sycamore

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NOTE: there is rarely any "standard" or "typical" look for a wood so take what's in this table with a grain of salt
the REST of the pictures on this page will give you a better overall feel for this wood

sycamore / Platanus occidentalis,
Platanus racemosa,
and Platanus wrightii
of the family Plantanaceae.
5" x 5" flat cut, 5" x 5" quartersawn, 3/4" wide end grain, and a 1/4" x 1/4" end grain closeup.

Diffuse porous with small pores in random distribution, rays thick enough to be seen with the naked eye, growth ring boundaries are usually weak but discernible, partially because there is marginal parenchyma.

Along with white oak, sycamore produces the most striking ray flakes of all North American woods, as can be seen in some of the pics on this page.

An illustrated discussion on the confusion among the names
lacewood, leopardwood, planetree, sycamore, silky oak and others

my samples:
NOTE: these pics were all taken in very bright incandescent lighting ("soft white" at 2700K)
colors will vary under other lighting conditions

both sides of a sample plank of flat cut sycamore / Platanus occidentalis --- --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above and a side grain shot as well. Because this pieces is so perfectly flat cut, the side is perfectly quartersawn and thus exhibits the ray flakes seen here.

both sides of a sample plank of rift cut sycamore / Platanus occidentalis --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

both sides of a sample plank sold to me as sycamore / Platanus occidentalis --- because this piece is flat cut, the characteristic flakes which show up so well in quartersawn pieces are so tiny on the faces of this piece that you have to go to the 2nd enlargement to see them clearly. Sycamore planks are not normally knotty, but getting a sample plank with a knot in it is about par for the course when buying samples directly from the IWCS.

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

both sides of a sample plank of flat cut sycamore / Platanus occidentalis --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

quartersawn surface of one edge of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

both sides of a sample plank of sycamore / Platanus occidentalis --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

both sides of a sample plank of rift cut American sycamore / Platanus occidentalis --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. Because the piece is rift cut, the characteristic ray flakes on the face are very small.

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

both sides of a sample plank of "quartersawn" sycamore / Platanus occidentalis --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. Although listed as quartersawn, this is really rift cut, so the ray flakes that are so strong on ACTUAL quartersawn pieces are tiny here.

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

both sides of a sample plank of sycamore / Platanus occidentalis --- HUGE enlargements are present. The color on these pics has a pink tint that is not actually in the wood.

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

first face and the end grain of a sample of sycamore / Platanus occidentalis. This part of a collection which is discussed here: COLLECTION A

the second face, before and after sanding, showing how the patina from aging is only surface deep.

end grain closeup and END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above.

both sides of a turning stick of quartersawn sycamaore / Platanus occidentalis--- HUGE enlargements are present. The first face shows a quartersawn surface and is sanded and the second face shows age patina

end grain and HIGH GRIT END GRAIN CLOSEUP of the piece directly above

plank and closeup

pair of planks and a closeup

planks shot at a wood show. HUGE enlargements are present.

small plank and end grain. The intricacies of the pattern show more clearly if you expand the side-on picture.

end grain closeup of the piece directly above --- color is too dark; should be more like the update directly below but slightly more pale:

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

first face and the end grain of a sample of sycamore / Platanus spp. This part of a collection which is discussed here: COLLECTION B

the second face, before and after slicing off 1/8" showing how the patina from aging is only surface deep.

end grain closeup and END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above.

first face and the end grain of a sample of Western sycamore / Platanus racemosa --- This part of a collection which is discussed here: COLLECTION G

the second face, before and after sanding it down a bit, showing how the patina from aging is only surface deep.

end grain closeup and END GRAIN UPDATE of the piece directly above

both sides of a sample plank of California sycamore / Platanus racemosa --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. I don't know if the stain throughout this piece is blue stain or mineral stain, but I'm guessing it's blue stain.

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

both sides of a sample plank of Arizona sycamore / Platanus wrightii --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above. A perfect example of boxed pith.

