Timber Framers Guild Forums Tools Timber Engineering Sycamore for beams or timbers

To all:
Can you give me any information about using Sycamore for beam or timbers in timber framing?
Is it good, bad, or any experiences you'd care to share?
I have a client in Indiana who wants to use some of it in his timber frame home and garage.

Jim Rogers

I don't know about timbers. It's real pretty and stable when quarter sawn (has wide white sapwood and contrasting tan heartwood) but it moves on drying if flat sawn and rots real fast if you leave in the log pile too long

One of the sites I haunt lists common defects as Honeycomb (or collapse), ring check, & warp and states it's not used for light or heavy framing but doesn't go into detail.

Thanks Raphael

I have some pics from an old barn Near Indianapolis where Sycamore is used for braces and girts. I'll email you some pics. Brad

Thanks