Sassafras Trees

[Bud Man]

Strolling through recently purchased woodlot and came upon 20 or so 20" plus Sassafras trees that were passed over in past cuttings.  Books say cooperage and cabinetry --also hint of medicinal and fragrance usages from bark , twigs , and chippings.  Anyone have experiences?? ===Sawing ( Flat or Quarter sawn)==== Marketing or end usage's.=========  Any help or ideas appreciated !!!

[Tom]

No sawing or woodworking with Sassafras.  The only tree I've seen here was a 3' switch beside a driveway.  When in camp as a child we looked forward to finding a small tree, digging the root and chewing on it. It tasted like licorice.

[swampwhiteoak]

I've seen it used for hog stalls and other exposed environment conditions.  The heartwood is pretty resistant to rot.  I think the lumber splits rather unpredictibly but I could be wrong on that.  Here's a tech sheet:

http://www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/TechSheets/HardwoodNA/htmlDocs/sassafrasalbi.html

I believe the leaves are used to make file (pronounced fee-lay) powder for cajun dishes.  

If I'm not mistaken all parts of the plant contain a chemical (sassifrol maybe?) that has been proven to be carcinogenic - not quite the medical remedy I look for ;)

[J_T]

 A buddy of mine built a hous once and did one room out of this wood it looked great. also my grandmother use to boil the root of one the sassafras trees to make a tea. I think thare is a red and white getting old don't rember like  i use to.

[Don P]

It is rot resistant, I'll kick around the woodpile and see if the board is still there,but it had been holding up real well out there (experiment). Ring porous, reminded me of chestnut or a brown oak.

The carcinogenic properties are severely overblown from what I've read. Nobody had a vested interest in challanging the research the way say nutri-sweet or saccharine did. Basically try to limit yourself to no more than 200 cups a day and you should be fine :.

Very pretty wood, not strong, at least what I got (1 butt is all)
A tea made from the roots is and old time spring tonic, a "blood builder". These are the same folks who used polecat grease for congestion. Always thought the congestion might be worth suffering through in silence. :D

[Papa Dave]

I have about 200 board feet of it that has been drying for several years.

So far, I have made two stools, which were copies of Abe Lincoln"s foot stool, with it and it works very nice and finishes well too.  It also turns well on a lathe. It is a light wood and does have an unusual smell to the wood, but not bad. The wood is not very dense.

As a woodworker, I like working with it.

Hope that helps.

[Ron Wenrich]

It is commonly sold as black ash.  But, when I've seen reports on prices, they usually list sassafras as being sold at red oak prices.  

I've sawn several Mbf of sassafras.  Saws like a dream.  We usually just put it on sticks and sell it to local woodworkers.  I know of one person who has made kitchen cabinets from it.  I was told it turned out really nice.

Here is what finished sassafras looks like:

[L. Wakefield]

   Yes, sassafrass root bark does contain safrole and they do say it is carcinogenic. Safrole is also supposedly an intermediate in some of the syntheses for illegal drug type stuff.

   I still love the tree. It reminds me of WV. I hope to transplant some up to Maine. We always used to call it 'mitten tree'. I will grow up here, I saw one when I was a kid.
                 lw

[Bud Man]

Don  P  --One of the responces from my post's (on Sassafras)did a fair amount of repair on Chestnut and said Sassy was his choice of wood for repair because of finished grain similiarities and dried apperances.

[Don P]

How bout that. I have never thought that hard about it. How is it to grow as a timber tree? Rot resistant, low shrinkage, psuedo- chestnut, black ash, black market... seems to have alot going for it.

[Bud Man]

Summary of responces to questions asked on several forums concerning Sassafras :    Flat sawing was prefered ==  Wood is moderately soft and air drying seemed to be preferred==   Usages varied greatly from cabinetry and trim to post, poles, and crossties(rot resistant) as well as some use in turnings.==Species has established itself throughout wide range from Maine to Florida to the Midwest.=== Adapts to all sites, poor to good and to 4000ft.==== It's becoming more common  because of it's adapability to take over abandoned farm sites and pastures=== Has high germination from seeds and also readily sends up shoots from roots similar to the way Chestnuts did and easily produces pure stands similar to willows or birches=== Because of its intolerance to shade it fights the age old battle-- poor shedding of limbs and producing poor  grade lumber and it  needs careful basal area controlled thinnings  to create high grade logs.===Unusual responces included : Herbal teas, Beer made from boiling twigs in water and adding mollasses and allowing to ferment , File in gumbo(Thanks SWO), and Native American Indians making dugout canoes. It's also being widely used in landscaping for fall color and attracting birds .               Thanks to everyone who participated !!