# Would you guys even split sycamore?



## kentuckydiesel (Jan 17, 2012)

I've got a bunch of sycamore on my property, and ended up cutting one into logs last weekend because it was in the way of me getting to some oak. I know sycamore to be fast-growing and soft. Is it even worth splitting, or would I be loading the stove so often that I would wish I hadn't wasted the time.

Thanks, 
Phillip


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## branchbuzzer (Jan 17, 2012)

It's not as soft as poplar and the like, it's a medium density wood such as elm, soft maple, walnut.. It is one of the harder species to split, however. If you have the time to season it out it makes decent firewood.


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## carlseawolf (Jan 17, 2012)

I would split it , stack it and burn it.

After all something is better than nothing.


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## sunfish (Jan 17, 2012)

My SS splits it fine. 

I've burned a bunch of Sycamore, dries quick, burns hot, but I prefer Oak.


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## nixon (Jan 17, 2012)

It'll probably put up a fight when You split it, but it's not bad burning wood . If it' a particularly evil Sycamore to split , you might even get a sense of revenge as well as warmth when You burn it .


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## branchbuzzer (Jan 17, 2012)

nixon said:


> If it' a particularly evil Sycamore to split , you might even get a sense of revenge as well as warmth when You burn it .



I can certainly vouch for that...I give it the Vincent Price laugh as it enters the chamber of doom.


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## rmount (Jan 17, 2012)

I have no experience with Sycamore, but my rule of thumb is if I have to drop a tree it will either be cut and split for firewood or milled for lumber. All wood burns and even the lower density woods can be useful. I'm actually wishing I had some poplar or similar handy right now instead of burning maple with the window open! Its stacked at the back of the shed to burn in the spring, I'm not supposed to need it in the middle of January.


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## kentuckydiesel (Jan 17, 2012)

Thanks for the input! Guess I'll be burning some sycamore soon!

-Phillip


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## Hedgerow (Jan 17, 2012)

sunfish said:


> My SS splits it fine.
> 
> I've burned a bunch of Sycamore, dries quick, burns hot, but I prefer Oak.



It reminds me of fish... Smells like the lake when ya split it...


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## zogger (Jan 17, 2012)

kentuckydiesel said:


> Thanks for the input! Guess I'll be burning some sycamore soon!
> 
> -Phillip



burns fine for me here, and I split all of mine with a fiskars. Took some extra whacks, but it wasn't *that* hard. 

Note: haven't done any monster sycamores, just small to middlin'...a lot of it still needed splittin though.

Learn to split the nasty stuff with a fiskars, then the easy stuff is like getting wood pre split! It just falls apart with little effort.

I'm with that same camp above, if I have to cut it, I am using it, firewood or something else. I use some small pines for the base on my stacks for instance, to get the other wood off the ground. I'll use real crooked branches for berming if I have to cut on hillsides. Just drag them to the appropriate closest area that looks to need some help with erosion.

But most of what I cut...in the stacks. I also cut a lot of small rounds, which lets me skip splitting on larger rounds, I like big fat chunkers that can go all night or all day and just throw a little heat. We have tons of heating days here that those pieces actually work out the best. Same with the lesser species, absolutely no need to burn oak when poplar will do just fine during half the heating season.


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## JeffHK454 (Jan 17, 2012)

It can be a ##### to split and is heavy as heck when green but I'd take it over Willow or Cotton Wood any day.


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## Sagetown (Jan 17, 2012)

I have it on my place, but never considered cutting it.


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## sunfish (Jan 17, 2012)

Hedgerow said:


> It reminds me of fish... Smells like the lake when ya split it...



Is a Good smell, better than red oak!


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## Hedgerow (Jan 17, 2012)

sunfish said:


> Is a Good smell, better than red oak!



Now that stuff smells like what runs out the bottom of a corn silage pile...:hmm3grin2orange:


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## k5alive (Jan 17, 2012)

id imagine it being a SOB to split by ax but it is semi-dense and hot burning when proply dried. i'd try it if you had a splitter or a huge firepit and a bobcat.


