Questions about Sycamore

[Thunder]

So, I've been doing some research and I'm getting conflicting information about using Sycamore for bow wood.  I going to take down a nice Sycamore before the county comes in and cleans up the easement behind my property. I've read that its great but also that its mediocre bow wood. What can y'all tell about Sycamore? And how about some pics of your bows?

Thunder

[Vgo750]

Hey buddy...i dont know about for a bow but i can tell you that i hate sycamore as a wood in general for a completely unrelated reasom... me and my brother were on a wilderness hunting trip out in deep east tx woods a couple years back and all we had to burn for warmth and cooking was sycamore...and it burnt like crap!  Didnt put off any heat and sucked for coals lol! Are you just thinking of something to work on all while all that sage we just cut dries??

[Thunder]

I think I've got plenty of dry saplings and staves to work on right now Vgo750.  I just don't want it to go to waste, it'll get pushed over by a bull dozer if I don't cut it. It's 8" diameter @ the base, straight and branchless.

[sleek]

Nice specimen of a tree there... I cut one with the intention of making a bow. Never did cause it seemed so soft.

[Webradbury]

I'm curious also if it is good for a bow.  I know it is the best wood for butcher blocks...

[Hrothgar]

We used to make pallets out of sycamore at a recycling center. Its very light weight, fairly strong, but from what I've read not at all strong in tension. ...think I would look for another tree.

[Springbuck]

  I have made a couple of bows from large branches of sycamore; the kind of branches that shoot up when people "top" the trees.  These were maybe 3-4" across, had some side to side waggle where the tiny side branches grew, and made cool looking bows with a few lumps and stuff on the backs.  The wood was easy to cut, easy to work, and looked nice.

  The bows shot fine with medium crowns, the wood was a lot like maple, but not as tension strong, I think.  That's just my impression from a stick bending test.  They were lightweight bows in the low 40 lbs range, and 66 or 68" long (don't remember), 2-2.25" wide,  flatbows with flipped tips, I think.  I tried a couple others at the same time, but I had a bad habit of coming in way low on weight back then, and I think I destroyed them messing with them, but I don't remember any breakage, just low weight pathetic set, giving up eventually.

  I burn the stuff no problem in a fireplace.  Oh, I know!  The wood compares to yellow locust.

[Springbuck]

  I have made a couple of bows from large branches of sycamore; the kind of branches that shoot up when people "top" the trees.  These were maybe 3-4" across, had some side to side waggle where the tiny side branches grew, and made cool looking bows with a few lumps and stuff on the backs.  The wood was easy to cut, easy to work, and looked nice.

  The bows shot fine with medium crowns, the wood was a lot like maple, but not as tension strong, I think.  That's just my impression from a stick bending test.  They were lightweight bows in the low 40 lbs range, and 66 or 68" long (don't remember), 2-2.25" wide,  flatbows with flipped tips, I think.  I tried a couple others at the same time, but I had a bad habit of coming in way low on weight back then, and I think I destroyed them messing with them, but I don't remember any breakage, just low weight pathetic set, giving up eventually.

  I burn the stuff no problem in a fireplace.  Oh, I know!  The wood compares to yellow locust.  J.K.  YL is probably stronger in tension.

[DavidV]

I had the intention of buying a bunch of sycamore and hackberry boards at one time and backing one with the other but never got around to it. It was less than $2.00 /bf... It's pretty wood, cut it. Tim Baker liked it right?

[NonBacked]

“Tim Baker liked it right?”  Yes he does!

Check out TBB-1, p. 105: 2.25” wide & 66” long for a 50# @ 28” flatbow, and TBB-4, p. 54:  0.49 SG; Easy to work and makes a fast, sweet shooting bow.

Good luck with your harvest and the bow build. Post your results and share you thoughts …you may like too! 

[mikekeswick]

We have lots of sycamore here. Yes it makes great, snappy bows. Best heat treated and the back trapped/crowned. As mentioned it isn't very dense and you want your rough out to get to floor tiller to be a 1/16 to an 1/8th thicker than 'normal'.
I was very impressed by it.
It also makes beautiful veneers when cut on the quarter. All most all dyed veneer is sycamore.

[Del the cat]

.... Yes it makes great, snappy bows....

Yeah, but no but Mike we don't want bows that snap 
Del

[Thunder]

Thanks for the advice guys, I figured I would rather try to use it than let it go to waste.
I'll let yall know what happens...but it might be a while.

Cheers
Thunder