and has no or little grain. My partner and the guy I got the trees from swears it's not gum but I'll just about bet on it. Any idears???

Flip

oakiemac · November 22, 2005, 03:44:28 PM

What does the bark look like? Sounds kind of like Beech but the bark is pretty distinctive on that species.

flip · November 22, 2005, 03:55:31 PM

The bark is light grey, I think I found my answer in an old post by buzz sawyer. I was right, unfortunately it be gum :( :(

IL Bull · November 22, 2005, 04:08:24 PM

You don't like gum? ???

Fla._Deadheader · November 22, 2005, 04:28:57 PM

Do it STINK ??

flip · November 22, 2005, 05:16:31 PM

It did 'na really stink, but it be cold erin Jasper and de ole sniffer taint workin to well. I cut some 18" boards and it seemed to cut kinda hard. It smell kinda like the yacks butt and poplar ;D

Part_Timer · November 22, 2005, 06:21:58 PM

how do ya know what a yack's butt smells like ??? ??? :D :D :D

Just outa curiosity

on second thought I don't want to know

Just having some fun tonight no hard feelings intended

Tom

DanG · November 22, 2005, 06:27:00 PM

If that's sweet gum you got, don't let it get away. That's some kinda pretty wood! It'll try to do a little travelling while drying, so cut it thick and put lots of weight on it. You'll be glad you hung on to it.

MemphisLogger · November 22, 2005, 06:47:29 PM

I'm with DanG. I love gum best of all intertwined grained native heartwoods

Got dragons and flames runnin' all thru it.

I saw it real thick so I end up with a substantial piece of wood when it gets done moving ;)

Tom · November 22, 2005, 07:14:34 PM

If you have sweet gum, it retails as Red Gum (heartwood) and Sapgum or whitegum (sapwood). Red gum will cost you a pretty penny in the store. It makes fine cabinet wood, tables, etc. Try it, you'll like it, even if drying is a challenge.

woodbowl · November 22, 2005, 08:26:15 PM

Quote from: UrbanLogger on November 22, 2005, 06:47:29 PM

I saw it real thick so I end up with a substantial piece of wood when it gets done moving

Urban, I've had a lot of request to saw it real thin, about 3/4", but no wider than 8"-10". It makes beautiful paneling. My customers dry it in a stack out of the weather with stickers to keep it from cupping. Plane one side real good and the other just to lay flat. Mighty fine.

lamar · November 22, 2005, 10:28:45 PM

I just unloaded a bunch of sweet gum that has been air drying for about 8mo. This tree was 28" and was tipped over in a storm so the it was alive for a while but I didn't get to it for about 6to 8 mo. There is a lot of 1/16 or so bug holes in the finish. I guess its been pree stressed for that old look. I even to some advice for ff and 1/4 sawed some and it dries nice and flat,even the thinner boards. What seems to be the best way to put a finish on it? I tried staining and it seem to not stain even. Maybe just seal and clear lacquer?? I see the fire and other shapes in the grain. I might try the paneling ,most of mine is pine this would be different. Does anyone have ideas on the best way to put a finish on it to bring out the grain and tone? It makes better lumber than firewood. Can it be used for any structural uses?

Faron · November 23, 2005, 06:23:48 AM

Flip, any chance, given the odor, that it is elm? We have plenty of it mixed with the oak in this area. If it was a gum, there ought to be plenty of seed pods on the ground where it stood. Usually when I am walking a woods, I will see a gum from a distance and think (hope) it is a nice red oak. I have learned if it is just too nicely formed to believe, it is a gum. My grandfather never refered to a "gum" tree. It was always a "DanG" old gum.

flip · November 23, 2005, 07:06:06 AM

I cut about 600 bf into 1" and the rest of the tree into blocking. The bugs reaklly did a number on this thing- how in the heck can they get into the heart of a tree in just a couple of months?? It looks like someone just peppered the inside with a shotgun. Oh well onto the red oak and maple.

Flip

TexasTimbers · November 23, 2005, 07:07:28 AM

Flip if it's sweet gum it is Beeeeeeeeeeeeeyoooooootiful. If it ain't, then it ain't sweet gum.

flip · November 23, 2005, 07:08:08 AM

Funny thing, when we pulled the boards off the heart was a real pretty redish brown, now 1 day after drying all the color is gone :(

flip

TexasTimbers · November 23, 2005, 07:23:23 AM

Throw some water on it see what happens.

LeeB · November 23, 2005, 10:20:11 AM

A little tid bit of info just for fun. During WW2 walnut for gun stock became in short supply so gum was substituted. LeeB

brdmkr · November 23, 2005, 12:16:39 PM

I have never stained gum. However, I do know that some woods have such tight grains that the wood will not accept stain. On these woods, a dye can be used to alter the color. Dyes have much smaller pigment molecules and will penetrate woods that stain will not. If you like, I'll try to round up some manufacturers. It seems like one of them is Fienberg??? Some of the dyes are marketed for leather and others for wood, but they both work fine on wood.

lamar · November 23, 2005, 10:52:53 PM

Ive read some on the dies and would like a try at it. Cant seem to find anything from those that work with it.Some say you can put a wash coat of sealer on and the die will still work and no blotching.

brdmkr · November 23, 2005, 11:24:23 PM

I have applied a 'spit coat' of shelac to seal grease in wood before dyeing and it worked fine. With this approach, you spray a coat of shellac, allow it to dry, and then sand lightly. You can then apply the dye over this and it will work. However, I am not sure why you would want to do this with unfinished wood. It is a commonly used approach with old firearms that have been soaked in cosmoline. If you don't spit coat them, the cosmoline will never cease to ooze from the wood when the gun gets hot. If you spit coat, this seals the cosmo in, but still allows the dye to penetrate.

woodbowl · November 24, 2005, 12:54:02 AM

Quote from: LeeB on November 23, 2005, 10:20:11 AM
A little tid bit of info just for fun. During WW2 walnut for gun stock became in short supply so gum was substituted. LeeB

I sawed some sweetgum that had a dark heart for a fellow one time and he called it false walnut. :

I didn't say nuthin' because I thought he may have been trying to make up a new term. It did look a lot like walnut though.

ellmoe · November 24, 2005, 06:07:59 AM

I have read that red gum (dark, sweet gum heart) is shipped to Europe as a substitute for their walnut. Apparently, it does look like their walnut.
Mark

Daren · November 24, 2005, 08:49:55 AM

Sounds like sweet gum to me, it is very pretty, sands out great ,stains well... If you can ever get it to dry flat >:(. With it's grain, spalted gum it a wonderful thing... if you can ever get it to dry flat >:(. Did I mention I have had troubles getting it to dry flat?

woodbowl · November 24, 2005, 10:18:19 AM

Quote from: Daren on November 24, 2005, 08:49:55 AM
... If you can ever get it to dry flat . With it's grain, spalted gum it a wonderful thing... if you can ever get it to dry flat . Did I mention I have had troubles getting it to dry flat?

I have trouble sometimes getting it to dry flat too Daren. So I just decided to let it do what it wants to. Here are a few pics of some sweetgum bowls that I made a while back. They are spalted, with bug holes and have several coats of shaved wax. That grain just comes alive!