I’ve written about both Hickory and Sycamore in the past.
Sycamore is extremely easy to turn, it cuts smoothly, and finishes acceptably although not perfectly.
Hickory is a challenge as it is very hard and tends to be splintery. With the grain you couldn’t ask for a smoother cut but across the grain the fiber lift is extreme and requires very concentrated sanding to remove.
All cuts were made using the Easy Wood Tool system on my Robust American Beauty lathe. Forward chucking was in a Nova Chuck, while reverse chucking was done using a Nova Chuck with Cole Jaws. Sanding was with Gold and Green Wave sanding discs from Packard Woodworks. Final finish is Shellawax.
As always, I wish all my readers a great experience in whatever your wood working interests happen to be and to those who like working with lathes especially, do a good turn today!