I have always wanted to turn some sycamore. I saw a tree cut down and went to check it out, nobody home. I went back on our way to dinner and they were home. I asked the guy if it was sycamore and he said yes but it was spoken for. I told him that was ok and what I wanted it for and I only need a couple of pieces. He said go ahead and get a couple, he doesn’t know anything. I got two 12” pieces.

 

The grain in this wood can be very plain looking if straight sawn.  Much better patterns when 1/4 sawn.  That said, it machines very well and is fairly soft. 

 

Just my .02

 

.40

A friend of mine cut trees for a living and said he and his crew got sick cutting a Sycamore but he and his crew got sick when he cut down some pine trees for me.  Turned out they drank water from the well which was iffy and not in use.

Clear sycamore-

 

 

Spalted sycamore-

My daughter was graduating from Sycamore High School, so I was going to make some Shaker oval boxes from some quartersawn sycamore for her and her many friends.   I had a 90%+ failure rate trying to get it to bend.  I had had very much success using maple, oak, and cherry previously.  Last time I tried using it.

I've never turned it, but with lumber it's drop dead beautiful is it's quarter sawn. I've only been able to buy some once, and this was the bottom of the barrel stuff with quite a bit less figure than it normally has.

I love turning sycamore. I wish I had more of it.

30 minutes ago, User74 said:

I love turning sycamore. I wish I had more of it.

Nicely done! 

For those that don't have native sycamore trees in their environment, they are huge trees.  Often very tall and big diameter.  They (at least around here) tend to love the bottom of valleys.

 

There is a house I go buy often with three big ones next to the street and about 20' in front of their house.  I told my wife last time I drove by that if I lived there, I'd be terribly afraid of them crashing down on the house some day.

2 hours ago, kmealy said:

For those that don't have native sycamore trees in their environment, they are huge trees.  Often very tall and big diameter.  They (at least around here) tend to love the bottom of valleys.

 

There is a house I go buy often with three big ones next to the street and about 20' in front of their house.  I told my wife last time I drove by that if I lived there, I'd be terribly afraid of them crashing down on the house some day.

We have a lot of sycamore here and they are big. It is just hard to find any that are down.

Talked to a friend at Church yesterday who is a forester. What did we talk about? Sycamores. they are the beginning trees in low lying areas. Made my dough bowl from Sycamore.