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## DarkTimber (Jan 17, 2012)

Helped a friend with some of it 2 years ago it was all they had to burn it kept their house nice and warm. The small peices up to about 10-12" in diamater were easy enough to split with a maul. The larger peices up to about 32" in diamater gave even the splitter a fit all of the larger peices seemed to have a twist to the grain. It did however split easy enough when noodeled into quartes with the chainsaw.


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## Dalmatian90 (Jan 17, 2012)

More BTUs then a snowball.

One of the toughest ones I've split by hand.

For better or worse, the only two on my property died the same year, and only one was easily accessible for firewood.


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## WadePatton (Jan 17, 2012)

*this*



rmount said:


> I have no experience with Sycamore, but my rule of thumb is if I have to drop a tree it will either be cut and split for firewood or milled for lumber. All wood burns and even the lower density woods can be useful. I'm actually wishing I had some poplar or similar handy right now instead of burning maple with the window open! Its stacked at the back of the shed to burn in the spring, I'm not supposed to need it in the middle of January.



is what it took me 10 years of heating with wood to appreciate. i used to be a firewood snob--only burning black locust and other high-density woods. 

NOW, with a few years of learnin', I try to keep a good mix of woods ready for the stove. The less dense woods start/restart so much easier than the heavy stuff. I recently went to the woods SPECIFICALLY for dead Poplar-which is about twice as heavy as cork. BUT it's dandy for getting the fire going hot and fast w/o burning up all my red cedar kindling.

so, i burn it all now. I'll work harder for high btu species, but I'll take _all_ the easy pickin's. slim, yo.


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## firewood guy (Jan 18, 2012)

*Sycamor smell?*

I guess the syc on the west (left) coast is PC cause it really doesn't have any odor either processing or burning. It is a low to medium BTU hardwood here that is better than pine or poplar for firewood use. The stinky stuff here is cottonwood (poplar species) or Avocado. Local conditions seem to have a lot of variables..


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## unclemoustache (Jan 19, 2012)

I guess I'm the odd man out here - I wouldn't burn it at all. It's hard to split, low BTU's, and worst of all it leaves more ash than there was wood to begin with! But then, I've got lots of access to all kinds of good wood, (of which I didn't gather quite enough this year) but I'd rather crank up the gas boiler than burn sycamore.


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## superclyde007 (Jan 19, 2012)

Sycamore is definitely not oak, locust, hickory, hedge or hard maple but it will burn when seasoned. I have burnt alot of it from storm cleanup and from getting it out of the way to get other wood. Can be a little hard to split but I have split worse. I would not work hard to get only a sycamore but if its there cut it and burn it. I like to mix it in with other wood in the owb. My Central Boiler burns it just fine and the mrs. can't tell if it is sycamore or oak that keeps the house warm.:msp_thumbup:


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## Muffler Bearing (Jan 19, 2012)

Worth a read. Sycamore is mentioned often.



http://www.arboristsite.com/commercial-tree-care-climbing/33203.htm


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## CRThomas (Jan 20, 2012)

*Sycamore*

A fellow brought some for me to slit for him my 30 ton walked right on thru it. We only split a fourth of it. A couple days later he told me I could have the rest. Said it smelled like fish burning. I split the rest and burned it in my kiln it served the purpose. My kiln furnace is out side though. What ever the smell I didn't smell it it made heat and dried good wood


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## mikereynolds (Jan 20, 2012)

Sycamore is a lot like Eucalyptus....splits easier when green...burns well and plentiful in California. I ad it in my "mix" pile and have good luck with it. It's not Oak but not Pine either...Makes a fine firewood IMO


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## hardpan (Jan 21, 2012)

WadePatton said:


> is what it took me 10 years of heating with wood to appreciate. i used to be a firewood snob--only burning black locust and other high-density woods.
> 
> NOW, with a few years of learnin', I try to keep a good mix of woods ready for the stove. The less dense woods start/restart so much easier than the heavy stuff. I recently went to the woods SPECIFICALLY for dead Poplar-which is about twice as heavy as cork. BUT it's dandy for getting the fire going hot and fast w/o burning up all my red cedar kindling.
> 
> so, i burn it all now. I'll work harder for high btu species, but I'll take _all_ the easy pickin's. slim, yo.



Amen. I'm in my 35th year heating with wood and I've never bought a stick but it all has a varying cost and return. I burn it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly.


