Spalted Sycamore: how to handle logs & cut?

[Dave MacArthur]

Hi,
I had to cut down a dead sycamore tree today that has been dead for about a year, standing upright in Phoenix. The trunk circumference is 16", and there is about 10" of trunk, with a Y crotch at about the 10 feet point.

I chainsawed it down today to avoid further nastygrams from my HOA... I thought it looked mysterious and stately, but not everyone thought so I guess ;)

Upon looking at the wood, I find it is NOT rotted, but it is not iron-strong either. There is good spalting throughout. There are no voids and the wood seemed strong enough to sit on a slab of it, is maybe the best way to put it.

I cut it into a 5 foot section of 16" diam (without the bark), a 3 ft section, and a 2 ft section where the Y crotch is hoping for some spalted flame.

I've been looking at 18" bandsaws for a month, and will be getting one soon. Questions: is this wood worth anything? Or did I leave it stand there too long? Does the spalting mean it's nice for veneer, but too weak for anything else? Is it worth the effort of sawing it into boards, or is sycamore like this easy to come by? If it's worth cutting up, should I leave that chunk in a 5foot section or cut it, and is it possible to resaw a 5' 16" log (I was able to pick the thing up across my shoulders and cart it to the truck, it is much much lighter than healthy wet live wood)? Basically I'd like some advice on what to do with this wood from the re-sawers out there.
Thanks in advance for any comments or thoughts, I've never cut a log up for wood--always just burned them ;)

[Jim Becker]

While spalting is certainly part of the decomposition process when the tree dies, it doesn't mean your wood isn't valuable. But I'm concerned that your wood is so light...a 5' section of a 16" log should be quite heavy. Now, given that you are in Phoenix, one would expect a dead tree to dry out pretty well, but even so, the spalting may have gone "a long way", leaving just punky, but dry material, rather than solid material with the spalted "figure".

I suggest you take a small section and resaw it to find out what you're going to get. But even if it's not good for boards, it may still be nice for turning. Judgment call....

[Jack Briggs]

I've used some spalted sycamore in my guitars. I still have a 4' plank. It certainly does get kind of punky - some of it even crumbles off in some areas.

If you have any interest in selling a section, let me know. I also have 16" resaw capability.