Natures Embellishments - 1st experience with sycamore

[Roger Chandler]

I have turned a lot of woods in the last few years, but never had the opportunity to turn sycamore.........and always wanted to try it because I really am fond of the lace grain structure in it. Well, a couple of weeks ago, I got an opportunity to cut some that was down at a construction site for a cabin along the Shenandoah River. This particular piece came from a large log that was hollow in the middle and as you can see had some "natural embellishers" that were resident in the wood. This was a slab piece off one of the sides.

This wood has spalting, lace grain and holes...........what a job done by nature, eh!?

Two of us went to a cut and haul session and we got about 36 pieces of assorted sizes........only loaded about 1/2 my trailer because I was coming down with the flu at the time and just ran out of gas before the chainsaw did! :rolleyes:

At any rate........this is my first experience turning sycamore..........while this does not have any finish on it yet [I am waiting for an order from CS-USA I placed this morning - has some metal inlace and a few other items on it] I will finish it when I get the holes filled.

I think these holes were from big black carpenter ants.....:eek:.....we chased a large hoard away when loading for sure.......and I made sure they were all gone before sealing any pieces or taking any into my shop!!!

I have two colors of metal inlace coming .........red and blue. What is your opinion on which color will look best with this lacy grain and colors of the sycamore? Give me your votefor red or blue! The most votes gets the pick and I will show it again when finished! Thanks!

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[ray hampton]

67 views BUT not one comment, is this because the work are too pretty for words

[Allan Ferguson]

Do not bother to fill the holes. Celebrate them instead.

[Roger Chandler]

Do not bother to fill the holes. Celebrate them instead.

To me, not filling the holes would make it seem unfinished ..........I think metal inlace will celebrate the holes in a nice way........just would like input on whether red or blue would look best in the opinions of this turning community! :)

[Dave Cullen]

I don't think either red or blue suits that piece well. It'd draw attention away from the beauty of the wood. If you need to fill it, I think I'd use black.

[Dennis Nagle]

That is REALLY COOL looking. Great job!!!

[John Keeton]

I am not much on Inlace. Put me in the camp of leaving the tracks as is, or filling with a very dark brown - nearly black, but not. In fact, acrylic paint in the tracks would work fine, IMO. The texture of the tracks would be there for surface contrast, and the dark color would provide contrast in hue.

Coffee grounds and Titebond would also work if you choose to fill them flush.

Another option is to get some finish on the piece, and then apply leaf sizing to the tracks and use copper leaf to accent them. If you get any leaf adhering outside the tracks, 0000 will knock it off quickly. Or, Golden Paints has some very effective metallic paints in bronze, gold, copper and silver.

"Celebrating" a natural defect is really a subjective matter. One person's celebration may be another's overpowering addition. Personally, I don't care for colors (as opposed to wood tones) to accent or "celebrate", and prefer either a more natural appearing addition or metallic accents.

But, then, that is why we all end up with different looking work! If all of us viewed things the same, we would all be making work that appeared to be from the same mold.

[Roger Chandler]

Well.........I suppose we should add two more choices to the mix............dark [brown or black] and leave holes as is....eeehhhh.......nope, .....I can't leave them like they are, but some sort of gold or copper paint has some intriguing appeal to me! Leave it to JK to mess with my mind! :eek::D

I do have some brass key shavings on hand...................hummmm .............

I still want to hear from some others on this, if you would care to give your input!

[Robert Henrickson]

I agree with JK -- my reaction was black, or dark brown.

[Scott Lux]

I vote dark. Coffee grounds are my choice. Love the piece as is though.

[Dan Kralemann]

"NO" to blue, red, black and brown. I vote for filling with metal of any kind.

[Doug Ladendorf]

Another no vote here on red or blue. I like the copper or bronze idea or brown/coffee.

[Steve Mawson]

I usually like turquoise but this may be too light of a color for that to work. It will be nice no matter what you end up doing.

[Reed Gray]

I keep walnut dust handy for when I want to fill holes like those. I do prefer natural colors, and the darker ones would blend in better.

robo hippy

[Ryan Mooney]

I'd vote dark or maybe silver.

[Brian Kent]

I use a lot of sycamore because that is what is in my firewood pile. I would love to see how red or blue works. My first thought was in line with the color of the bronze key shavings.

