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Sassafras logs

Started by Kirk_Allen, February 04, 2004, 07:59:12 AM

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Kirk_Allen

What are the biggest Sassafras logs you have seen?

Our farmer called today and told me that he is clearing a right-away for a Fiber Optics company just north of us and there are 4 or  5 Sassafras trees that he will have to cut down and wanted to know if I want them.  OF COURSE I DO  8) 8)

He said two of them measure over 40" dbi. Nothing wrong with them at all except they are in the way of the planned fiber optics lines.

Just curious as to what a typical size is for Sassafras.  I always thought they were much smaller.  I cant wait to cut into these.  Its to bad he wont be able to save the root system to make tea with. apparently they wanted the trees removed and they will grind the stumps and treat it with a poison to ensure no regrowth occurs.

OneWithWood

I have the largest sassafrass tree in the county growing in my woods.  It measeures 30" dbh if I remember correctly.  It is large for this county because of the soil composition and the tendency for sassafrass to develop cankers or get pecked to death by the pileated woodpeckers.  A couple of counties to the west where the soil is more conducive to sassafrass my tree would be just one of many medium sized trees.  I have seen a number of trees over there that go to 40" dbh.  I hope to side my saw barn with sassafrass - just not my county record tree.
One With Wood
LT40HDG25, Woodmizer DH4000 Kiln

Mark M

I ain't never seen a sassyfrass tree but my grandma used to make me some sassayfrass tea and I really liked it. That was about 35 years ago. About 20 years ago I went to a heath food store to get some of that tea and they made me sign a disclaimer that warned you could get cancer from sassafras if you had any ulcers or certain stomach problems. I still bought some and enjoyed as much as I had when I was a kid but haven't had any since.

Mark

Sorry to get off topic but I couldn't resist the chance to talk about food/drink.

Kirk_Allen

Mark, My first question to the farmer was can you save the roots?  I grew up on Sassafras tea but have never heard any relations to cancer from drinking it.  

Onewithwood: Our farm is located about 20 miles west of Terre Haute, IN. (Kansas, IL). Looks like your in the same neck of the woods, relativly speaking.

Farmer called back a couple of minutes ago and said that one of the trees is straight for at least 20 feet with the first branch at about 10 feet.  He also said he may have underestimated the size. 8) 8) 8)

I will be down there Friday and Saturday so I will be able to get a look at them.   8)

I feel like a kid in the candy store 8) 8)

There is nothing like getting free logs!.  Over the last two months locals have dropped off 10 Hickorys, 2 walnuts and now the sasafrass and all for free.

I cant wait to get all my woodworking tools moved so I can start building stuff as gifts to pay back the locals who have given me so much free wood.  
Aint livin in da country great ;D

I HATE THE SUBURBS!!!!! >:(


sawyerkirk

I think you would be better off to let me get rid of them, they are horribly canceous, let alone addictive. Don't touch em, smell em and especially don't try to use them for woodworking. It will ruin any other woods for you! Most of the sass we get in is 12" or smaller, and every board goes into my private stock for future woodworking projects.
ONEWITHWOOD: please don't side your building with sassafrass, Luke probably won't let you either!!

shopteacher

I cut some 24 t0 30" logs about a year and a half ago.  Got some beautiful boards aout of it , all clear. Haven't used any of it yet and it should just be about right for building now.  I'd like to kiln it before using it in cabinetry though. Hope to get some type of kiln going this summer so maybe next fal I can start to use it.  It has some really nice grain to it and should make some beautiful furniture.
Proud owner of a LT40HDSE25, Corley Circle mill, JD 450C, JD 8875, MF 1240E
Tilt Bed Truck  and well equipted wood shop.

J_T

Knew a guy that panneled every room in his house with a differnt wood .One was sass it was sompthing to see! 8)
Jim Holloway

Norm

I've never seen sassafras before, how about one of you guys show something you've made out of it or even an unfinished board.

Kevin_H.

Sawed up a bunch of Sass for my logger a couple of years ago, He used it to panel a new room on his house, he ran it all in a diagional. Looked really good.
Got my WM lt40g24, Setworks and debarker in oct. '97, been sawing part time ever since, Moving logs with a bobcat.

Ron Wenrich

The largest I've seen is 36" dbh, but it was dead.  I once had a sale with 8 Mbf that averaged 20".  The logger didn't cut it.  

At one time, sassafras got sold along with black ash.  Pretty much has the grain of ash or chestnut.  Now, it gets sold on its own and usually fetches red oak prices.  

We generally cut it up and put it on sticks.  Cuts great.  We've had logs lay for over a year before we got around to cutting them.  No problem with bugs.  
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Kirk_Allen

Ron, thanks for the input.  I plan on saving some for personal projects and sell the rest.  I probably wont get to them until March so its good to know even after a year there should not be a problem.


