# Sweet gum



## Billnoe57 (Nov 24, 2011)

Anyone mill sweet gum? How about drying it?


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Billnoe57 said:


> How about drying it?


It likes to twist-cup-warp...One of the most cantankerous species I have ever milled to _tried_ to get to dry flat...haven't got it to yet. Now some of my southern sawyer brothers don't have _as_ much trouble. I have yet to figure this out, growing rate ? Slight species variation ?...But anyone up north here I have ever talked to says the same thing, sweet gum just sucks to dry, especially thin (4/4) stock. Most guys saw thick,let that dry and resaw (mill 10/4 and a year later try to get a couple 4/4's from it.)
Spalted (if you are familiar with that term) seems to be tamer and IMO is much prettier. I don't even mill sweetgum fresh felled for my own uses, been disappointed too many times. I let them lay for a year+ and spalt, then mill.
Good luck ! My best advice is stack *all* the weight you have on the pile...then stack some more for good measure.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

The southern secret to drying sweetgum:


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## JMC'sLT30 (Oct 26, 2010)

Now that's funny Kevin.:laughing:


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## MidGAOutdoor (Apr 7, 2011)

when i mill it if i ever get the mill, ima get some car transmissions and set on it lol


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