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## dahmower (Jan 21, 2012)

Here is how I prefer to burn it 
It's about 28" diameter and 24" long
My splitter will split it but it don't like it


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## CRThomas (Jan 22, 2012)

*Answer*



kentuckydiesel said:


> I've got a bunch of sycamore on my property, and ended up cutting one into logs last weekend because it was in the way of me getting to some oak. I know sycamore to be fast-growing and soft. Is it even worth splitting, or would I be loading the stove so often that I would wish I hadn't wasted the time.
> 
> Thanks,
> Phillip


I don't sell those types of wood but if somebody drop some off I would split it and burn it my self. If it's free you can always burn it if it's bad wood give it to somebody you don't like stink up there house. Later


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## mizzou (Jan 22, 2012)

I find Sycamore to be similar to Hackberry. Wish I had more of either ready for this year.


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## cajunhillbilly (Jan 22, 2012)

kentuckydiesel said:


> I've got a bunch of sycamore on my property, and ended up cutting one into logs last weekend because it was in the way of me getting to some oak. I know sycamore to be fast-growing and soft. Is it even worth splitting, or would I be loading the stove so often that I would wish I hadn't wasted the time.
> Thanks,
> Phillip



Sycamore is my favorite wood at the moment, because its free. My power co. is cutting a nearby road and there is plenty for free, all types of wood and already cut up. I don't get to play with my chainsaws so much but I do my splitter. Most people grab the small stuff, I do also but these BIG pieces produce so much wood. It will be good to burn in a couple of years stored under cover. It burn good and hot, not like the red oak I have but way better than poplar.






View attachment 218975


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## branchbuzzer (Jan 22, 2012)

sunfish said:


> Is a Good smell, better than red oak!





Hedgerow said:


> Now that stuff smells like what runs out the bottom of a corn silage pile...:hmm3grin2orange:



Gee, I always kinda liked the smell of fermenting red oak. But then again, I don't exactly smell like a perfume parlor myself. It's all what one is used to I suppose...


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## JeffHK454 (Jan 22, 2012)

branchbuzzer said:


> Gee, I always kinda liked the smell of fermenting red oak. But then again, I don't exactly smell like a perfume parlor myself. It's all what one is used to I suppose...





I agree , the smell of Red Oak is equated to "heat" in my brain!


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## kentuckydiesel (Jan 22, 2012)

I went ahead and split some of that sycamore on Friday afternoon. My old Northern Hydraulics splitter knocked right through it (as with most things). The wood is not green, but it was a little wet due to some big rains/small snows that we had recently, so no burning as of yet.

-Phillip


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## CRThomas (Jan 22, 2012)

*Answer*



kentuckydiesel said:


> I went ahead and split some of that sycamore on Friday afternoon. My old Northern Hydraulics splitter knocked right through it (as with most things). The wood is not green, but it was a little wet due to some big rains/small snows that we had recently, so no burning as of yet.
> 
> -Phillip


Ky like I said that fellow said he couldn't burn in his fireplace because it smelled like fish or something. I've burnt the rest of it drying some wood to sell and I didn't smell any odor. It burnt good but my kiln stove is out side. I would give it a try. Free is not free there is a cost some place later Ky.


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## knockbill (Jan 22, 2012)

i picked up a truck load of it a couple years ago, it was already cut in 3-4' lengths,,, i split by hand axes and mauls, so it was pretty hard to split,,, i gave most of it to a buddy with a splitter, and he used it,,,, i would pass on sycamore, if there was a better choice,,, after all, i live in oakmont!!!!!!!


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## jcass (Jan 23, 2012)

