Anyone worked with Quartersawn Sycamore?

[Mathew Nedeljko]

I made a trip to the Paxton Wood Source store here in Cincinnati today, to pick up some plywood and drool over some of the exotics they keep in stock.

While I was browsing around I came across some Quartersawn Sycamore, which has fantastic pattern of rice sized flecks running diagonally across the surface of the boards. It kind of reminded me of Lacewood, but the flecks in this were narrower. I wish I had taken my camera, could have posted a pic, but unfortunately didn't think of it until I got there. Oh well maybe next time...

Anyway, I'm considering using this wood for a future bedroom dresser project, and I'm wondering if anyone has any information to share about working with and finishing this species.:confused:

I'd sure like to see some pics of projects completed with this wood ...;)

Mat

[Joe Meazle]

Mat,

One of the first projects that I did was with sycamore that I got at a Sawmill in Kansas. I used it because it was cheap. I think I paid 1.55 Bf. It was cheaper than poplar at the time. a few of the boards just happend to be QS I have been hording them ever since. One of the complaints about sycamore is its instablity. I have not had any trouble with it. It works like soft maple. I was doing my WW at eh Woodcraft in Lenexa Kansas at the time evyerone made a big fuss about how pretty the wood was and then fell over when they heard the price. The guy with the sawmill quickly sold out of Sycamore. It is a shame that more is not used. I'ved heard that many trees end up burned, chipped, or in the landfill.
Best,
Joe

[Terry Quiram]

Matt

I love QS Sycamore. I use it for scrolling and boxes. I have not made anything large with it but wouldn't hesitate. QS is very stable. I spray with Lacquer. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=5490

Terry

[Jim Becker]

I got some QS Sycamore recently from Donnie Raines to be resawn for panels in a future project. Awesome stuff...kinda like a minature version of lacewood. QS sycamore is also a lot more stable than any other form of that species and is prefered if you are going to use it.

[Joanne Adler]

Here is a quilt rack I made with qs sycamore and cherry. The ends are cherry and the cross pieces are the sycamore. It was like a soft maple or maybe alder only "fuzzier". I wish my pieces had more of that flecking, but the other grain is nice, too. The finish is a coat of thinned, wiped on tung oil, followed by 4 to 6 coats of wiped on shellac. Don't know how I actually let this get out of my house and into my mother's, but she loves it and I do have visiting rights.

[Jim Becker]

"Most Excellent", Joanne! (As usual... :D )

[Joanne Adler]

Thanks, Jim--that's the qs sycamore I bought when you took me to see Simi. I didn't wind up using it for its original purpose. It worked fine for this one.

[thomas prevost]

we sell a lot of qs sycamore for drawer sides as it is cheap and stable. We also have a customer that scarfs up the flected for making high end boxes for sale.