Liquidambar styraciflua

[Michael Talve]

I have several large Liquidambar styraciflua(American sweetgum)trees that have to be removed from a property that I have just purchased.
Has anyone ever used this timber for cabinet making or other uses before?
I have checked some US websites for info on this species and they state that it has a variety of uses and has been called "Italian mahoghany" and "Satin walnut".I would love to know about its qualities from a woodworkers point of view.
Any info would help me decide if it is worthwhile having the logs sawn and milled.

[paul snape]

first i have to admit i have never milled or used americian sweetgum , but i have milled and dryed and used a lot of species of timbers that are not know for there timber value . i find that if any suitable sized log is milled and dried properly it is a usefull timber , the biggest hassle that you have when milling these sort of timber is that often you do not know the shrinkage rate of the timbers both tangential and radial and their easy of drying and what there are like with surface checking .
most timber can be used to make furniture , so i would go ahead and mill these logs but to a slightly bigger size than what you want to allow for any extreme shrinkage that might happen , this is what i do with species i get on which i do not know about and can not get information about , this has inclueded a lot of species used in gardens and a lot of fruit trees .

[Michael Talve]

Thanks for the advice and encouragement Paul.
What is the best way to saw the logs to minimise the wastage and maximise the grain figuring? I was going to have them quartersawn but is there a better way?
I was intending to have them sawn by a mobile sawmiller as I don't have the equipment to do the job myself, so is there a minimum timber volume yield that I would need to make it worthwhile?
If I do proceed with this I would have the log slabbed and air dry it. Any advice?

[AlexS]

Have a look at Fine woodworking over the last 2 years. I'm sure they had an article on liquidambar timber not to long ago.

[Gary Brockman]

Michael, I've got heaps of info on sweetgum if you still want it. Let me have your fax no. by return. Regards, Gary

[This message has been edited by Gary Brockman (edited 26 June 2001).]

[Michael Talve]

Thanks for the offer of info on this timber - your response was timely as the felling of these trees is imminent. Any info can be faxed to my workplace on 02 6654 1936 and mark it for my attention.
If I decide to keep some of this timber for drying and eventual use I was considering leaving the trunks upright and getting the treelopper to vertically chainsaw the trunk into slabs then a crosscut to remove them from the stump.Any thought on this process?
This would save the expense of hiring a portable sawmiller or the cost of trucking the logs to a sawmill and back again.
Originally posted by Gary Brockman:
Michael, I've got heaps of info on sweetgum if you still want it. Let me have your fax no. by return. Regards, Gary

[This message has been edited by Gary Brockman (edited 26 June 2001).]