# Sycamore Crotch



## HomeBody

A guy had a big sycamore taken down in town. A 36" tree. Straight as a rail for 30' then a huge crotch. They split and stacked everything except the crotch. I knocked on the door and asked if I could have the crotch. The guy was thrilled as he didn't know what he was going to do with it. Now I don't know what I'm going to do with it! It's 30" below the crotch, the crotch itself is around 48" wide. It won't fit on my mill like this, so I'll have to knock it down some. Any suggestions would be most welcome. I'm scratching my head trying to figure out what to do next. I have a Stihl 660 with 28" bar. Gary

Reactions: Like 4 | EyeCandy! 4 | Way Cool 6


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## Blueglass

Wow that is a beast!


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## Treecycle Hardwoods

I have a solution for you! Bring it to the gathering at my place this weekend and I can attack it with the 50" bar I have on my saw.

Reactions: +Karma 1


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## Mike1950

Nice chunk of wood- I can see why they did not want to split it!! I bet there would have been some beautiful slabs in lower part of tree!!!!


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## ironman123

Nice score Gary. Will be glad to see what you do with it. Good luck.

Ray


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## Sprung

Nice score! Hopefully you can find a way to get it cut up!


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## shadetree_1

Send it to Arizona and Barry and I will dispose of it properly for you!


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## ironman123

That is a nice helpful offer from Joe. haha

Ray


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## Kevin

Just looking at the pics it may not have as much figure as you hope - it will have some right where the crotch is where I drew it, but I doubt you'll miss much of it if you rip it in half first to get it on the mill. It might be loaded with figure, but I really doubt it. Ripping it half will also get you started quarter sawing it which is what you want. Flat sawn syc is really plain unless it has figure or spalt.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 6 | Informative 1


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## NYWoodturner

Quarter sawn Syc can be pretty sick though

Reactions: Agree 3


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## SDB777

I too would cut on Kevin's red line. Then take that chunk and turn it into two big bowl blanks.
Then I would lay the chunk on the 'flat' from cutting on the red line. And rip it into to two more pieces for....you guessed it. Bowl blanks!

Can't turn bowls that big? Ah, since it's already on the trailer, you can drop it here......




Scott (Scyamore is a bowl turner delight) B


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## Blueglass




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## HomeBody

I'll bust it on Kevin's red line and see what happens. How about trying to get some of the pieces I cut off to spalt? How would I go about that? Gary


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## HomeBody

Treecycle Hardwoods said:


> I have a solution for you! Bring it to the gathering at my place this weekend and I can attack it with the 50" bar I have on my saw.



Probably the most sensible solution. Stand back and let the experts dismember it! I wish it was a closer drive pulling that trailer. Gary


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## HomeBody

SDB777 said:


> (Scyamore is a bowl turner delight)



I will definitely save some bowl blanks. Big bowl blanks! Gary

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Tim Carter

One way to get pieces to spalt is to put them in a large black plastic garage bag, add a couple of cups of water, maybe a little mulch or leaves, close the bag tight and put it in a warm, dark place for a month or so. Check it after a month and see what you've got.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Kevin

I've spalted a ton (no, many tons) of sycamore. The way I do it is cut the logs into shorts, spray the ends with malt liquor and stand them on the ground on one end on top of a bed of leaves. Then cover them completely with leaves as densely as possible. They need to stay moist but not saturated. Make sure you make this spalt pile in a shady warm damp place. For long boards you can do the same and just let them lay horisontal. You can also get away with spraying individual boards with the malt then dead stacking them and covering the leafy spalt pile.

There may be better ways, but I know for 100% sure this works because I have never failed to spalt sycamore this way.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1 | Informative 3


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## ironman123

Kevin, now we know why you always sound a little buzzy. Being around that malt liquor too much.

Ray

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## woodtickgreg

ironman123 said:


> Kevin, now we know why you always sound a little buzzy. Being around that malt liquor too much.
> 
> Ray


Some for the wood, some for me, some for the wood, a lot for me.............

