# air dried sycamore



## marcros (16 Mar 2014)

Can anything be done with air dried sycamore which is not the pearly white that the kiln dried stock would be. 

It has some nice rippled figuring that I would like to preserve rather than obscure, but I imagine that with anything dye based, it would show a muddy-ness, and anything pigment based, it would cover the grain. I do not have anything in mind for the timber- my father has been offered it- so I could use it on a project that would suit whatever could be achieved.


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## carlb40 (16 Mar 2014)

On my phone at the moment but if you see my polyvine lacquer issue thread you will see i was trying to keep the curly maple white and still have the curl pop.

With help from Andersonic i have sorted that and now use automotive spray lacquer. It keeps the nice white look of the maple and the curl pops as i wanted. I will add pics tomorrow if you want?


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## marcros (16 Mar 2014)

i would be interested to see that. However, my problem would be that i don't have the nice white look to try and preserve- I need to disguise the underlying greyishness and yet retain the curl. I am wondering whether something like ferrous sulphate might work, to make harewood.


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## carlb40 (16 Mar 2014)

Ahh i see. Would bleaching work? Or is it not possible to get the white back now?


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## marcros (16 Mar 2014)

I don't think that getting the white back is an option. More a question of can it be used for anything that doesn't involve obscuring the grain.


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## Mr Finch (17 Mar 2014)

Practice pieces? Even if the finishe "product" isn't great, practice wood is always a bonus.


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## marcros (17 Mar 2014)

It is a bit too expensive for that, by the time I have fetched it, particularly if it doesn't end up as something that I can use or give as a gift...

I would rather practice on timber that is square edged, so less wastage, or chose a project that I can practice as I produce something.


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## Sgian Dubh (18 Mar 2014)

marcros":29bd8k0z said:


> Can anything be done with air dried sycamore which is not the pearly white that the kiln dried stock would be.


Have you looked at this thread which currently sits a couple or so below this one?: post857151.html#p857151 Only one response I know, but the answer to your question is there. Incidentally, kiln drying of sycamore and other maples does not guarantee that the wood will come out "_pearly white_". I've seen more than enough that's come out discoloured because of an error of some sort in the drying procedure: too slow drying of maples and other pale species can lead to the wood's core being dark or grey, for example. Slainte.


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## marcros (18 Mar 2014)

Thank you Richard.

Would ferrous sulphate produce the same effect that it would on white sycamore- I have never seen harewood besides a couple of pieces that you have displayed on the Northern Furniture Group website.


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## Sgian Dubh (18 Mar 2014)

Ferrous sulphate will react chemically with maple or sycamore whatever it's muddiness or lack of whiteness. The underlying colour will have an effect on the final colour. For example, it won't give an even or uniform colour because it will react a little differently on the spring growth and the summer growth. Also, if some parts are already brown or grey, those parts will affect the result. Similarly, boards from different trees will usually react a little differently one from another. Your best bet is to experiment on some offcuts and see if the result is what you want. Start with a heaped teaspoon of ferrous sulphate in a pint of water and adjust strength from there. Slainte.


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## Kalimna (18 Mar 2014)

Do you have any photos of your sycamore? Perhaps a look at it would suggest uses?

Adam


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## MIGNAL (19 Mar 2014)

If you have lots of time you can just expose the finished wooden article to light. Outdoors (out of direct sunlight) will speed things up. It should turn a near Boxwood Yellow given time. Even darker given 6 months or so. It will do so indoors but it takes considerably longer. Any figure will be perfectly preserved and it gives a very natural look to the wood. After the colour is attained further sanding will reveal fresh wood and send it patchy. So the article must be finished sanded and any raising of the grain done beforehand. Varnish/Finish is applied at the end.


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## tekno.mage (12 Apr 2014)

You could make it into something turned on a lathe, such as platters with wide rims to show off that ripple figure. If the colour of the wood is not attractive, use spirit stains on your turned pieces as these can look absolutely stunning over ripple figure.


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## marcros (12 Apr 2014)

I haven't been near the place for a while. When passing I might get a couple of boards and have a play. If I bleach and it will take a stain (water based, spirit based or chemical change) without looking grubby then it will be a bargain. If not, i will have to see what I can do with it 

The guitar makers seem to produce some amazing effects with maple which can't be that different.


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## MIGNAL (18 Apr 2014)

The Guitar makers (if I'm thinking of the effect you mean) tend to heavily dye the wood and then sand back a touch. It may highlight the figure a huge amount but it kills the 3D/ holographic effect stone dead. 
The violin makers are the guys who really know how to work with Maple. They've been doing it for 400 years or so. They sometimes use stains and chemical treatment as well but it's subtle. I once tried a Tea stain on figured maple. The first application worked fine. Darkened the wood and the figure still had life. Wanting to go a little darker I reapplied another application of the same Tea stain. It certainly went darker but that was it. The life had been taken out of the wood. Looks good in photo's. In real life it's much less impressive.


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## marcros (18 Apr 2014)

Is that why the violin makers seem to favour tinting an oil varnish (i have read about this rather than seen it first hand), whereas the electric guitar makers (that I have seen online) dye, sand and dye a lighter colour over the top, before hitting it with some clear lacquer for a shine, albeit no chatoyance?


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## MIGNAL (18 Apr 2014)

Yes. Exactly. Chatoyance (I believe) is displaying two or more colours. I'm really referring to how the flame dances as you move your eye in relation to the angle of the woods surface. The Guitar makers (especially electric) tend to really want to highlight the figure, without much regard to that lively figure. The Violin makers refer to it as the burnt look, that's kinda what it looks like. So the Violin makers tend to subject the wood to tons of UV first, then get more colour in the varnish - without it being too opaque.


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