Sycamore

Qweaver · February 12, 2006, 06:14:37 PM

I have several sycamores that I plan to cut but they are not high on my list of things to do. Is it better to cut them during the winter when the sap is down?
Quinton

ARKANSAWYER · February 12, 2006, 08:07:24 PM

Sap is never really down. Trees are just as wet year round but sugar content may change a bit.

TexasTimbers · November 20, 2006, 11:17:36 AM

So if I am to understand, if I cut one in winter, the chances of it spalting are less than if I wait until spring and especially summer? Although I do understand there are no guarantees, what about cutting it in April/May, sealing ends, putting under shade tree with mister, and opening in 18 months?

Tom · November 20, 2006, 11:27:15 AM

I don' t think anyone has discovered a sure fired way of producing spalt. Some bury it in a compost pile, some throw manure all over it. Some inject it by stacking other pieces of white-fungus-infected wood around it.

I would think that sprinkling it might inhibit fungus growth. The window is so small for the fungus to grow that you might keep it too wet. We sprinkle pine to keep the stain down and bugs away.

I've seen spalt develop in the sun as well as the shade.

DanG · November 20, 2006, 12:26:10 PM

I whacked up a sycamore log last week, and this is what I found. About 2½ feet at the butt end was spalted and stained...kinda pretty, I think.

The rest of the log was fresh and pink. The log was 13' long, so I can still get some 8' "fresh" boards, and some spalted shorts.

SwampDonkey · November 20, 2006, 05:09:23 PM

Quote from: kevjay on November 20, 2006, 11:17:36 AM
So if I am to understand, if I cut one in winter, the chances of it spalting are less than if I wait until spring and especially summer? Although I do understand there are no guarantees, what about cutting it in April/May, sealing ends, putting under shade tree with mister, and opening in 18 months?

I think what Arky was getting at was that wood cut in the winter won't spalt because the conditions aren't right for the fungus. Cut it in the winter and let it lay until late spring and it will have as good a chance to spalt as a log cut down in May and left a few weeks.

ohsoloco · November 20, 2006, 05:20:45 PM

DanG, that's what happened to me when I milled up a maple a few months ago. It was a 6' soft maple around 30" diameter that was dropped in the spring. I didn't have time to get around to it for a while, and when I cut a few inches off of the end I was going to mill from I saw it was completely spalted. Unfortunately when I milled it up I discovered only about a foot on each end was actually spalted. If I knew that I would've waited longer to cut it....but there's a fine line between spalted and rotten :-\

TexasTimbers · November 20, 2006, 07:35:54 PM

SD it sounds like when in doubt cut 'er down then. Any excuse to take it down sounds good I have been wanting to for a couple of months. think I'll do as Tom puts it and roll the dice and let it sit around for a while. i did this with a mulberry last year and it turned out magnificent.

ARKANSAWYER · November 26, 2006, 09:40:25 PM

Drop the tree in May on the dark of the moon and "DO NOT" seal the ends. Skin the bark off in several places up the side and buck to length plus a few extra inches. Park it in the shade with some leaves around laying on the ground. Saw come November or wait till the next year.

dad2nine · November 26, 2006, 10:34:38 PM

DanG, whatcha gonna do with those 4/4 spalted shorts?

beenthere · November 26, 2006, 10:37:12 PM

How did DanG get spalted shorts? ??? 8) ;D ;D

Furby · November 26, 2006, 10:39:32 PM

We DON'T wanna know!

Tom · November 26, 2006, 10:42:05 PM

His wife has been out of town and he's been staying close to the barn next to the beerigerator. No washing machine in there. :D

dad2nine · November 26, 2006, 10:43:08 PM

;D

Fla._Deadheader · November 27, 2006, 07:11:44 AM

Sounds like he's been sittin in a leaf pile with his beer. :

:

TexasTimbers · November 27, 2006, 07:43:19 AM

Thanks Arky. I have some ends to cut off today then. We sealed them once we got back to the yard. Here's a little load the wife and I harvested yesterday after church. Actually we didn't even get started 'til about 3:00. No, that is not the wife in the picture . . . . :D

We only took two small trees. the biggest one was 22" DBH - does this heart seem too small? Does Syc have small heartwood like this? I hope someone doesn't tell me these sycamores are sick - a - mores. Those hearts look too small.

TexasTimbers · November 27, 2006, 02:07:13 PM

Quote from: ARKANSAWYER on November 26, 2006, 09:40:25 PM

Drop the tree in May on the dark of the moon and "DO NOT" seal the ends. Skin the bark off in several places up the side and buck to length plus a few extra inches. Park it in the shade with some leaves around laying on the ground. Saw come November or wait till the next year.

Not trying to beat this thing to death but I am really green about this so bear with me. Since I have already dropped them, not in May on the dark of the moon but in the sawing month of Novemebr, would you go ahead and saw them up or let 'em lie for a year and see what happens?

I think I will go ahead and saw a few because I just have to; that unseen driving force that makes me want to see what is inside - but do you think letting the rest lay around is a bad idea?

ARKANSAWYER · November 30, 2006, 10:59:56 AM

If they lay over the winter they just dry out and the spalt does not often get a good start. Letting them lay a bit in the winter seems to let the wood dry better with out as much twist. Small heart wood is a good thing as it does not spalt well any way. When you saw green do not stack right a way. Lean it up agin a building so that only the bottom touches the ground and the top where they lean. They will dry some like this before you sticker them and it cuts down on stain.