Reactions: Like 4 | Funny 2


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## sprucegum

Kevin said:


> I've spalted a ton (no, many tons) of sycamore. The way I do it is cut the logs into shorts, spray the ends with malt liquor and stand them on the ground on one end on top of a bed of leaves. Then cover them completely with leaves as densely as possible. They need to stay moist but not saturated. Make sure you make this spalt pile in a shady warm damp place. For long boards you can do the same and just let them lay horisontal. You can also get away with spraying individual boards with the malt then dead stacking them and covering the leafy spalt pile.
> 
> There may be better ways, but I know for 100% sure this works because I have never failed to spalt sycamore this way.


Sounds like alcohol abuse to me.

Reactions: Agree 2 | Funny 1


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## HomeBody

Okay, I pulled the crotch off the trailer and it landed on it's end and stayed that way. Totally by accident. I couldn't do that again if I tried. It's rock solid where it sits and you can't even shake it 1/4". You can see the "Texas Line" painted on the side and top. I tried to get it in the same place as Kevin's but was off a little. 
Now, can I safely walk up to that thing with my 660 with a ripping blade and cut down the red line without risking life or limb? Wedge it, then walk around the other side and complete the cut? I remember a video of Kevin doing this same thing but his saw had an 8' bar on it. I only have a 28" and 1/1000 the experience. Please advise me. Gary

Reactions: Like 2


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## ironman123

Cut, cut, cut.

Ray

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Kevin

I agree with Ray. Let the chips fly. I would just make sure to make the cut parallel with where you think the best crotch figure will be. You might adjust the line - it's hard for me to tell from the pics. Just make your best guess and get-r-done.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## SDB777

You know we all want photo's now....right?
You must be done......or did you do this 'video style'?


Scott (do I need to count sheep?) B


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## HomeBody

No, don't start counting sheep Scott. I put the dogs back on my 660 last night and put on a fresh chain. The chips will fly later this morning if the rain holds off. Camera at the ready for some selfies! :cool2:Gary

Reactions: Like 1


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## barry richardson

HomeBody said:


> No, don't start counting sheep Scott. I put the dogs back on my 660 last night and put on a fresh chain. The chips will fly later this morning if the rain holds off. Camera at the ready for some selfies! :cool2:Gary


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## HomeBody

I cut the crotch this morning. This is my sunrise pic, a day late.



 

One cut and I'm worn out already. I've only used the 660 on my mill. It's a handful.



 






Lots of nice rays in the one piece. 





If this were walnut, I'd know exactly how to cut the 2 halves to get the feathers showing for gunstocks. No gunstocks here. First sycamore and I don't really have a use for it, so how do I cut it to get Scott and anyone else some bowl blanks? Gary

Reactions: Like 2 | EyeCandy! 1


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## HomeBody

barry richardson said:


>



How about it Barry? That only took me 2 minutes. You didn't even get 2 handfuls of popcorn ate. Gary

Reactions: Funny 1


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## JR Custom Calls

Props to you for cutting in a seemingly straight line. I always manage to cut 2" in on the other side of a cut.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Kevin

I would go ahead and quarter it too - getting rid of as much pith as possible, unless one of the pieces has some nice feathering then I'd try to preserve that as best as possible.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Useful 1


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## Vern Tator

You are not done yet. You haven't make the cut that will reveal the flame, if there is one. The cut you still need to make connects the pith of the main trunk with the pith of the big limb. It is tricky to line it up, I use chalk and draw from the pith at the top in a straight line to the pith at the big limb, then the pith at the bottom to the pith at the big limb. Take your time to get it right, because the best figure is going to be right at the saw cut. If done perfectly you get 2 great flames. Being a turner, were it my piece, I would cut 2 - 2 1/2" platters, one each side of the flame cut. Then I would make the rest into bowls. I just got home from cutting a 36" Madrone crotch just that way. I will get 2 24" platters with flame in the bottom. 
Make the cut and show us the flame!!!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## HomeBody