[Tom Sherman]

I believe I like the dark tones, more natural to my mind. Man I almost forgot, Sycamore is way cool love this one.

[Richard Madden]

I'd say, you do what ever "floats your boat". If you choose one color and don't like it, then try another, or try epoxy, or....whatever! Sounds like you got enough pieces to experiment.

[Ed Loudermilk]

Brass would look really nice!!! In my humble opinion.:o

[Fred Belknap]

Roger I had a bowl with a lot more carpenter ant tunnels than that. I finished it last week and sold it Saturday, first item sold that day. I sprayed the holes with brown paint before I completely finished turning it. It highlighted the holes and made a real stunning bowl. Brown or black, either would be good. Nice looking bowl, I'm sure whatever you do it will look great.

[jwjerry w kowalski]

Dark browns, I would probably do coffee grounds.

[Richard Jones]

Would sell far faster here with the holes as is, maybe with some paint. I'm not much on metal inlace of any color, so I guess I won't vote. I think filling them with anything would ruin the piece, sorry.

[Roger Chandler]

Would sell far faster here with the holes as is, maybe with some paint. I'm not much on metal inlace of any color, so I guess I won't vote. I think filling them with anything would ruin the piece, sorry.

Interesting Richard! What do you think is the appeal of the holes? Why, in your estimation does something like this sell quickly?

[Walter Mooney]

I vote for dark brown!

[Wally Dickerman]

I'm in the NO camp on either red or blue. If you lived in Arizona as I do it would have to be turquoise. I suggest the coffee ground treatment. It gives a natural look. If you go the brass filings route I suggest going to a craft store and getting some gold sparkle to add to the mix. Brass filings give a very dull appearance. I've done that and it looks good.

[Ryan Mooney]

Interesting Richard! What do you think is the appeal of the holes? Why, in your estimation does something like this sell quickly?

I think its partially because its unusual/unique. I agree its contrary to my way of thinking as well but people around here also seem to love pieces with flaws - worm holes? the more the better, how about a few bark voids? sure bring them on. I don't sell anything currently but seeing what elicits an involuntary response is always interesting.

[robert baccus]

Nothing at all.

[Sid Matheny]

As light as the sycamore is if I filled it at all it would be with sycamore shavings put in a grinder and glue mix.

Sid

[Brian Kent]

Here is a sycamore chalice with coffee grounds. Just fyi.

[Michelle Rich]

I adore sycamore, especially quartersawn with the figure. I find it terribly hard to "match" anything to it. I have a coffee table that has a qtr.sawn top and cherry legs/undercarriage. I like that combo. So copper might look great.

[steven carter]

If you just put finish on it, it will be finished. In would show what nature has done to the wood, not fill it. BTW a few years ago a highway was widened and they cut a very old sycamore from the home of Ambrose Burnside. I was cutting some blanks from it when the highway guys came by, and they said they would drag the tree to the side and I could get all I wanted. I was cutting after dark by the lights of my vehicle, so I left, and when I returned the next day, they had chipped the entire tree. I really liked the sycamore, but it took a long time to dry, even after the alcohol bath.

[Thom Sturgill]

Roger, I would go with the dark brown, (coffee) group. Painting just the inside with metallic paint or leaf is intriguing too, but I still think filling with coofee would be best. Save the Inlace for a purpose turned piece with a filled groove.

[Steve Doerr]

I think I would go for either black or dark brown. The contrast is what I would be looking for. However, if it were mine, I'd be like Steve Mawson and go with turquoise. If I have anything with turquoise in it, it sells.

[Roger Chandler]

I want to say to everyone how much I appreciate all the input on this.........your responses have been more than I expected and helpful to be sure.......thank you all so very much!!! :)

What I have decided to do is this..........when my shipment arrives from CS-USA, I am going to take the inlace and some dark material like coffee and the brass key filings I have on hand and put each one on the wood itself, and see how they look to me...........then pick the one I like best as I feel compliments the form.

The most votes were for dark.........I am leaning that way myself at present, but I will lay a ribbon of inlace colors and the dark and brass on the wood and see what looks best to me...........then go from there, so we shall see!

Again........thank you all so much for your taking a moment to give guidance and opinion..........I have great appreciation for this turning community and the helpful nature of you all.........blessings;) to all of you!