# sycamore advice



## PSDkevin (Dec 18, 2010)

Okay only the second tree I have milled. (Im totally hooked.) Its a sycamore. Everything I've read says sycamore is a total pain to dry. So I stacked it at the bottom of the last pile I cut to air dry for a while. I cut it 6/4 and sealed it on the ends and the figured areas. Im gonna build a Daren kiln soon and after it air dries a bit I will finish it in there. I have a nearly inexhaustable supply of syc so I have a feeling I should crack the code on drying it. Any thoughts/tips would be much appreciated.


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## Roger Newby (May 26, 2009)

Sycamore is best quarter sawn. The grain is much better looking. Otherwise it is just a board about like poplar.


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## slabmaster (Mar 30, 2008)

*drying*

Should dry just fine as long as you ratchet it down while stickered or weight it down with alot of weight.


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## JimRich (Jun 10, 2011)

What are you using to saw it with? Your band saw must be bigger than mine :laughing:


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## ETWW (Mar 27, 2011)

That's some beautiful wood and a monster plank. I hope it dries well for you.

As a coincidence, I was just engaged in a "debate" on another forum from a "woodworker" who claimed Sycamore was either stark white or grey colored. I wish he could see that plank, although he'd probably claim it wasn't Sycamore at all.

Thanks for showing.


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

ETWW said:


> As a coincidence, I was just engaged in a "debate" on another forum from a "woodworker" who claimed Sycamore was either stark white or grey colored.


Tell him has no idea what he's talking about and point him to my site.


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## PSDkevin (Dec 18, 2010)

JimRich said:


> What are you using to saw it with? Your band saw must be bigger than mine :laughing:


Got an Alaskan mill with a 36" bar. Like almost everything I wish I would have bought a larger one. This sycamore was massive and I didn't have the capacity to saw the whole thing flat. I left over half that tree in the pile. I am going back this weekend to qtr saw the rest.

Admittedly I haven't milled a lot of sycamore but I have seen tons of it. Other than the predominant pattern when qtr sawn it looks almost exactly like maple to me. I have seen it in all the shades that I've seen in maple. Don't think I have seen it stark white or gray. Not to say it doesn't happen just never seen it that way.


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## buroak (Mar 25, 2010)

In my first lesson with sycamore I found the narrower the boards the better dring. About 6 to 8 in. worked good. Also the longer you can let it air dry the better about 4 to 6 mo. And quarter sawing sycamore will produce a nice looking board. If you dry it to quickly you will end up with a bunch of airplane propeller stock. Sycamore also has a lot of moisture. (160 bdft lost over 20 gallons in 10 days)


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## JimRich (Jun 10, 2011)

PSDkevin WOW that is so awesome! I had no idea you could do that! 






The trees in my back yard may be in danger! :laughing:


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