Preparation of live edge slab advice -- Update: Success!

[nickao]

I also will be attempting to do something with a slab of Sycamore.  I got this hot off the mill today.

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It has spectacular color and a lot of ray flecks. The log it came from had been cut sometime ago.  How long should I let it sit before doing anything with it?  Is Sycamore a stable wood, i.e. will it cup or shrink badly after it was cut?  It's quartersawn since it came from the middle of the log. I'll post a pic of the actual slab when I get a minute.  I'm pretty excited about it as all this was given to me.  Got some post oak and bradford pear too.  Never worked with Pear.  Looks nice though...

Are you talking air dry, not bringing it to a kiln?

Air dried flat saw Sycamore is extremely unstable, even if kiln dried it's fairly unstable. Quarter sawn Sycamore is the more stable and  gorgeous and has ray fleck, some with figure like maple too. It's about the mid region of stability for a non exotic species,  but has to be seasoned properly. I literally had to sticker, seal over the end grain, turn every week or two and weigh down corners to keep even the quarters sawn flat while air drying. Every piece is different, is it truly quartersawn? Look at the edge, is it 100 percent straight or at a slight angle?

For me, unless checking and small changes in the shape or a bit of twist is going to be part of the beauty  on purpose I would season that thing for 4 years or so. I have many slabs of varying species that are over 8 years old I am only now considering using. Generally it's 1 year per inch of thickness, minimum air dry time.

In short quarter air dried Sycamore simply isn't the most stable wood on the whole if you are used to working with very stable kiln dried woods, but we have had some pieces that are extremely stable after a few years air dried care. Your sawyer will know the tree and the lumber better than me, I would ask his experience with the trees where this was cut.