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Windsor Plywood has been a trusted source for specialty lumber and hardwoods across western Canada for decades. Our specialty lumber selection goes well beyond standard framing grades, offering premium domestic and imported hardwood species suited for fine furniture making, custom cabinetry, architectural millwork, and decorative woodworking projects of all scales. Species available include hard maple, red oak, white oak, walnut, cherry, birch, alder, poplar, and a rotating selection of exotic and figured hardwoods depending on current inventory. In addition to solid hardwood lumber, we carry live edge slabs, figured wood for tabletops and accent pieces, and hardwood plywood in species to match. Windsor Plywood staff are knowledgeable about the properties and working characteristics of each species and can help you select the right material for your specific application. Visit your local Windsor Plywood to browse current specialty lumber stock and discuss your project with our team.
Frequently Asked Questions
What sycamore products does Windsor Plywood carry?
Windsor Plywood carries American sycamore hardwood lumber in select grades for furniture, cabinetry, and interior millwork. Sycamore is available in standard dimensional thicknesses with widths varying by current stock. Contact your local Windsor Plywood branch to confirm current sycamore availability before planning your project.
What are the main characteristics of sycamore wood?
American sycamore has a pale cream to light tan colour, a fine texture, and a distinctive ray fleck pattern that is particularly prominent on quartersawn surfaces. It has a Janka hardness of approximately 770, making it a moderately hard domestic hardwood. Sycamore is known for its interlocked grain, which produces attractive figure but can make it challenging to plane without tearout.
What is sycamore best used for in woodworking?
Sycamore is used for interior furniture, cabinetry, butcher blocks, and decorative woodworking where its distinctive quartersawn ray figure is the design feature. Quartersawn sycamore displays a prominent, wavy ray fleck similar to quartersawn oak but with a finer, more delicate appearance. It is also used for interior millwork, panelling, and drawer sides in quality furniture construction.
Does sycamore take stain evenly?
Sycamore's interlocked grain and the ray tissue in quartersawn surfaces can produce some variation in stain absorption. A pre-stain conditioner is recommended before applying pigment stains to promote more even colour. The ray fleck areas tend to reflect differently from the surrounding wood under clear finishes, which is typically considered an attractive characteristic rather than a defect.
Is sycamore a sustainable wood choice?
American sycamore is abundant across eastern North America and is not a species of conservation concern. It regenerates readily and is harvested from managed forests. As a domestic North American species, it has a lower transportation footprint than imported tropical hardwoods. Windsor Plywood sources sycamore through established domestic lumber suppliers.