Pollarding a small sycamore

If you choose to use a bowsaw, ensure that you buy a blade for green wood with raker tooth such as Bahco/Sandvik 23 rather than the blade normally supplied with the saw which is type 51, used for constructional wood which is dry. Other brands tend to be the 51 type which do not clear damp sappy sawdust from the cut,making for hard(er) work.
Bahco 23-24 Raker Tooth Hard Point Bowsaw Blade 600mm (24")

 

Thankyou very much @infradig, for your detailed information, which will be a great help to me.

 

Well, the leaves are falling, so I can see better the frame of my tree. Photo to follow with questions, thankyou....

 

This photo shows the lower part. I think the leader is to the right of the single stem which is on the left of the photo. The leader then forks into 2 separate stems.
Can I ask, will it be ok to prune (pollard) all stems. Is that the general idea, please.

 

This next photo shows the upper part:

 

Oops, sorry I forgot to post the actual question!
My question is, will it be better to cut above or below the lowest lateral stems please.
Many thanks.

 

Personally I'd go for one bud above that Y section on each stem and one bud above where the stem appears to have been cut last year.

But it depends on how tall you want to start the process.

 

Thankyou very much @pete. My instinct is to try to go as high as I can manage (which will already be low). The birds love it...
In the situation where I find I have to go lower than the first bud, does that mean I will end up with a 'mop-head' (can't think of the formal terminology!)

 

I always cut about, roughly, one to two inches above where I cut it last time, that's why I say it creeps upwards over the years.
After the first year that is.

After about 10 yrs I often go back down and cut lower and start the process again, if its getting too tall.

If you get too many new buds breaking in spring you can rub them off.

 

Brilliant, thankyou @pete, that is so helpful. You can tell I don't do this routinely. I feel more confident now.