This is a tree!

[Ray Bell]

This is a sycamore tree in my cousins driveway. It is probably 50 yrs old, and huge. The picture is the LOML standing next to it, just for perspective. The tree is coming down next Monday. A professional tree service is going to take it down, but I will be on hand to guide them if possible. It has several what I think burls on it, they are just lumps growing on the side. How would you cut these. Would you just slab them off, or take a whole cross section on each side of the lump?

Thanks for any advise.

[John Hart]

Wow...nice goldmine you got there Ray.

If it were me...I'd avoid just shaving them off. Just to guarantee getting as much depth of the figure as I could. Never know...that figure could extend deep. Hopefully for you, the burls are not hollow.

Good luck :)

[Jim Underwood]

Wow. Wish I was a little closer. I'd come "help" you...;)

I'd love to have a couple nice chunks of plain Sycamore, don't even need the burls.... (What I really need is time to turn what I already have!:o)

Have fun!

[Ray Bell]

Yep, I wish there were more turners close. This is way too much wood. I can have all I want, but it will be a tiny part of this whole tree. Not sure what he intends to do with the rest of it. Probably sell it for fire wood.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Wow that is a lot of turning wood there and agree with John about cutting off the lumps.

[Thomas Canfield]

Lots of good wood there. Don't pass up chance to get some plain sections. I recently turned some and was very surprised at the grain that showed up when the oil finish was applied. The section I had was at least 10 years old and picked up on the street that I was going to use for a chopping block before I got into turning. Now I am looking for more if it shows up in the area.

[Roland Martin]

Wow, my back hurts just looking at that monster;). Ought to get some great turnings from that.

[Dave MacArthur]

Firewood?? That tree is an excuse to buy Scott T Spencer's chainsaw mill, and some other guy's chainsaw, and start milling! Sycamore is beautiful, you could be set for a LOOOOONG time with the wood from that tree. You can always find someone with a walnut tree and trade when you get tired of white furniture! I'm already imagining clean lines and simple Japanese designs with some small inlays... Don't let that thing get burned! ;)

[Dan Carroll]

YOu realize that certain type of sycamore and also known as lacewood? WHile American sycamore is not, it does have some of the grain patterns, especially when quarter sawn. I would get as much of that tree as I could store. Even if it took years to turn it all.

[Jim Underwood]

YOu realize that certain type of sycamore and also known as lacewood? WHile American sycamore is not, it does have some of the grain patterns, especially when quarter sawn.

Thats why I want some...:)

[Mark Burge]

Sycamore is beautiful wood to work and to look at later. The wood can look plain at times, but oil really brings out its beauty. Those bumps look similar to the ones on some logs I had a while back, but it must have been a different variety of tree because the bark was much more smooth. Anyway, I wouldn't count on burl grain in them, it was usually like a limb that didn't get done or started and got covered up by later growth. It made for nice features because of some darker wood around them, but it wasn't burl by any means. The features can go fairly deep but I wouldn't shave them off, I would turn with that section as a feature of the side of a bowl or vase. just my 2 cents worth.

Oh, and it works much nicer when green. Dried it is pretty hard and makes a lot of dust. Enjoy.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

You have one heck of a nice log there and some good size limbs also, the wood can be very nice, I did turn some and find it just as nice as Maple and it turns very well.

The bumps on the tree are probably just limbs that have been removed some years ago and have grown over to form those bumps on the tree.

So don't get your hopes up to high, try to slab the log so you will be able to see what's in there, of course you could slice on or two off to find out, but they are probably like the ones in the pictures here :(, you just hope I'm wrong ;)

152967 152968

[Ray Bell]

Thanks all for the good advise. Somebody mentioned sore back.... you are right, I am too old to be wrestling much of this around. I will take some, but you can only treat, store this for so long. It will be fun yo see what this looks like inside though.

[Jamie Straw]

Ray, sent you a PM.

[Bill Blasic]

Ray,
An average Sycamore tree in Erie, PA has about 4 times as many of those so called bumps. I've turned a few and have found them to be lacking in any great amount of figure. The last one was about 14" across and 5" 0r 6" deep but having more or less the same type wood that you will find throughout the tree. The base 0f most trees that are 30" to 40" in diameter will have a lot of figure but I have not found that in Sycamore. The last Sycamore base I cut took my 32" Stihl a cut from each side to get through it. The shavings come out blood red (that disappears quickly) but found no figure. As stated cut it quarter sawn for the nice ray fleck pattern.
Bill

[bob svoboda]

Nice score Ray---see you in a couple of weeks :D

[James Carmichael]

That's old for a sycamore.

Enjoy!

[Richard Madison]

Might want to have a gallon or two of Anchorseal ready to use. And surely there is someone nearby with a portable/towable bandsaw mill. Seems like a terrible waste to burn that tree. Might cut it into 5-1/5" square "logs" and send out pieces in flat rate boxes like Vicki and John Jordan are doing with their wonderful maple tree. Just a thought.

[Paul Douglass]

In our area there are a lot of sycamores like that, planted in the 40's -50's. Unfortunately many are being hacked up and used for firewood. I don't know why someone hasn't come in and started milling it. Maybe because we are not a forest area, but desert. It is a shame.

Just remember Ray, I won't be home that week but I have all the storage area you would need. Could store the whole tree for you.

[Ray Bell]

Thanks Paul, it is not only the storage, it is also cutting/moving this thing around. Especially if you are going to be gone...who's going to help me:rolleyes:

[Ray Bell]

Might want to have a gallon or two of Anchorseal ready to use. And surely there is someone nearby with a portable/towable bandsaw mill. Seems like a terrible waste to burn that tree. Might cut it into 5-1/5" square "logs" and send out pieces in flat rate boxes like Vicki and John Jordan are doing with their wonderful maple tree. Just a thought.

That is another problem. I have about 1/2 gallon of Anchorseal, and this came up to fast to order more. It is not sold locally.

[Scott T Smith]

I concur with the other comments regarding the bumps being limbs, not burls.

Quartersawn sycamore can be absolutely gorgeous, and that's how I would recommend milling it. Be sure to mill some at 10/4 QS in case you ever want to make a Maloof style rocker; it can provide a spectacular result.

If you don't already have one lined up, either Woodweb or the Forestry Forum can guide you to a good, local sawyer. Find someone that specilizes in quartersawing. If the log is larger than 30" (which it appears to be), find someone with either a Lucas or Peterson sawmill. If it's under 30", a band miller that does a lot of QS would be the ticket.

You can order end sealer from either U.S. Coatings or Bailey's. Buy a 5 gallon pail and sell what you don't need to local bowl turners.

[Paul Douglass]

Ray, too bad you can't get some logs from that to Jensen in Walla Walla. He'd be able to mill it for you.