OneWithWood

Kirk, you got to admit it would make beautiful siding.  When UV works on sassafrass it turns a wonderful brown - similar to walnut.  But, if it fetches red oak prices, like Ron says, I think I will side the barn with poplar!  I need to pay for this building somehow!
One With Wood
LT40HDG25, Woodmizer DH4000 Kiln

sawyerkirk

Onewithwood: Poplar wood be my choice. Although the Sass is "suposedly' very rot resistent. On our shed we have probably got at least one board of everyspecies known to this area. We were cutting a bunch of ties when we built it, and just cut 1" stock off every log till we had enough. Iby the way, I've got a chicken pen with a roof made out of walnut. The floor joists in my hayroom are 3x6 walnut. I get ALOT of junk walnut logs in here! So, I'm nobody to tell you what to use!

shopteacher

Norm F.  I found a small piece of Sass in the shop about 4" X 36" if you want it I'll mail it to ya, you got to provide the stamp though. ;D
Proud owner of a LT40HDSE25, Corley Circle mill, JD 450C, JD 8875, MF 1240E
Tilt Bed Truck  and well equipted wood shop.

Frickman

Around here the sassafrass usually don't get over 12" dbh, though you occasionally find one larger. My grandpa still has some 16" wide boards in his shop from a tree he cut on his farm. I didn't know they got bigger in other parts.

Two years ago a friend bought some 6" and 8" wide sassafrass boards off me to rewood his manure spreader. It worked well, though it did seem to be a waste of good sassafrass. I'm guilty too though, as we have run low-grade walnut into mine blocking and pallet lumber.
If you're not broke down once in a while, you're not working hard enough

I'm not a hillbilly. I'm an "Appalachian American"

Retired  Conventional hand-felling logging operation with cable skidder and forwarder, Frick 01 handset sawmill

Pretend farmer when I have the time

WV_hillbilly

  Norm                                                                                           this slab is sas with golden oak stain .


The old fellow that I  get my sasafrass from has some in the 18 " to 20 '' width  . He builds custom cabinets out of it . I have tried to get some but he will only let me have some that is under 12"   :(

Hillbilly
Hillbilly

Norm

Thanks for the offer shopteacher but Patty says I cant' get any more wood until I use up what I've got.  :D

Nice looking piece WV, wish I had your talent. Hey I could just kidnap you and tell everybody I did it.....nah your wife would probably notice after a couple of weeks.  ;D

WV_hillbilly

   Norm  
    Thanks .  I could use a vacation . I' ve never been to Iowa  .  My wife says you probably couldn't afford to feed me.   :D
Hillbilly

shopteacher

Wv: What type of pieces are you looking for? I have one large sassafras log in my wood pile and might be able to hook you up with some pieces (Some as spring comes that is)
Proud owner of a LT40HDSE25, Corley Circle mill, JD 450C, JD 8875, MF 1240E
Tilt Bed Truck  and well equipted wood shop.

WV_hillbilly

  shopteacher
         I' m looking for some in the 13 "   to 15" range at least 24 '' to  30 " long.  As a matter of fact  I'm looking for any that size in red oak ,  white oak ,  cherry,  walnut , ash ,  1/4 sawn  sycamore or beech . It can even have a live edge all around.   I ' ve got some neat wildlife patterns that I need them for.
Hillbilly

etat

I am NOT happy.  Nope.  When I bought this place there were only two trees left close to the barn.  One on each side.  Now the house I'm building is close to  the trees, and the old barn has been torn down so I could replace it with a metal shop in a different location.  When I moved here rebuilding the fences I nailed wire into the trees. First bobwire, and then making some corrals, cattle panels.  I always just figured these trees would just finally grow around the wire, or if they died I'd plant something else.  They weren't very big, only about 8 or 10 inches.  Now the worst part, these trees are sassafras, the only one's I know of around here.  My grandfather got them somewhere and planted them, I never knew the reason.  
Old Age and Treachery will outperform Youth and Inexperence. The thing is, getting older is starting to be painful.

shopteacher

WV:  I can probably fix you up with a good bit of that. The sassafras, cherry, pin oak, maple, sycamore, blk. locust, pine & elm I probably have in my log pile now.  I probably won't be cutting till spring though. Right now everything is covered in ice and a little snow from last night.  Mark me down on you calendar and contact me.  
Proud owner of a LT40HDSE25, Corley Circle mill, JD 450C, JD 8875, MF 1240E
Tilt Bed Truck  and well equipted wood shop.

WV_hillbilly

   I 'll do that Shopteacher . When the weather gets better we can get togather and make some sawdust. Will I have to bring my own can of peas and spoon though .  :D
Hillbilly

shopteacher

Proud owner of a LT40HDSE25, Corley Circle mill, JD 450C, JD 8875, MF 1240E
Tilt Bed Truck  and well equipted wood shop.

WV_hillbilly

  Yea we have 2 of them . We eat in shifts at supper time cause theres 4 of us so we have to share .  :D
Hillbilly

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