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

both sides of a sample plank of haya (Mexican sycamore) / Platanus mexicana --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

a piece sent to me for identification. It is clearly sycamore, although I'm not sure which species

end grain and HIGH GRIT END GRAIN CLOSEUP of the piece directly above

a reasonably good showing of the ray figure that is typical

both sides and end grain of a plank contributed by Chris Arvidson, whom I thank for this and other contributions. The ray flakes are there, but they are tiny and you have to go to the 2nd enlargement to see them clearly.

end grain closeup of the piece directly above

the same plank as directly above but moistened with water.

small plank and end grain

end grain closeup of the piece directly above

several views of a turning stick, also contributed by Chris Arvidson --- unfortunately the end grain just doesn't show up.

same stick as directly above --- a two-side view both dry and moistened with water

both sides of a plank

closeups of the plank directly above

both sides of a plank

end grain shots of the plank directly above

end grain closeups of the plank directly above

both sides of a plank

end grain and end grain closeup of the plank directly above

both sides of a plank and a closeup

two sides of a plank

3 planks and a closeup

small plank and end grain --- this was cut from the middle of the 3 plank shown directly above

end grain closeup and END GRAIN UPDATE of the piece directly above

pair of planks

closeup from the pair directly above

plank

plank with what appears to be (I'm not positive) wide sapwood with blue stain

closeup from the plank directly above

quartersawn plank and end grain --- color has just a hint of orange that is not in the wood

end grain closeup of the piece directly above

planks

both sides of a small piece that I got in a mixed lot --- HUGE enlargements are present

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

both sides of a little piece that was sent to me for identification. On these pics and on the ones below, HUGE enlargements are present

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above.

Shaker box top shot in a craft store

large slab (about 4' wide by 10' long) that I shot at a craft studio, and a closeup. This piece nicely exemplifies that on a really large flat cut piece, the angle of cut at the edges can still be close to quarterawn even when the middle is pretty far from the pith, thus the rays at the edge of this piece

I have read that freshly cut sycamore frequently exhibits a red or pinkish color that fades quickly as the planks dry, but I have never seen, or even heard of, such a spectacular example as this one submitted by Bart Bisscheroux from Holland (where sycamore is called "plataan" which I believe probably corresponds to the British name "plane"). At any rate, thank you very much, Bart. This log is about 12 feet long and 4 1/2 feet in diameter. Bart reports that the red color, spectacular though it is (and he was surprized by it as well), did fade rather quickly to a much more sedate pink.

a burl section from the log directly above. The pink/red of this freshly exposed burl faded to a mild pink.

another plank pic submitted by Bart (see the red log directly above) to show the contrast between normal freshly cut sycamore, which does show some pink, and the red log which is just amazing.

veneer --- this is the "planetree" variety, which is what one of the sycamore species is called in England/Europe. I believe it is probably Platanus orientalis.

veneer sample of sycamore / Platanus occidentalis --- HUGE enlargements are present. This part of a collection which is discussed here: COLLECTION D. The relatively dark color is likely due to an age patina.

sycamore veneer pics contributed by Danny Tjan, whom I thank for these and other contributions to the site. This is the "planetree" variety, which is what one of the sycamore species is called in England/Europe.

veneer with rays that are larger than what I normally expect in sycamore. The color is one of those yellow shades that defy my best efforts at color correction ... the actual wood is off-white with a yellow tint, not TOO far from what you see here but definitely with a little more yellow.

