# Urban Sycamore Recovery



## Allen Tomaszek (Jan 12, 2019)

Sycamore is a pretty common wood but it’s not typically found in any kind of quantity in my area. So I was pretty excited when I was able to recover this 36” diameter Sycamore from a homeowner’s yard. They were having it removed for safety reasons.

The log made two sections roughly 10’ each. The smaller log is 20”-24” and the larger log is 26” on the small end and 36” on the big end. They should make some very nice quartersawn lumber. Enjoy the pics!

Reactions: Like 2 | EyeCandy! 1 | Way Cool 4


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## Allen Tomaszek (Jan 12, 2019)

View attachment 158728

Reactions: Like 3 | EyeCandy! 1 | Way Cool 6


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## phinds (Jan 12, 2019)

Excellent haul, drool drool.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## ironman123 (Jan 12, 2019)

Yep, will make some very nice lumber.


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## Tom Smart (Jan 12, 2019)

Nice!


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## Mr. Peet (Jan 12, 2019)

Nice score Allen,

Usually them yard trees are 'London plane', but both have great potential. I see a bunch of green ash along the street. How long before Emerald ash Borer stops in to destroy life?


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## Wildthings (Jan 12, 2019)

You need to video one of those recoveries!!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Nature Man (Jan 13, 2019)

Congrats! Sycamore is a nice wood! Please be sure to show us the lumber once you cut it wide open. Chuck

Reactions: Agree 1


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## djg (Jan 13, 2019)

Only limited experience with Sycamore, but any time I've seen it cut and dried, it wants to move a lot. Real twisty. Kind of plain grain too if I remember correctly. Maybe I'm wrong.

P.S. I like your log arch. If I had something like that I could get some logs to a mill. Now only have a 5x8 trailer. How do you get the log to the top (back bone) of the arch before you secure the ratchet straps?


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## phinds (Jan 13, 2019)

djg said:


> Only limited experience with Sycamore, but any time I've seen it cut and dried, it wants to move a lot. Real twisty.


From my site:
*
DRYING:* Reports on drying vary greatly, with some saying it dries fairly easily and quickly with only moderate shrinkage and few problems, others saying it is hard to dry because of large shrinkage and a tendancy to warp, split, check, and develop honeycomb.



> Kind of plain grain too if I remember correctly. Maybe I'm wrong.


Clearly you are not familiar with quartersawn sycamore. Would you call this plain?

Reactions: Like 4 | EyeCandy! 1 | Agree 1


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## djg (Jan 13, 2019)

No I'm not. I did say I could be wrong (rarely).

Reactions: Funny 3


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## woodtickgreg (Jan 13, 2019)

There's lots of sycamore here but for some reason it has always eluded me, I've yet to score any. 1/4 sawn it is beautiful.


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## rocky1 (Jan 13, 2019)

Might want to throw a few smaller logs out behind the shed for awhile too; it's absolutely beautiful spalted.


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## Lou Currier (Jan 13, 2019)

Holy poo those houses are so close to each other 

Nice score though


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## rocky1 (Jan 13, 2019)

Lou Currier said:


> Holy poo those houses are so close to each other
> 
> Nice score though




Dude... Open your garage door, walk across the street in your neighbor's yard, turn around, and look back at how close your house is to your neighbor's house!

Reactions: Funny 1


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## David Van Asperen (Jan 13, 2019)

Always awesome to see what you do and how you do it.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Allen Tomaszek (Jan 13, 2019)

djg said:


> How do you get the log to the top (back bone) of the arch before you secure the ratchet straps?



There is a winch attached to the arch that lifts the log up. Most of the time I also use multiple wratchet straps to assist with lifting large logs a few inches at a time. The big log took me about an hour to get lifted up and then about another 30 minutes to secure. I’ve been thinking of modifying the arch to have two electric winches (one on each end) and then the lifting would be easier and much faster. Just haven't got to it yet.

Reactions: Like 3


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## Wildthings (Jan 13, 2019)

Allen Tomaszek said:


> There is a winch attached to the arch that lifts the log up. Most of the time I also use multiple wratchet straps to assist with lifting large logs a few inches at a time. The big log took me about an hour to get lifted up and then about another 30 minutes to secure. I’ve been thinking of modifying the arch to have two electric winches (one on each end) and then the lifting would be easier and much faster. Just haven't got to it yet.





Wildthings said:


> You need to video one of those recoveries!!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## rocky1 (Jan 13, 2019)

Allen, I definitely agree with the recovery video, but please put the electric winches on there before doing that. All us old geezers, and most of the younger ones will be nodded off, for sure, watching an hour and a half of you ratcheting that log up 20 inches!

Reactions: Funny 4


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## FranklinWorkshops (Jan 13, 2019)

rocky1 said:


> Allen, I definitely agree with the recovery video, but please put the electric winches on there before doing that. All us old geezers, and most of the younger ones will be nodded off, for sure, watching an hour and a half of you ratcheting that log up 20 inches!



Rocky, we all need our daily naps. Any video longer than 15 minutes puts me to sleep better than a sleeping pill.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Allen Tomaszek (Jan 13, 2019)

Maybe my next one will be a time lapse. Then I can still work for an hour but you only need to watch for 5 minutes.

Reactions: Like 4


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## rocky1 (Jan 13, 2019)

That sounds like a winner!


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## NeilYeag (Jan 13, 2019)

QS Sycamore is really beautiful stuff to work with. I have made some small boxes with it.


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## Nubsnstubs (Jan 19, 2019)

rocky1 said:


> Dude... Open your garage door, walk across the street in your neighbor's yard, turn around, and look back at how close your house is to your neighbor's house!




Yep, know what you mean, Rocky. Been there, seen it. .... Yep, pretty close............ Jerry In Tucson) wide open space called a desert

Reactions: Funny 1


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