Replies

1. 
   mufti | Sep 03, 2006 10:57pm | #1

               It depends where you heard it. Here, sycamore is acer pseudoplatanus. In America it may be western plane or buttonwood or sycamore, platanus occidentalis.

   Quartersawn oak sounds an excellent choice.

2. 
   GaryW | Sep 03, 2006 11:09pm | #2

   texmark,

   In the States, I've ordered "English sycamore." If you've located a source of quartered English sycamore, buy enough to play with, along with a bit of quartered red or white oak. They're all beautiful, and can be expensive - especially the sycamore. That one seems to my colorblind eye to be somewhat the color of hard maple (maybe with a bit of yellow), but with some of the most beautiful grain I've worked with. And if you're into staining it, it does well, unlike maple. Comparing sycamore to oak is like comparing apples to oranges - it's what you have a taste for that matters.

   Gary W

   gwwoodworking.com

   
   

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   Edited 9/3/2006 4:11 pm by GaryW

3. 
   joinerswork | Sep 04, 2006 04:31pm | #3

   tex,

   American sycamore has a very pretty lacy quartersawn figure, similar to beech, but more striking.  I've seen a couple rooms paneled with vertical tongue and groove  boards, but haven't had the chance to work any.  I don't know why, but don't see sycamore lumber around here. Should make a nice desk.

   Ray Pine

1. 
   DHAM | Nov 14, 2006 03:30am | #4

   Sycamore has spiral grain and is difficult to dry straight. It is beautiful, but it can break your heart! The wood is especially prone to twist, especially if flatsawn. Quartersawn is better, but keeping it straight is problematic. In the South, where we have a lot of sycamore, most sycamore logs go into the pallet manufacturing business. There is no market for sycamore logs by the grade hardwood sawmills. I assume that is because it takes longer to dry correctly (time is money) and there is a lot of drying defect loss. I have sawn some on my woodmizer and air-dried it. It needs to acclimate well to the final use conditions before construction. It also seems to be more hydroscopic than most wood I work with (it tends to pick up moisture faster as the humidity increases). I have had trouble glueing it in wide panels (30"). It wants to cup even if you alternate the growth rings in the glue-up. But, it is beautiful......................

4. 
   BruceS | Nov 14, 2006 04:49am | #5

   Like the others have said,  Sycamore does like to move.  I've turned some Sycamore green wood bowls and it ovaled about three times as much as box elder.

   Work Safe,  Count to 10 when your done for the day !!

   Bruce S. 

    

5. 
   RMillard | Nov 14, 2006 03:19pm | #6

   I've used a small amount of sycamore. I was surprised at how distorted the boards where, straight from the mill, despite them being quarter sawn. I resawed mine into drawer stock, expecting a disaster, with what I thought was a considerable amount of internal stress, but the pieces came off the saw flat and stayed flat.

   I don't know if I'd want to use it for an entire project, as the figure in my mind, would be too much of a good thing. Also, while it hand planed nicely, it was a little "crumbly" when trying to execute sharp details, ( the edges of the dovetails wanted to flake off, and plowing the grooves for the drawer bottoms left a somewhat ragged edge). This tells me it wouldn't be the best candidate for a roll top desk, where the groove need to be precise and durable.

   Rob Millard

1. 
   DHAM | Nov 14, 2006 04:17pm | #7

   I used it as a secondary wood in a cherry chest-of-drawers, and it made good drawer stock when flattened and planed to 5/8".  It has a striking contrast to the cherry.