Vern, I understand the line needed to wipe out the piths and expose the feather. What I don't know is where to make the cuts for bowl blanks. I'll try and cut the two halves today if these storms make it through. Then I can get some guidance on then next cuts for bowl blanks. Thanks. Gary


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## Vern Tator

Ok, Sorry I misunderstood, thought you didn't know how to cut for the flame. As I said, I would cut platters either side of the flame, because they would have great figure and it would be easy to get. Then I would cut bowls with figure in the bottom, but these would be either natural edged or a bit shorter than usual because of the slope of the wood. It is easier to cut the platters and split the pith all at once, I rip the length of the tree, rather than splitting and then trying to make the thinner rip. Attached is me finishing one of yesterday's crotches.

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## Vern Tator

Just to clarify, The crotch was standing of edge, the far edge in the picture, for all my initial cuts, the split, 2 platters, and 2 5 1/2" slabs. Gravity drops the saw through the cut. Then I lay crotch down and finish up. The saw is my trusty 066 with a 32" bar, just barely big enough.

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## HomeBody

Vern, it's clear as mud to me. First time for bowl blanks. I quartered the log. Didn't get a tremendous amount of figure but never did a sycamore either. The bigger piece has a crack in a bad place. So now do I put it on the mill or cut blanks freehand? Gary

Reactions: Like 1


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## Kevin

Gary you didn't do anything wrong. The crotch figure in that wasn't bound to be very intense because it wasn't really a seriously divergent crotch. It'll still make some pretty bowls IMO.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## Blueglass

Have enjoyed watching this unfold. Educational.


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## HomeBody

Kevin said:


> Gary you didn't do anything wrong. The crotch figure in that wasn't bound to be very intense because it wasn't really a seriously divergent crotch. It'll still make some pretty bowls IMO.



On track I guess. Okay Kevin, what's the next step? Mill now or ?? I'm still not seeing a bowl blank in this wood. I've never turned a bowl, or even seen one turned so I'm just not getting where on the 1/4 a blank is coming from. Thanks for your help so far. Gary


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## Kevin

Kinda hard to say without being there right on top of it. I was hoping you'd get some good fleck out of it but apparently the grain wasn't consistent enough to give nice ray fleck but not crazy enough to get any eye candy. I would just cut any obvious bowl sizes and seal it up. They will make good practice blanks for new turners and there's a few areas that look like they have enough figure for a experienced turner.


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## SDB777

Practice bowl blanks are always fun for new turners. And I would say to post some up and pay for the time and fuel you have expended.

Scyamore turns great, whether it is 'great timber' or not...it turns like butter and 'we'(turners) love it!




Scott (I need to find me a chunk that big) B

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Vern Tator

Sorry Gary, Next time I cut a crotch, I will take pictures as I go. You did just fine, The bark inclusion in the crotch happens some times. When there isn't much figure, I just cut to bowl blanks, not worrying to much about grain direction. Generally I sell 2 14" bowls for every 13 or 15", so that is what I cut for.


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## HomeBody

Sounds like 14" is the size to shoot for. I emailed a local guy that turns wood. Hopefully he can show me where the best place is to cut out some bowl blanks. Like Kevin said, unless you're right on the wood...you can't see much from the pics. Thanks for the help so far. I'm on the learning curve again...love it! 

Scott, I'll save you a big bowl blank. I think it would be a challenge to see if we can get it down to you for free. I'll find someone heading south to take the wood and maybe you can find someone to meet them and pick it up. Might be fun. I've got a friend that goes to Alabama pretty often. I'm tired of paying the post office more for shipping than the price of what's in the box. Gary


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## DavidDobbs

Gary give brother-in-law Bob a buzz he could tell you also he is close to you



Dave


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## HomeBody

DavidDobbs said:


> Gary give brother-in-law Bob a buzz he could tell you also he is close to you Dave



Done. I emailed him yesterday and invited him over Mon. or early this week. I gotta get this stuff cut and get my yard cleaned up! Gary

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Kevin

HomeBody said:


> I gotta get this stuff cut and get my yard cleaned up! Gary



Make sure he knows you're making PB & J sandwiches that day.