I have sycamore in the stove right now, I got about two cord of it 8 days ago from another local landscape company cleaning up there yard . They have about 4 more cord I intend on getting as soon as this ice melts. I split it with my splitter no problem It has been sitting for a couple years . Some already cut into rounds and some into 4-6ft lengths That I cut up Its plenty seasoned . Right now I am mixing what I have seasoned mostly maple/gum , poplar , oak , and now sycamore. But I have been busy gathering this year. So much so that I have had to rest my elbows for the last couple days and my hands hurt to much to even sharpen my saws..RA flair up..Right now I got around 30-40 cord that still needs to be split maybe more . I separate all my wood as i split it , this is my 3rd yr burning and I'm trying to develop some sort of system and learn different wood at the same time. I got piles of cherry , oak , poplar , locust , and maple/sweet gum..I am allergic to maple any and all kinds ironic enough I just found out last year , so i take allegra once a day and it seems to do the trick . Ill burn anything but pine . Ive heard allot of people say they wont burn this or that like sweet gum but like my pop would say . You know what kind of people don't burn gum? who? cold people..My sycamore is wet from a small ice storm we just had but i bring it in and set it on a fire place rack on top of my wood stove and it drys up nice and I throw in a piece or two every time I load the stove..


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## Dale (Jan 23, 2012)

Hedgerow said:


> Now that stuff smells like what runs out the bottom of a corn silage pile...:hmm3grin2orange:



Agree... wet Red Oak, smells like..... well...... it smells bad.


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## jcass (Jan 23, 2012)

Dale said:


> Agree... wet Red Oak, smells like..... well...... it smells bad.



I got about 4 cord split next to the garage and everytime anyone walks by they say whats that smell..


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## showrguy (Jan 23, 2012)

i've been heating my "new" house for 11 yrs. now with an OWB, i have some tree guys and homeowners looking to get rid of/dump off there junk wood now and then....
the sycamore gets the same response as pressure treated-------i don't want it !!!
maybe sycamore is different where some of you guys live, but a few years ago we hauled a couple of triaxle loads of wood to my place, all mixed species...
the sycamore is heavy as concrete when wet, my splitter would'nt touch it, swore i'd rather buy wood than fight with another piece of sycamore....
i'm in central Pa. close to harrisburg........your milage may vary..


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## MarylandGuy (Feb 8, 2012)

Local tree service dropped off some huge rounds of Sycamore last year. I split it right away with a gas splitter and ended up with about 2 cord.. The inside was incredibly wet and juicy. And stunk pretty bad.

I stacked the splits and let them sit in the sun for about six months. It burned very nicely and there was no smell outside. As someone mentioned, more of a medium wood. Not as fast burning as Poplar and not as many BTU's as oak.

I would be very happy to burn it every year if I got it free. But as others have mentioned, I will burn anything.


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## TeeMan (Dec 18, 2013)

MarylandGuy said:


> Local tree service dropped off some huge rounds of Sycamore last year. I split it right away with a gas splitter and ended up with about 2 cord.. The inside was incredibly wet and juicy. And stunk pretty bad.
> 
> I stacked the splits and let them sit in the sun for about six months. It burned very nicely and there was no smell outside. As someone mentioned, more of a medium wood. Not as fast burning as Poplar and not as many BTU's as oak.
> 
> I would be very happy to burn it every year if I got it free. But as others have mentioned, I will burn anything.


 
I've got a neigbor that just got two Sycamore trees dropped and sectioned off. A buddy and I are going to split the rounds with a 27-ton splitter because it's free and close! Is it better to split green?


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## La taupe (Dec 18, 2013)

Out of curiosity what are we talking about here? Sycamore in UK is a good firewood. Easy to split, seasons quite fast, burns nice
Over here we call Acer pseudoplatanus Sycamore.


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## Hinerman (Dec 18, 2013)

La taupe said:


> Out of curiosity what are we talking about here? Sycamore in UK is a good firewood. Easy to split, seasons quite fast, burns nice
> Over here we call Acer pseudoplatanus Sycamore.


 
US sycamore is not the same as UK sycamore:

UK, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_pseudoplatanus

US, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platanus_occidentalis


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## TeeMan (Dec 18, 2013)

I wish it were the UK kind...

I've just read mixed reviews on the US Sycamore. I'll be using it in my outdoor firepit for Fall and Spring fires, so I'm not all that concerned about the best "heat" value; just am more concerned about the difficulty splitting (with a splitter).


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## showrguy (Dec 19, 2013)

i won't even try to split the US version of sycamore unless it sat and air dried for atleast 6 mos..
threr's alot of twisty wood grain in that stuff when it does split/pop, it's sometimes pretty violent ..


