Uses for Sycamore?

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Plenty of firewood suitable syc coming up but what about the bigger stuff i.e. circa 20" and upwards diameter? Would normally firewood the lot so just checking I'm not blatently missing something?

[swinny]

Not sure.... all i know is i was told if its twisted syc then its worth something otherwise its firewood? i'll be checking answers out to this thread

[Matthew Storrs]

wooden spoons and chopping boards:biggrin:

[openspaceman]

Plenty of firewood suitable syc coming up but what about the bigger stuff i.e. circa 20" and upwards diameter? Would normally firewood the lot so just checking I'm not blatently missing something?

 

Traditionally it was used for dairy utensils and treen as it didn't taint the milk/food but inox must have put paid to that, It was also used for brush heads and paint brushes along with birch and alder. My brother made his kitchen with sycamore and very nice it looked too.

 

It's a wood that needs careful seasoning, traditionally standing upright and being very careful to brush loose sawdust off to avoid stain.

 

In larger sizes it was used along with other whitewoods like beech and sometimes lime for furniture framing. Nidd Valley Sawmills were the last big buyers I sold to but I suspect transport was relatively cheaper then.

 

Joinery grade stuff was valuable and even veneered, post war sycamore was the wood panelling in British rail carriages, you might not believe it because it had turned a deep mahogany colour in 30 years.

 

Of course the highest grade was rippled (aka fiddleback) sycamore and the use is obvious. I felled for a veneer buyer and I well remember his disappointment in finding the trees weren't rippled, it turned him into a vandal.

[kernowstu]

used to be a great export market for it give vasterns timber company a call

[Chris Sheppard]

Last lot of bigger sycamore I felled was bought by Chantlers and had had plenty of interest before that too. Don't know what it went for or where it went but it wasn't Firewood or chocks and was worth more than what Nidd valley would pay for stuff to do sofa frames.

[Boatbuilder]

Many years ago a customer at the boatyard wanted sycamore for the decks of his launch,we advised him against this as the timber was not suitable and classed as ND [not durable]but he insisted so reluctantly we fitted the timber of his choice

It looked lovely when finished but within 5 years it was showing signs of rot/fungus emerging from the deck, not suitable in a marine enviroment

[skyhuck]

If your selling to the furniture boys it needs to be winter felled.

 

I used to sell some to a guy who exported kitchen worktops to the US, but that market ended with the start of the recession.

[Johny Walker]

Not sure.... all i know is i was told if its twisted syc then its worth something otherwise its firewood? i'll be checking answers out to this thread

 

commanly known as curley sycamore , used for vernners , if very good quality

[wisewood]

Pretty nice to carve.