Sycamore suprise

[MotorSeven]

Last month i cut up & split a dead Sycamore. It must have been down well over a year. It was a pain to split. Anyway, i just started burning this stuff this week. WOW...hot fire, & a long burn time. I can get 8 hrs out of one load & have a 4-5" bed of red hot coals left. I never gave Syc much thought because we burned it while camping with so so results.
Anyway, i will be scarfing all i can from now on & let it season! Just thought i would pass it on.

RD

 

[outdoorlivin247]

They are a pain to split, but make excellent early and late season wood...

 

[Rookie1]

A good tip I learned from members here on AS was split while green. I got a bunch of Sycamore this spring and asked about quality. Also was told,and seen for myself,that its heavier than $hit when green.Im being kept warm by Sycamore burning as I type.

 

[danrclem]

A lot of people will turn their nose up at sycamore but I'll take all of it that I can get. If I didn't have a wood splitter I'd have to be low on wood to take it though. I'm too old to split that stuff by hand.

There are quite a few trees that make better firewood but sycamore ain't bad.

 

[rngrchad]

I have some rather large dbh syc's leaning across my neighbors creek just prime for the plucking. You guys got me thinking about a weekend project now. Hm. I may just go get those white and gray sycamores.....if nothing else it is another excuse to fire up my 372xp. By the looks of those monsters I'd have a FULL weekend of it....and a 5 gallon can of pre-mix!

 

[Rookie1]

I have some rather large dbh syc's leaning across my neighbors creek just prime for the plucking. You guys got me thinking about a weekend project now. Hm. I may just go get those white and gray sycamores.....if nothing else it is another excuse to fire up my 372xp. By the looks of those monsters I'd have a FULL weekend of it....and a 5 gallon can of pre-mix!

Let us know how it works out.

 

[cord arrow]

There are some monsters down around here after the wind storm...

And others that have been down for years.

I always say I'll cut 'em up, but always find something better.

One of these days....

 

[Rookie1]

Im not picky. A coworker had two cut down and needed to get rid of wood. So it worked out for both of us. I guess if I had my choice it would be low on my list.

 

[MotorSeven]

Yes green they seem to weigh twice as much as anything else i have fooled with. I am not prejudiced to any type of wood to burn, but i never had the opportunity to burn well seasoned Syc. I just carved a Totem out of one i pulled out of my creek & at 15' it was quite a chore to stand it up & set it in concrete(if you want to see it look upstairs in the "carving" forum.) I couldn't even pick up one end of that log so i am guessing it's water weight is around 1,000lbs.....a beast!

RD

 

[arhillbilly]

we sell a lot , the main thing is to keeep it covered if it's dry, it will really absorb water once it's opened up

 

[BlackCatBone]

we sell a lot , the main thing is to keeep it covered if it's dry, it will really absorb water once it's opened up

That's the truth. The stuff is like a sponge. I live close to a riverbed, and there is always a big syc half broken. When I get bored I'll go down there and cut some.

If you are splitting by hand, do it in freezing weather. It splits way easier when it's nice and cold out. Splitting green syc in warm weather is not a job I'll sign up for.

 

[Woodcutteranon]

Sycamores love water and usually can be found on a creek bed or low spots that hold a lot of water. I am from Ohio and I was surprised to find that the largest registered tree in my state is a Sycamore. I figured it would have been an Oak or American Elm. I have never cut one up but I have heard that they only split when green.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

I was surprised to see that Sycamore rated just slightly higher on the chart than Doug Fir, and that's the primary wood for most of the PNW from my understanding.

Ian

 

[PA Plumber]

Good thread!

Would Sycamore season in a few months like Silver Maple? How well does it season in log form?

We have oodles of this stuff and a few that really need to be taken down.

I do have a splitter. Guess I've got some trees to drop next in the next year or so!

 

[Haywire Haywood]

From what I've read, it's a really wet wood and so from a logic standpoint, should take some time to season properly. There's loads of it around here too, mostly lining the stream beds.

Ian

 

[skid row]

Around here sycamore is on the firewood menu. I have done a couple sycamore removals, but have yet to burn any.

Good post..

 

[Rickochet]

Sycamore is some awesome burning wood! Lots of BTU's and lasts a long time. Can be a pain to split unless it's been down for some time. I am enjoying the warmth of a huge Sycamore as I am entering this and it reminds me of how huge and majestic the tree can be. Yet it can be toppled by the wind and turn to ashes in the Napoleon stove. I am thankful for all of the trees----especially the ones stacked in the woodshed!!!!

 

[MotorSeven]

No, it will not season in a few months. I would guess a year or more, because the Syc i have cut in the past were fresh blow downs. When burning it at the campsite 6 months later it just smouldered.
The stuff i got recently was down for well over a year & the way it landed 90% was off the ground, hard, dry, no bark at all. My neighbor & i used his monster homemade splitter & some of the bigger rounds & small doubles stopped his ram in it's tracks. Before that i tried an 8lb splitting maul on it....unh unh....no way! Can't rember how hard it was splitting green as it was 6 years or so ago....well outside on my 15 min memory retention window.
Ian, if you have alot around see if you can find one that's down & seasoned I give it a try.


RD

 

[Haywire Haywood]

Got no splitter and as of now have a good source for Oak and Maple. Don't have a stove yet anyway, hopefully that will some this spring. Next winter will be a bad season for the propane guy if everything goes as planned.

Ian

 

[Joshlaugh]

I split a green sycamore about a month and half ago. I didn't have any problems splitting it. Probably harder to do than oaks, but not as bad as elm(of course) Similar to sugar maple. I have not burned it before and hearing from you guys I am looking forward to doing it.