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## TeeMan (Dec 19, 2013)

We tested some large and small rounds yesterday and had just one narly piece that we'll probably noodle to size. The others seemed to do "okay" but not great. We only split about a 1/4 cord yesterday to test it green and still have at least 1 to 1.5 cords to go. I see what you mean by twisty grains (it's tough to get a read on it and popping). We may try a little bit later after it sits, but we won't be able to wait 6 months, so we'll just see how it goes. 

Appreciate the feedback!


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## La taupe (Dec 19, 2013)

I don't know any wood that doesn't split better green, but that's a European perspective. I'm willing to be corrected.


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## showrguy (Dec 19, 2013)

La taupe said:


> I don't know any wood that doesn't split better green, but that's a European perspective. I'm willing to be corrected.


 pm me your address, and ill ship you a chunk of the US version if i can find a green one.....trust me you would'nt like it ...
after it dries it looses about half of it's weight and splits alot like maple, except for those "exciting pieces"


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## TeeMan (Dec 19, 2013)

La taupe said:


> I don't know any wood that doesn't split better green, but that's a European perspective. I'm willing to be corrected.


 
I have always split green wood as well (oak and pecan) but read mixed reviews on sycamore green vs. say 6 mo out. I think it was stated in another thread that 80-90% of the rounds split fine green, and that's about what we saw doing this last night. I think we will pick a day maybe a month out to try the rest.


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## La taupe (Dec 19, 2013)

Ha ha, ok I'll pass.


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## TeeMan (Dec 19, 2013)

Also, these are the straightest pieces we could ask for.


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## songofthewood (Dec 19, 2013)

It's wood...burn it!


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## buzz sawyer (Dec 19, 2013)

I always found sycamore to split more easily on a tangent than radially. Not bad for woodworking either. Beautiful rays when quartersawn.


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## memory (Dec 19, 2013)

I just got a load of Sycamore dropped off for free so yeah I will be splitting it. It may not be the easiest stuff to split but it still burns.


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## Bob95065 (Dec 22, 2013)

I never met a BTU I didn't like. Split it and burn it.


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## angelo c (Dec 22, 2013)

Call me a snob...i have limited time and can ask for specific tree species from my tree service drop off guys. Sycamore aint worth my time, space or effort, stinks and is slimy when wet. Hate that stuff. 

You guys that are hatin on the red oak smell...im wonderin what you dont like. Red oak is like yeast or beer smelling to me. Pin oak or black oaks stink to high hell. Elm too. Other then that ill just walk around my pile sometimes with my dog just to "smell the roses" of the red oak.


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## branchbuzzer (Dec 22, 2013)

buzz sawyer said:


> I always found sycamore to split more easily on a tangent than radially



It definitely does go easier tangentially ( that's just an awful word, aint it...) than radially. A couple years ago I had nothing to do and went and got a CL sycamore that was about 24" dbh and about beat myself into the ground on it. I noodled or sliced it to stove opening size, then let that sit all summer long til fall. When I went back to it and hammered on it, it came apart comparatively easily both directions ( I'm trying not to say tangentially again.....doh! ). It wasn't super-easy, but most of the time one swing was all it took.

So something definitely happens to it when it sits for a while that makes it easier. I've also not had much trouble splitting ~8" sycamore rounds, 2-3 whacks and it's split.

Every tree is different though and it's never a hard and fast rule that a certain species will split easy/hard. For example, in my area sourwood is one of the harder ones to split normally. A buddy n me cut a large one down ( about 15" dbh ) the other day and it absolutely flew apart as easy as poplar/red oak n the like. It was a bit straighter than most sourwoods ( they normally look like DNA ) but not arrow straight or anything. So each individual tree's growing conditions make a big difference and to say that one species is always hard or easy just isn't accurate.


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## Rickochet (Dec 25, 2013)

I have used sycamore many times. Season it and burn it!!!


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## cedarhollow (Aug 28, 2019)

ok reviving this thread
this is my fifth year heating with wood
these huge sycamores were in the way of the sat dish, they are about all i got thats dry right now
gonna fill up the shed with the huge branch wood that has dried on ground since february. This stuff burns hot with small flame and no smell when completely dry. And its no good for growing mushrooms or smoking ribs with so in the heating stove it will go
anyone that wants to drop off some oak or hickory I got plenty of space
got to start getting ready for winter


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