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## james johnson

HomeBody said:


> A guy had a big sycamore taken down in town. A 36" tree. Straight as a rail for 30' then a huge crotch. They split and stacked everything except the crotch. I knocked on the door and asked if I could have the crotch. The guy was thrilled as he didn't know what he was going to do with it. Now I don't know what I'm going to do with it! It's 30" below the crotch, the crotch itself is around 48" wide. It won't fit on my mill like this, so I'll have to knock it down some. Any suggestions would be most welcome. I'm scratching my head trying to figure out what to do next. I have a Stihl 660 with 28" bar. Gary
> View attachment 52016 View attachment 52017


I cant wait to see what it looks like inside!

Reactions: Like 1


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## RJH

Ray
Some for the wood, some for me, some for the wood, a lot for me.............

Funny

Reactions: Agree 1


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## HomeBody

I haven't done much with the sycamore. It's been sitting for a while and I thought I test it for spalt. Cut the end off a piece and it has some color but no black line. I think I'll drag a couple of them to the woods where it's wetter and shady. Some color coming on the end grain but when I put this cutoff in the bandsaw it didn't have much color when viewed quartersawed. It did have some nasty blue color like it had metal. This crotch was 30' up the tree so not likely. So far, not too impressed with sick-a-more. Gary

Reactions: EyeCandy! 1 | Way Cool 1


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## HomeBody

Time to reactivate this old thread. 

The fresh cut sycamore didn't impress me too much so I decided to let it spalt. My first spalting experiment. I dragged 2 pieces down by the creek where it is damp and shady. @Kevin said to pour malt beer on it but I didn't have any. My neighbor did pour about half a bottle of Andeker German beer on it though. Don't know if it helped. The other two 1/4's of the crotch I left in the sun. 9 months outdoors since I quartered it. I milled one of the sun pieces last week and it looked good. Black line and some color/swirls. I sent a 4X4X10 block down to @barry richardson and he rough turned it.
http://woodbarter.com/threads/some-of-homebodys-syc.21878/#post-274837

Barry said to mill it now so I'm busy doing that. I milled the biggest one into 4X4 and 5X5 pieces. Here are some milling pics. After the blocks dry down I will have some for sale here on WB. Gary

This is the largest piece that was by the creek and got the beer. I never turned the piece over as it was laying there and it seems the side that was on the ground had better spalting. Maybe turning the piece occasionally would be the thing to do.













These are the 4X4's.





A 5X5 coming off.

Reactions: Like 2 | EyeCandy! 7 | Way Cool 2


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## barry richardson

Looking good Gary, Spalted Sycamore all around


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## HomeBody

I finally finished milling the last 2 quarter pieces of the big crotch. Cut a couple 4" and several 2.5". I've got enough spalted sycamore to last a long time plus some to sell when it dries. Gary

Reactions: EyeCandy! 3 | Way Cool 1


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## justallan

Great posts, @HomeBody. You took a chunk of wood you knew nothing about at the time, were seemingly un-impressed with by it's looks, stuck with it and came out with some good looking wood, some experience and helped out a bunch more folks by asking about the how-do's and sharing the whole experience with us all. Thank you.
One thing that I have learned when it comes to woodwork is a whole lot of times what I think is nothing but firewood at best, could very well be something that someone else has never worked with, has no access to and would buy, trade or make a donation for.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## barry richardson

Looks like it turned out very nice Gary. Wish I could get stuff to spalt around here, but it's just too hot and dry. I tried to put some wet chunks in a big plastic storage container, to keep them damp, but all I got was mold....


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