Uses for sycamore?

[ucoulddoit]

Pretty sure the timing of felling a sycamore tree affects the likelihood of staining and mould after milling. Mid winter when the sap is at its lowest is best, as it’s the sap which leads to the defects. Not sure if it’s also best to mill it soon after, also in the winter? Anyone know?
 

Andrew

[Silverhooker]

My father in law made a lovely rocking horse out of sycamore, it too a light staining and polished up lovely, sadly don't have a photo and my ex-wife took it in the divorce !!

[Macpherson]

15 hours ago, Squaredy said:

Just to add to the sycamore discussion, I mill and sell at least ten or fifteen tons of sycamore every year, and I never dry vertically, nor do I worry about the sawdust.  It still sells!

 

While I tip my hat to your experience and have only ever milled Syc a couple of times and I just followed the advice given on a previous thread on the subject from quite a few years ago and all went well.👍

[Mr. Ed]

On 23/03/2023 at 21:25, Squaredy said:

Just to add to the sycamore discussion, I mill and sell at least ten or fifteen tons of sycamore every year, and I never dry vertically, nor do I worry about the sawdust.  It still sells!

what sizes do you sell it in, what uses are people buying it for, and what sort of prices do you get? Too many questions I know (ans sorry). I’m interested because we have a couple of reasonable areas of planted sycamore in our newly acquired wee woodland. There might be some sawlog size in a decade and I’d be interested to know its market. We’re in the SW of Ireland and you can’t move for craftspeople, but you can get a lot of spoons from one tree …

[Squaredy]

19 minutes ago, Mr. Ed said:

what sizes do you sell it in, what uses are people buying it for, and what sort of prices do you get? Too many questions I know (ans sorry). I’m interested because we have a couple of reasonable areas of planted sycamore in our newly acquired wee woodland. There might be some sawlog size in a decade and I’d be interested to know its market. We’re in the SW of Ireland and you can’t move for craftspeople, but you can get a lot of spoons from one tree …

Mainly 25mm 32mm 38mm and 50mm. Uses are many and varied.  Difficult to pin it down as I have many hundreds of customers, some I see regularly, many only once.  Often it is people simply doing some work in their house.  Sometimes it is someone making furniture.

 

Sycamore is particularly well suited to making kitchen cupboards (but kitchens these days all seem to be painted) and to other kitchen items like chopping boards.  It is s also ideal for tables and chairs , but no-one bothers with chairs any more - they put up with benches.

[Mr. Ed]

I’ve just found you on the internet - what a great operation you have there. Congratulations. 

[GWYNFIL]

dont they make matches out of it? how accurate is your mill lol seems a waste 40" stem though . joke!

[openspaceman]

4 minutes ago, GWYNFIL said:

dont they make matches out of it? how accurate is your mill lol seems a waste 40" stem though . joke!

That was traditionally aspen and more recently hybrid poplar, chosen because it doesn't splinter.

[GWYNFIL]

I stand corrected cheers