sweet gum ???

Po-Jo · June 30, 2013, 02:05:20 PM

i want to ask you guys with the experience, Is a sweet gum worth cutting < B-I-L is clear cutting some property and the excavator is in there digging stumps and knocking down trees the timber company did not want and there is a sweet gum tree laid down right now and not in a burn pile YET, B-I-L said take it if i want it, but i need to get it PDQ before it finds its way in a pile, Its about 30" diameter straight as an arrow and about 60' of good cutting , what would you guys do cut or take a pass on it? thanks for any info

xlogger · June 30, 2013, 02:26:28 PM

I have no use for sweetgum, I know a few here have saw some up before.

POSTON WIDEHEAD · June 30, 2013, 02:50:17 PM

Sweet Gum makes some of the best Barn Siding I've experienced.

When dried....its as hard as a rock. When I use it, I saw it green and get it up.
I built a shed using SG for siding. I was prepared in the way as I sawed 20 boards, I would stop and install the boards to the shed.
I used rink shank nails to keep the boards from drawing away from the shed as the boards dried. Screws can be used also.

I also use my shed as a sales point that SG came be used.

Google Sweet Furniture. Its beautiful. getting it to dry without a twist is the trick. I've never built furniture from it but they say it takes a green SG board 1 1/2" thick just to get a dried 3/4" board out of it because of the twisting.

ladylake · June 30, 2013, 02:59:45 PM

No sweetgum around here but sure sounds a lot like cottonwood or Elm , both like to twist. Siding sounds like a good use for it put up green. I use Elm and cottonwood for outrigger board on semi trailers as it doesn't spilt , with enough weight most dry fairly straight. Steve

pineywoods · June 30, 2013, 03:26:47 PM

po jo, grab that sweet gum log and quarter saw it. Stack and sticker with weights on top. It's slow to dry, but once dry, it's quite stable. Makes nice furniture. Sweetgum has spiral grain, and flat sawn, it WILL twist and warp. Fresh cut, it mills nicely..

drobertson · June 30, 2013, 05:09:37 PM

Quote from: pineywoods on June 30, 2013, 03:26:47 PM
po jo, grab that sweet gum log and quarter saw it. Stack and sticker with weights on top. It's slow to dry, but once dry, it's quite stable. Makes nice furniture. Sweetgum has spiral grain, and flat sawn, it WILL twist and warp. Fresh cut, it mills nicely..

+1

fat olde elf · June 30, 2013, 05:40:45 PM

Where is Magic Man ?

beenthere · June 30, 2013, 06:05:49 PM

QuoteWhere is Magic Man ?

He said it was cabin time, for a week. ;)

clww · June 30, 2013, 06:22:24 PM

Quote from: beenthere on June 30, 2013, 06:05:49 PM
QuoteWhere is Magic Man ?

He said it was cabin time, for a week. ;)

Jeff banned him when he reached "15,000 Posts"!

:D

Po-Jo · June 30, 2013, 07:16:22 PM

so what would be the best thickness to saw it? quarter sawn and or used for siding? thanks again for the insight

customsawyer · June 30, 2013, 07:21:39 PM

I have used it for flooring on lowboy trailers. When it is dry it don't get as brittle as oak. It won't last as long but it seems to have a little give to it when the back-hoe is between the cross members. Put it down green.

drobertson · June 30, 2013, 08:15:56 PM

Quote from: customsawyer on June 30, 2013, 07:21:39 PM
I have used it for flooring on lowboy trailers. When it is dry it don't get as brittle as oak. It won't last as long but it seems to have a little give to it when the back-hoe is between the cross members. Put it down green.

another+1 on trailor decking. david

WDH · June 30, 2013, 08:29:58 PM

I would definitely NOT flat saw it. Like Piney says, quartersaw it. It does not like to behave in wide glued panels or tabletops. However, it would make very nice wainscott or paneling where each board is free to move as in V-goove or tongue in groove.

sealark37 · July 01, 2013, 12:02:59 PM

Heavy equipment mechanics and haulers prefer sweetgum for blocking.

Po-Jo · July 01, 2013, 10:09:34 PM

well after the 3.5" of rain yesterday afternoon, I caught the guy in the excavator early this morning and had him move that tree closer to the road and out of that swamp mud hole from the ran, it was so muddy even that excavator had to work some to get it moved to the road,
Had a buddy with 30 yrs in the logging business back when they were cutting big stuff out of the swamps with chainsaws here to help/ school me on some proper bucking, this thing had that massive root ball on it and that kept the base a good 5' off the ground due to the root ball, i looked at it and said to myself man i need to get some help on this and not kill myself trying to buck it, my buddy came over and made look easy, tho i know he had the experience from years of cutting , he took the top out first then did 3 10' section , weird they were partial cuts not fully thru and he said watch this, when he cut the final cut near the root ball , all the cuts open up and set that thing down nice and easy, i could not or have ever thought of cutting that way but he has the experience, glad i called him,
Then we dragged that thing out of the mud and got them moved to house and 2 of them loaded up on the log deck, then it began to rain again, will have to go out in the morning and put the anchor seal on the end, I didnt think the anchor seal would stay on in the pouring rain being its water clean up, so after all was said and done i got 3 10' long logs running in the 32" diameter range,,, for me these things are huge and gonna be a lot of work to cut, and test myself and machine, hopefully i can get to start cutting on my next weekend,

WDH · July 01, 2013, 10:24:10 PM

I am looking forward to this adventure.

grweldon · July 02, 2013, 07:51:39 AM

Pictures please!

WDH · July 02, 2013, 07:56:42 AM

If the heartwood is figured, like it sometimes is, there will be some spectacular color. It will have a striped effect on the quartersawn face.

dboyt · July 02, 2013, 08:57:32 AM

I don't care what it is, if someone offers me a 60' log in the 32" dia class, I'm not turning it down. Sweetgum can be some really pretty wood, if you can keep it straight. If you are milling for trailer decking, find out what thickness they want before you start cutting. Glad you're going for it, looking forward to photos.

Po-Jo · July 02, 2013, 09:48:15 AM

This is 2 of the SG logs on the deck they make that red oak that i have on the mill look small, gonna be be interesting trying to cut these things, gonna have to wash these down when it comes time to.especially after.dragging them thru the mud and sand, i am already wishing i had your guys nicer rigs especially those with hydraulics on them,

EZland · July 02, 2013, 01:34:44 PM

Po-Jo,
What do those SG logs measure across, 28 inches? Love to know how they saw on that EZ Boardwalk. I have EZ Jr. also. What type of lumber are you sawing up and what are you using the lumber for?

What blade set are you using? The same for hardwood or softwood?

customsawyer · July 02, 2013, 08:22:32 PM

If you keep this up I might have to ride over and supervise. ;D Please notice I am not offering to help.

slider · July 03, 2013, 07:39:26 AM

Po-Jo before i got a debarker i used a small draw knife on dirty logs.It worked quiet well.

Po-Jo · July 03, 2013, 03:56:55 PM

Jake if i run into much more of this I am gonna call you and work a deal with you taking them and i help you , this is really starting to get a little out of my range, especially without hydraulics :-[

Po-Jo · July 03, 2013, 04:04:01 PM

I need to try that draw knife and see how it would work for me.

ez the bigger log is pushing 30 and the smaller one is 27, I use the same blade on both just different speeds, I am not a PRO like most of the fellers on here, I am doing this for projects around the house, barns, chicken house, room addition stuff like that