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sassafrass
- Thread starter turner23
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Nope, Sassafrass is not good for turning. Watch for the PM and I'll tell you where to send it for disposal. 😀
Sassafras is beautiful stuff. It's a hard wood, but pretty flexible and tends to get darker as it ages. That suggests to my mind that sassafrass bowls would be delightful to turn and own.
Sassafras is beautiful stuff. It's a hard wood, but pretty flexible and tends to get darker as it ages. That suggests to my mind that sassafrass bowls would be delightful to turn and own.
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Not only does it smell good while turning it also turns really well. I would take all you could. I have turned several sassafrass bowls.
Would you be willing to trade? Myrtle, Madrone, Big leaf Maple, Mountain Mahogany????? Flat rate postal box???
robo hippy
robo hippy
Send me a PM if you're interested in trading. I'm sure the owners won't mind me taking a bit more, but I know they need some for firewood this winter. I'll figure out when they are planning on having a crew come out and remove them. Right now there is a huge oak tree resting on them, so getting to them is dangerous, but I'll play coordinator if there is interest!
Nick
Nick
tea
the roots make a good tea, taste kinda like root beer
River rat
the roots make a good tea, taste kinda like root beer
River rat
This sounds like a good opportunity to help a lot of folks out. If you have a local clus(s), you couls let them know. It would help your neighbor get his yard cleaned up and your turning buddies get some wood. Seven trees is quite a lot.
I've turned a number of Sassafras bowls in the past. It turns very well, responds nicely to your tools.
It's a fairly plain looking wood, though.....not much figure or grain irregularities that would make the wood stand out. It's a wood that you can get crazy with unusual design, though, as it works well and doesn't conflict.
I once made the mistake of using a dark stain on Sassafras.....that didn't look very well.....sort of fake looking.
Get all you can.....you'll use it!
otis of cologne
It's a fairly plain looking wood, though.....not much figure or grain irregularities that would make the wood stand out. It's a wood that you can get crazy with unusual design, though, as it works well and doesn't conflict.
I once made the mistake of using a dark stain on Sassafras.....that didn't look very well.....sort of fake looking.
Get all you can.....you'll use it!
otis of cologne
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Big trees!
You are very lucky. Sassafras grows wild here but rarely gets large enough for anything bigger than an egg cup.
I love the smell and the wood!
Enjoy it!
You are very lucky. Sassafras grows wild here but rarely gets large enough for anything bigger than an egg cup.
I love the smell and the wood!
Enjoy it!
- Joined
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Sassafras can make terrific natural edge bowls as it has fairly thick bark.
the wood is a little on the soft for functional bowls about like tulip poplar.
In Maryland it was rare to find it growing larger than a shrub.
Our turning club was given one by an Annapolis park we worked with that was over 3ft in diameter.
enjoy!!
Al
the wood is a little on the soft for functional bowls about like tulip poplar.
In Maryland it was rare to find it growing larger than a shrub.
Our turning club was given one by an Annapolis park we worked with that was over 3ft in diameter.
enjoy!!
Al
great thoughts
thanks for the suggestions.
I could tell right away the wood is fairly soft by how the trees *broke*. Unfortunately I don't see any natural edges pieces resulting since the trees were all living, and the sap is up this time of year. Before turning one of the pieces, I could literally pull the park off, all in one piece, with my hands.
thanks for the suggestions.
I could tell right away the wood is fairly soft by how the trees *broke*. Unfortunately I don't see any natural edges pieces resulting since the trees were all living, and the sap is up this time of year. Before turning one of the pieces, I could literally pull the park off, all in one piece, with my hands.
Superglue, the woodturner's magical friend, can make the loosest bark tight.😀
Aaron
Aaron
Smells good..
Sassafrass smells good outdoors but get a load of it in your shop and turn a bunch of it and then come back and tell us what you think. Don't leave out your family's comments. DAMHIKT.
Other than that, it's nice enough to turn. I didn't think it was all that pretty naturally. It's been beautiful to tint although I couldn't get it to take a light color tint very well. Could be me or the cheap product I was using.
Sassafrass smells good outdoors but get a load of it in your shop and turn a bunch of it and then come back and tell us what you think. Don't leave out your family's comments. DAMHIKT.
Other than that, it's nice enough to turn. I didn't think it was all that pretty naturally. It's been beautiful to tint although I couldn't get it to take a light color tint very well. Could be me or the cheap product I was using.
...i'd say the results are mixed...
so after roughing out 6 pieces last night; sassafrass cuts like butter when you have a nice sharp tool. But for a relatively soft wood, it sure dulls your tools FAST! There was no chance of saving the bark on any of this wood, and I never use super-glue because I feel it strips the final piece from being truly 'natural'. I don't mind the smell, very fragrant. When cutting the bark, it really smells like rootbeer :cool2:.
But aside from being extremely stringly, and a couple small rot marks, the wood is very stable. Look for pics in 3-5 months. :cool2:
so after roughing out 6 pieces last night; sassafrass cuts like butter when you have a nice sharp tool. But for a relatively soft wood, it sure dulls your tools FAST! There was no chance of saving the bark on any of this wood, and I never use super-glue because I feel it strips the final piece from being truly 'natural'. I don't mind the smell, very fragrant. When cutting the bark, it really smells like rootbeer :cool2:.
But aside from being extremely stringly, and a couple small rot marks, the wood is very stable. Look for pics in 3-5 months. :cool2: