Anyone have experience using Sycamore?

I understand it is moderately dense and heavy.

How does it machine?

Anyone built anything from it? Were you satisfied with the result?

Thanks

Caveat: I'm not sure if it was sycamore they were talking about, but
if it was:

I saw an episode of TOH and Norm was talking to a cabinet maker in
England. They were using the European species of this wood. Norm said
the American species is too soft and isn't stable enough.

Again, I think it was Sycamore they were talking about, but I'm only
60% sure. I'm sure someone here can correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks.
Jeff

In article .com, "Gus" wrote:
Anyone have experience using Sycamore?

American sycamore (Platanoides occidentalis), yes. European sycamore (Acer
pseudoplatanus), no.

I understand it is moderately dense and heavy.

Not American sycamore.

How does it machine?

American sycamore machines easily -- but make sure your tools are good and
sharp. It's fairly soft.

Anyone built anything from it? Were you satisfied with the result?

Yes, several things -- and delighted with the results. Quartersawn American
sycamore has a dramatic ray-flake grain that these photos really don't do
justice to:
http://www.milmac.com/wood/Furniture...eEndTables.JPG

If you're going to use it, make sure to use quartersawn lumber. Flatsawn, it's
not stable -- and is pretty boring to look at, too. Because it's not very
hard, I don't recommend using it for anything that's likely to get banged
around much (like a kitchen table). For living room or bedroom furniture,
though, I think it's fine.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

In article . com, wrote:
Caveat: I'm not sure if it was sycamore they were talking about, but
if it was:

I saw an episode of TOH and Norm was talking to a cabinet maker in
England. They were using the European species of this wood. Norm said
the American species is too soft and isn't stable enough.

American sycamore is indeed plenty soft... but, quartersawn, it's perfectly
stable.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

"Gus" wrote in message
oups.com...
Anyone have experience using Sycamore?

I understand it is moderately dense and heavy.

How does it machine?

Anyone built anything from it? Were you satisfied with the result?

Thanks

Sycamore has a hardness scale of 770. By comparison, Red Oak has a hardness
of 1290, Yellow Poplar 550. So, Sycamore has a hardness more closely
related to Poplar than Red Oak. Sycamore is softer than some Pines. Its
density is similar to Walnut which is not very dense.

?

Yes, several things -- and delighted with the results. Quartersawn American
sycamore has a dramatic ray-flake grain that these photos really don't do
justice to:
http://www.milmac.com/wood/Furniture...eEndTables.JPG


I think you have an incorrect URL there, Doug. I navigated to your
site, and I think the link you meant was
http://www.milmac.com/Furniture/SycamoreEndTables.html

Nice stuff, BTW!

"Gus" wrote in message
oups.com...
Anyone have experience using Sycamore?

I understand it is moderately dense and heavy.

How does it machine?

Anyone built anything from it? Were you satisfied with the result?


Well, it's a common (though dirty) tree, but not a plentiful wood. That
combination says a lot. Lack of stability is the accusation, though the T/R
shrinkage and volumetric information show it solidly in the middle of
hardwoods.

I suppose the prominent ray figure would make it vulnerable to drying faults
like similar woods. Might also make it chip on machining. I've seen it as
an accent wood and a turning wood, but not a structural wood.

wrote:
?

Yes, several things -- and delighted with the results. Quartersawn American
sycamore has a dramatic ray-flake grain that these photos really don't do
justice to:
http://www.milmac.com/wood/Furniture...eEndTables.JPG


I think you have an incorrect URL there, Doug. I navigated to your
site, and I think the link you meant was
http://www.milmac.com/Furniture/SycamoreEndTables.html



Interesting.

Nice flecking, but looks kind of "poplarish" to me.

Gus

Gus wrote:
wrote:
?

Yes, several things -- and delighted with the results. Quartersawn American
sycamore has a dramatic ray-flake grain that these photos really don't do
justice to:
http://www.milmac.com/wood/Furniture...eEndTables.JPG


I think you have an incorrect URL there, Doug. I navigated to your
site, and I think the link you meant was
http://www.milmac.com/Furniture/SycamoreEndTables.html



Interesting.

Nice flecking, but looks kind of "poplarish" to me.

Gus

Not poplarish at all. The color is different, more tan, poplar doesn't
fleck, and is softer. Sycamore is wonderful for things like boxes,
though in its QS form (which is the only sensible way to use it) it
does have a tendency to tear out on surface finishing if tools are not
sharp. I've got some QS here that changes from a medium tan, heavily
fleck, to almost white, lightly flecked on the same face. Wonderful
wood for a lot of things that don't get battered and knocked around.
Not for table or desk tops, for example, but great for drawer
faces.some shelving, boxes, etc.

In article .com, wrote:
?

Yes, several things -- and delighted with the results. Quartersawn American
sycamore has a dramatic ray-flake grain that these photos really don't do
justice to:
http://www.milmac.com/wood/Furniture...eEndTables.JPG


I think you have an incorrect URL there, Doug. I navigated to your
site, and I think the link you meant was
http://www.milmac.com/Furniture/SycamoreEndTables.html

Oops, my bad. That one works. The one I *meant* was
http://www.milmac.com/Furniture/SycamoreEndTables.JPG

Nice stuff, BTW!

Thank you.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

In article .com, "Gus" wrote:

wrote:
?

Yes, several things -- and delighted with the results. Quartersawn American
sycamore has a dramatic ray-flake grain that these photos really don't do
justice to:
http://www.milmac.com/wood/Furniture...eEndTables.JPG


I think you have an incorrect URL there, Doug. I navigated to your
site, and I think the link you meant was
http://www.milmac.com/Furniture/SycamoreEndTables.html



Interesting.

Nice flecking, but looks kind of "poplarish" to me.

That's because the JPG image doesn't reproduce the grain all that well. This
one shows it much better: (warning - 5.3 MB bitmap image)
http://www.milmac.com/Furniture/SycamoreEndTables.BMP
Gus


--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

Anyone have experience using Sycamore?

Yes. I've used figured sycamore for raised panels. Looks great.

I understand it is moderately dense and heavy.

Not at all.

How does it machine?

I goes through the table saw cleanly with the burning you can get with
cherry or hard maple.

Anyone built anything from it? Were you satisfied with the result?

Primarily raised panels. I've also used it as a base for carvings. It's
a touch too soft for most other furniture use. By the way, Although I
haven't yet made a carving from sycamore, I've made test cuts with
various gouges, and it seems to carve cleanly.

Joel Jacobson

In article ,
(Doug Miller) wrote:

Anyone have experience using Sycamore?

American sycamore (Platanoides occidentalis), yes. European sycamore (Acer
pseudoplatanus), no.

Right, the European Sycamore is really from the Maple clan and has the
characteristics of the Maples (Aceraceae). Pseudoplatanus translates to
"false platanus" referring to the Sycamore family (Platanaceae). The
Acer pseudoplatanus (European Sycamore) is what North Americans call the
European Planetree. There's an American Planetree (Platanus
occidentalis) which is the tree we N. Americans know as the Sycamore.

Who's on first...

BTW, I really like quartersawn Platanus occidentalis; it's very similar
in figure as quartersawn Prunus serotina (from the Rose clan), which
holds a special spot in my heart when ammonia fumed.
--
Owen Lowe
The Fly-by-Night Copper Company
__________

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
Corporate States of America and to the
Republicans for which it stands, one nation,
under debt, easily divisible, with liberty
and justice for oil."
- Wiley Miller, Non Sequitur, 1/24/05

On Wed, 19 Oct 2005 10:57:33 -0700, Fly-by-Night CC
scribbled:

In article ,
(Doug Miller) wrote:

Anyone have experience using Sycamore?

American sycamore (Platanoides occidentalis), yes. European sycamore (Acer
pseudoplatanus), no.

Right, the European Sycamore is really from the Maple clan and has the
characteristics of the Maples (Aceraceae). Pseudoplatanus translates to
"false platanus" referring to the Sycamore family (Platanaceae). The
Acer pseudoplatanus (European Sycamore) is what North Americans call the
European Planetree. There's an American Planetree (Platanus
occidentalis) which is the tree we N. Americans know as the Sycamore.

Just to add to the confusion, the English Planetree, which is also
widely planted in France and Italy is really a hybrid between the
American Sycamore and a Balkan Sycamore (Platanus orientalis). And
when quartersawn, sycamore (the American one) is called lacewood,
which is also the North American name for Silky oak (Grevillea
robusta) from Australia.

Luigi,
Who just bought 76BFM of Quercus rubra at $CDN6.95 today to make a
bunch of window trim. (or was it Q. velutina, or Q. pallustris or Q.
coccinea or Q. laurifolia, or Q. falcata, or Q. nigra, or Q. phellos,
or Q. texana or Q. nuttallii?)

In article , Luigi Zanasi wrote:

Just to add to the confusion, the English Planetree, which is also
widely planted in France and Italy is really a hybrid between the
American Sycamore and a Balkan Sycamore (Platanus orientalis). And
when quartersawn, sycamore (the American one) is called lacewood,

Say what??

I've *never* seen quartersawn sycamore called anything but "quartersawn
sycamore".

