Sweet gum/ redgum

[Joey Grimes]

I cut some nice gum slabs today 9/4 for the big logs 5/4 small logs .Does the % of heartwood to sapwood have to do with age or soil?

 

 

  

[Southside]

That is some pretty wood.  Put the binders to it tight to help keep it flat while it dries.  

[charles mann]

man that his some beautiful wood.

[ellmoe]

Just my guess , but I believe it has more to do with speed of growth , i.e. slow growth = more heart . I could be wrong as I am married.  ;D

[WDH]

Heartwood formation is generally a function of age.   It can also be triggered by slow growth from competition stress or poor site.  It varies by species, but younger trees generally do not have heartwood.  

[moodnacreek]

The only red gum I ever cut was around 29" dia, logs with almost no dark heart. Reminds me of pin oak; big logs/ no value.

[Southside]

In the commodity market the logs bring more than pine here, sawn as a tie it comes close to oak, dried and turned into flooring, paneling, etc it commands a good price.  I like big gum logs, have some to saw that grew with wet feet and are solid, the entire log is the color of mahogony from mineral stain, I think that will make for some nice lumber.  

[APope]

In the commodity market the logs bring more than pine here, sawn as a tie it comes close to oak, dried and turned into flooring, paneling, etc it commands a good price.  I like big gum logs, have some to saw that grew with wet feet and are solid, the entire log is the color of mahogony from mineral stain, I think that will make for some nice lumber.  

How are you going to deal with this lumber? I have some that is growing in a wet area and wish to know, please.

[Southside]

I will quarter saw it which is about the only way to keep it from moving so much it becomes a complete waste, then air dry it and finish it off in the kiln.  Depending on what it looks like I may run it as flooring or interior wall board.  Done right it makes for a nice finished lumber.  

I will say that these are not typical in the sense that usually gum with wet feet has some pretty serious hollow in it as a result.  

[ESFted]

A lot of gum in my area of tidewater VA, and I keep an eye out for trees with a lot of heartwood because it turns nicely and makes a great looking bowl.  I'll bet 90% of the gum I see of any size has very little color to it and I can't seem to find an environmental factor that causes dark heart.  Large trees in close proximity....one has abundant beautiful heartwood and the next ten have none.  Sure would like to figure it out.

[Magicman]

I have seen many Sweetgum trees with that mineral characteristic, both small and large.


 


 
These were sawn into pith centered timbers, not lumber.