The Wood Book pics

flat cut, quartersawn, end grain
sycamore (Platanus occidentalis, also listed as buttonwood, buttonball, and planetree) from The Wood Book --- both levels of enlargement are available for each of the 3 views

flat cut, quartersawn, end grain
California sycamore (Platanus racemosa) from The Wood Book --- both levels of enlargement are available for each of the 3 views

flat cut, quartersawn (actually, more like rift cut; note the grown ring angle and the small flakes), end grain
Arizona sycamore (Platanus wrightii) from The Wood Book --- both levels of enlargement are available for each of the 3 views

web pics:

colors are highly suspect in many instances

Three kinds of sycamore: sycamore / Platanus occidentalis, Arizona sycamore / Platanus wrightii, and California sycamore / Platanus racemosa

sycamore log ends showing how, typically, the heartwood is much smaller compared to the sapwood than in many species

freshly milled sycamore slabs showing the typical red color that fades quickly to tan

planks --- these colors seem reasonable

plank with a color that is just ridiculous

planks and a couple of closeups, the second of which shows some nice black-line spalting. I think the colors are a little too red on these pics.

freshly cut log section showing some of the pink one frequently finds in fresh wood

plank with both wet and dry sections

quartersawn sycamore pieces, all from the same vendor and all moistened for the pics

flat cut planks

quartersawn planks --- some of these were listed as "American" sycamore, some as just sycamore.

planks

both sides of a slab with a crotch section --- both enlargements are present

both sides of a slab

planks and closeup

plank and closeup --- colors seem too red

planks and a closeup

plank with a color that is just outrageous (impossible)

plank and closeup

moistened plank

bookmatched quartersawn planks

turning squares --- orange color seems unlikely

unseasoned turning squares still showing some of the red/pink that sometimes occurs in fresh cut sycamore

one of those web shots that I just can't resist putting in to show how badly wood is sometimes shown on the web. I have no idea where this yellow came from, but I'm confident it didn't come from the wood.

fairly rare ambrosia sycamore

plank affected by the Columbian Timber Beetle, which, based on the appearance of the resulting stain, must be one of the many species of beetle that are generically called ambrosia beetles

advertised as "lacewing" sycamore, but I really don't see any distinction, and the orange color is unlikely

American sycamore, two planks, a veneer sheet, a flat cut plank and a quartersawn plank, all with color that is likely too red/orange

pen blanks --- color looks good to me

scales

turning stock

bowl blank

figured American sycamore veneer

quartersawn, a plank and a veneer sheet

burls

veneer just listed as sycamore

veneer, all from the same vendor

veneer sheet closeups with both levels of enlargement available --- these are from the same vendor as the set directly above.

numerous samples of "Planetree" sycamore veneer. This is the English designation for one of the species that use the common name sycamore --- I think it is Platanus orientalis.

planetree sycamore veneer (probably Platanus orientalis) closeups

"Planetree" veneer (probably Platanus orientalis) from a vendor whose pics make many woods appear green regardless of the true color of the wood

"planetree" (probably Platanus orientalis) burl and turning stock from burl

QUESTIONABLE IDENTIFICATION
sycamore burl pieces, all from the same vendor, all identified as Platanus orientalis --- because these are so different than other sycamore burls I've seen, I'm somewhat doubtful about the identification.

book-match spalted planks

spalted planks

spalted plank with color that is unlikely. Spalt lines don't really show up clearly until the 2nd enlargement

a set of spalted planks and a closeup. The first pic is dry wood, the 2nd pic is with the wood moistented with mineral spirits. Both pics are WAY too red, and this is typical of this somewhat dishonest vendor. The closeup is a much more realistic color.

another set of spalted planks from the vendor who makes her pics too red.

misc spalted pieces

spalted sycamore log end

spalted turning stock and end grain of same

spalted sycamore scales

spalted pieces and end grain of same

spalted turning stock

spalted pen blanks

a hollow form, a box, and a vase made from spalted sycamore

spalted sycamore bowl --- pic submitted by Bill Mudry

spalted sycamore bowl, first raw then with a finishing agent

spalted sycamore vase

bowls

spalted sycamore bowls

spalted sycamore platters

rough-turned bowl blank

marvelously quartersawn sycamore used as the back and sides of a fiddle --- both levels of enlargement are present and the ray flakes show up really well

spalted sycamore turkey called

table top shown dry and then moistened