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

Doug Miller wrote:
In article , Luigi Zanasi wrote:

Just to add to the confusion, the English Planetree, which is also
widely planted in France and Italy is really a hybrid between the
American Sycamore and a Balkan Sycamore (Platanus orientalis). And
when quartersawn, sycamore (the American one) is called lacewood,

Say what??

I've *never* seen quartersawn sycamore called anything but "quartersawn
sycamore".


I have in a book, but since every other printed source I saw
refered to quarter sawn silky oak as lacewood I figured
the book was mistaken.

I still figure that.

--

FF

On 19 Oct 2005 19:41:42 -0700, scribbled:


Doug Miller wrote:
In article , Luigi Zanasi wrote:

Just to add to the confusion, the English Planetree, which is also
widely planted in France and Italy is really a hybrid between the
American Sycamore and a Balkan Sycamore (Platanus orientalis). And
when quartersawn, sycamore (the American one) is called lacewood,

Say what??

I've *never* seen quartersawn sycamore called anything but "quartersawn
sycamore".


I have in a book, but since every other printed source I saw
refered to quarter sawn silky oak as lacewood I figured
the book was mistaken.

I still figure that.

Here are the first four google hits on a search on "Lacewood" and
"Platanus"

http://www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/TechSheets...s/platan1.html

http://207.36.125.114/wwp/wom/europe...m?printPage=1&

http://www.redbridgemarquetrygroup.o...s_page_six.htm

http://advantagelumber.com/lacewood.htm


Luigi
Replace "nonet" with "yukonomics" for real email address
www.yukonomics.ca/wooddorking/humour.html
www.yukonomics.ca/wooddorking/antifaq.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikiped...ct_Woodworking

Here's a partially finished jewelry box I built. The inset is sapele
veneer, the corners are walnut and the rest is q-sawn sycamore. It
worked the same as maple if I recall correctly.
http://musial.ws/images/Photos/Woodworking/IMAGE035.JPG

wrote:
Here's a partially finished jewelry box I built. The inset is sapele
veneer, the corners are walnut and the rest is q-sawn sycamore. It
worked the same as maple if I recall correctly.
http://musial.ws/images/Photos/Woodworking/IMAGE035.JPG

Works the same as the softer maples, or durned close.

On 20 Oct 2005 04:15:15 -0700, "
wrote:

Here's a partially finished jewelry box I built. The inset is sapele
veneer, the corners are walnut and the rest is q-sawn sycamore. It
worked the same as maple if I recall correctly.
http://musial.ws/images/Photos/Woodworking/IMAGE035.JPG


That's a very nice looking project.

"Luigi Zanasi" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 19 Oct 2005 10:57:33 -0700, Fly-by-Night CC
scribbled:

In article ,
(Doug Miller) wrote:

Anyone have experience using Sycamore?

Jim writes;

I bought some air-dried in a pile of walnut. It was partially spalted (some
nicely), but many of the boards were "propeller" warped. I was able to use
a lot of it for painted moldings at a local church restoration. It worked
beautifully.
Love the salmon color of the unspalted pieces.

Jim in KY

American sycamore (Platanoides occidentalis), yes. European sycamore
(Acer
pseudoplatanus), no.

Right, the European Sycamore is really from the Maple clan and has the
characteristics of the Maples (Aceraceae). Pseudoplatanus translates to
"false platanus" referring to the Sycamore family (Platanaceae). The
Acer pseudoplatanus (European Sycamore) is what North Americans call the
European Planetree. There's an American Planetree (Platanus
occidentalis) which is the tree we N. Americans know as the Sycamore.

Just to add to the confusion, the English Planetree, which is also
widely planted in France and Italy is really a hybrid between the
American Sycamore and a Balkan Sycamore (Platanus orientalis). And
when quartersawn, sycamore (the American one) is called lacewood,
which is also the North American name for Silky oak (Grevillea
robusta) from Australia.

Luigi,
Who just bought 76BFM of Quercus rubra at $CDN6.95 today to make a
bunch of window trim. (or was it Q. velutina, or Q. pallustris or Q.
coccinea or Q. laurifolia, or Q. falcata, or Q. nigra, or Q. phellos,
or Q. texana or Q. nuttallii?)

On Thu, 20 Oct 2005 02:01:12 GMT, (Doug Miller)
wrote:

when quartersawn, sycamore (the American one) is called lacewood,

I've *never* seen quartersawn sycamore called anything but "quartersawn
sycamore".

_Everything_ gets called "lacewood" if the figure is right,

Thanks. That pictures a year and half or 2 years old I think. One of
these days I'm going to finish it...