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Sweet Gum color question

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Sweet Gum color question

#1

Sweet Gum color question

Barry Irby

I bought a piece of sweet gum slab sand had it surfaced. The picture of it freshly cut showed a heart wood stripe about the color of walnut with a wide white/blond sap stripe on both sides. To be honest, when I picked it up the stripe was not very prominent. Had it flattened and thinned a bit on a CNC yesterday. Went to pick it up this morning and the guy who ran the machine was bragging about the beautiful stripe. By the time I got there the stripe had faded to to tan.

What can I do to keep the stripe prominently visible?

Re: Sweet Gum color question

#2

Keep it in a closet?

Dick Coers

When I first noticed this log I thought it was apple by the color in the end grain. But sawing and turning it was much too soft. I now believe it was sweet gum, but not certain. The color has held, but I've not been able to sell it, so it stays in a Rubbermaid tub in my den.


Re: Sweet Gum color question

#3

Oh Come on! Nobody else got another idea???

Barry Irby

This is SWEET Gum but it is already out of the closet. Some where along the way someone told me that sweet gum had been sold as a substitute for walnut. I think. Or maybe it was some other gum. I thought the stripe would remain prominent. I was gorgeous.

Wonder if I could carefully coat the stripe with die?

Re: Sweet Gum color question

#4

Re: Oh Come on! Nobody else got another idea???

Mike in Zuni VA

Barry,

It is my understanding that black gum was sold for walnut.

Mike in Zuni VA

Re: Sweet Gum color question

#5

Well! Thant explains it...

Barry Irby

Another ignacy on my part. Its a shame the stripe in the pieces I have faded almost instantly as the surface dried. Just for a minute, they were beautiful.

Re: Sweet Gum color question

#6

Observe sawing walnut

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Walnut can be a rainbow of colors fresh off the saw- bright green for example, purple and red too. Don't like the color wood becomes? That is why stain was invented.

Re: Sweet Gum color question

#7

preventing color change...

John K Jordan

>>>Its a shame the stripe in the pieces I have faded almost instantly as the surface dried. Just for a minute, they were beautiful.

This is focused on "exotics" but the information on color change applies to other wood as well:

Preventing Color Changes in Exotic Woods

https://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/preventing-color-changes-in-exotic-woods/

JKJ

Re: Sweet Gum color question

#8

Re: Observe sawing walnut

Barry Irby

You are correct....first time I had walnut sawed I was too young to drive so it was a long time ago....the boards started coming off the saw and were as green as grass. I nearly panicked thinking I was spending my allowance on some weird wood. A few hours in the air made a lot of difference.

I looked at my slabs this morning and they look a lot better.

👍 This page answered my questions

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