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Clicking any heading in the main data area (at right) will scroll the page back to this top position. Use the following links to jump to the associated section in the main data. Blunting Effect Boring Carving Comments Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Drying Rate Kiln Schedules Light-Induced Color Change Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Painting Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Substitutes Texture Trade Name Tree Identification Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Acer pseudoplatanus Trade Name Sycamore plane Family Name Aceraceae Common Names Buttonwood, English harewood, English maple, European maple, Gray harewood, Great maple, Harewood, Maple, Plane, Plane tree, Planetree, Sycamore, Sycamore plane Regions of Distribution Africa, Western Europe Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] United Kingdom Common Uses Bedroom suites, Boat building (general), Boat building, Boat building: framing, Bobbins, Boxes and crates, Brush backs & handles, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Carvings, Chairs, Chests, Cooperages, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Drawer sides, Drum sticks, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture, Handles: general, Interior construction, Kitchen cabinets, Lifeboats, Living-room suites, Marquetry, Musical instruments , Musical instruments: strings, Office furniture, Organ pipes, Paneling , Paneling, Parquet flooring, Piano keys, Pianos , Plywood corestock, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Shade rollers, Shipbuilding, Shuttles, Sounding boards, Spindles, Spools, Sub-flooring, Tables, Textile equipment, Toys, Turnery, Veneer, Veneer: decorative Environmental Profile Status unknown in many of its growth areas Distribution Overview Sycampore plane grows in northern Europe and western Asia. It is also planted in Great Britain and the U.S. The tree can be found in seashore gardens due to its high tolerance to salt spray, as well as along roadsides and in hedgerows. It is a resilient, hardy tree, tolerating many kinds of soils. Heartwood Color Yellow White Orange Brown Red Green/grey Yellowish white Yellow to golden-yellow to orange Brown Pale brown White to cream Greenish to greyish Lustrous almost to the point of being iridescent, darkening upon exposure to a light golden brown color. The original white color of the wood is second only to holly wood. Sapwood Color White Yellow Brown Red Color not distinct from heartwood Whitish White to yellow Cream Grain Figure Straight Wavy Variable (figure) Distinct (figure) Even Closed Other (figure) Mottled (figure) Stripe (figure) Fiddleback (figure) Straight May be wavy or curly Variable figure Distinct figure Figure in generally fine Striped figure Other figure Mottled figure Lacy figure Fiddleback figure Curly or wavy grain can produce beautiful fiddleback or lacy figures. Texture Fine Even or uniform Uniform Fine Even textured Luster Medium High Lustrous Pronounced Natural Durability Perishable Non-durable Susceptible to insect attack Non-resistant to powder post beetles Sapwood not resistant to insect attack Resistant to powder post beetles Non durable Perishable Susceptible to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles Heartwood is susceptible to wood staining fungal attack Sapwood is vulnerable to insect attack and tends to decay rapidly Resistant to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles Decay's readily Odor No specific smell or taste Light-Induced Color Change Lighter Darker Kiln Schedules Drying (speed) is fast Dry at a moderate speed Drying Defects Discoloration Checking Splitting Resin Exudation Internal Honeycombing Possible Ring Shakes Uneven Moisture Content Water pockets Staining Slight surface checking Slight end splitting Ring failure Moderate surface checking Moderate end spitting Honeycombing possible Expect resin/gum exudation Discoloration Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Rapidly Gum Exudation Slowly Moderately Difficult to Difficult Little degrade Easy Stains easily Air-dries rather well Individual boards should be separated from each other. Kiln drying recommended immediately after cutting to prevent discoloration and staining. Slow kiln drying will produce a pink-brown weathered color, called Weathered sycamore Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries quickly Naturally dries at a moderate speed Tree Identification Bole/stem form is straight Bole/stem form is cylindrical Tree Size Tree height is 30-40 m Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm Bole length is 10-20 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Tree height is 20-30 m Bole length is 20-30 m Trunk diameter is 200-250 cm Boles are usually straight and clear to heights of 50 to 60 feet (15 to 18 m). Product Sources Most of the lumber on the market originates from Great Britain. Supplies from outside Europe are rather scarce and expensive, but some lumber may be available from some of the more prominent importers. The wood is sometimes sold on the market as Harewood, which is Sycamore plane dyed a silver-grey color. The dye is forced into the wood under hydraulic pressure. Substitutes Avodire (Turraeanthus africana ) Comments General finishing qualities are rated as good Blunting Effect Moderate Little Blunting effect on machining is moderate Blunting effect on machining is slight Boring Fair to good results Fairly easy to very easy Very good to excellent results Wood can burn readily if tools are dull Excellent results Carving Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Easy to carve Cutting Resistance Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Moderate to saw Cutting Resistance with green wood is moderate Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Very Good to Excellent Results Easy to glue Very good properties Moderate gluing properties Mortising Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Moderately easy to mortise Good mortising properties Moulding Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Moulding ease is moderate Good moulding properties Sharp cutting edges should be used to prevent burning. Movement in Service Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Excellent Stability - Small Movement Medium Stable Small Retains shape well after manufacture Nailing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Pre-Boring Recommended Fair to Good Results Very good nailing properties Possible if prebored Holds nails well Easy to nail Planing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Planes well, to a good finish Moderately easy to plane Easy to plane Straight-Grained wood can be planed easily. Curly or wavy-grained wood may require sharp cutting edges and reduced cutting angles to prevent pick-up. Resistance to Impregnation Permeable heartwood Permeable sapwood Heartwood is permeable Sapwood is permeable Easily treated with chemicals Usually exploited in the production Harewood. Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Responds Readily Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Moderate working qualities Easy to machine Satisfactorily Difficult to machine Sanding Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good sanding properties Good sanding finish Screwing Fair to Good Results