Largest Sassafras Log i've seen

[dumbarky]

What is the largest Sassafras log or tree you've seen. I went over to my father's today helped him mill a huge Sassafras log 8 feet + long and over 24" in diameter on the little end. One of his friends brought it over for him to mill. Guy says he wants the lumber for repairing or restoring a horse drawn wagon. We milled some beautiful 1"X16" and 2"X16" boards clear and tight grain. Wonderful scent and fairly light. I have seen alot of sassafras over the years but never one even close to this size is this common, or have I just never paid attention. I do however know where there is more than one Persimmon Tree in excess of 20" in diameter still growing.

 

[mtngun]

Wonderful scent

When I was a kid in Arkansas we used to dig up sassafras roots just because they smelled so good (no cable TV or electronic games back in those days so we had to invent our own entertainment ). I tried boiling the roots to make sassafras tea, but it was bitter unless you added a lot of sugar.

If your dad has a sawmill, why are you asking us for advice on your walnuts ? A local sawyer like your dad would know more about your local lumber market than anyone here.

 

[htpd43]

the biggest sasafrass I've ever seen was 8-10 inches dbh max. I would have loved to have seen that one before it was cut. Where was it growing - in woods or a hedgerow? I only remember seeing sasafrass in the hedgerows in the area I grew up in. It must have been an amazing smell while you were milling. Any chance you took pics?

 

[rarefish383]

Sassafras is used in making intstruments, it makes a very soft mellow sound. I have a dulcimer made of Sass and it's a really nice looking little instrument, Joe.

 

[Mike1974]

Most of them do not grow large, and usually grow quite twisted.

I biggest I have downed is about 20 inches - but I have about 20' feet of it at that diameter. Haven't milled it yet.

I have a ton of it on my woodlot, and I need to thin out the smaller ones to get some of the others to grow a bit bigger. They seem to clog each other out of growing. Seems when they are isolated, they grow larger and don't twist as much.

I have a cookie of the end of one, and for how long it's been drying, it's hardly checked - maybe on account of the very tight grain. It does seem light for how tight the grain is - just less dense, I guess.

Awesome scent to it.

 

[dumbarky]

My dad milled the rest of the tree today. Two more logs from that tree. Funny thing the other logs had some rot at the core. But the butt cut was straight as a string and clear of rot.

 

[dingeryote]

They don't usually make it much past 25-30" around here before they break, or rot. For some reason they grow fast, die fast, and like to barber chair or throw things at folks cutting 'em.

That said, I have quite a few in the 20-25" range in the Woodlot, and dropped half a dozen 12-20's this year I gotta skid out. Nothing beats Sassafrass for heating things up in a hurry.

It's a pest species here, but darn if it dosn't make for some pretty wood.
The Ceiling beam in our 4 season room came from a 10X9 Sassafrass Cant.
The Mill operator I got it from finished his house all out of sassafrass...he kinda went nuts with it, but it's COOL!

LOL!! I'm still pruning the Blueberries, and have lopped out a couple hundred 2-4" saplings in the last week. I have a serious and deeply rooted hatred for the things.

If I get a wild Hair, I'll take some Pics.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[Mike1974]

Hey Dinger ...

You have any insight on how to manage them to get some larger?

You are right they come up like weeds, and grow fast. I have a few acres that are nothing but sassafras weed trees - all no more than 3-5 inches in diameter, and all wildly twisted.

I was figuring I'd clear them down, saving the healthier looking, larger ones, and try to put each I was keeping in about 25' sq foot of clearance.

There is no canopy above them, so I'm think once I clear them up, they'll get a ton of light and grow like nuts.

 

[michigander]

Big Sassafras

Here's a pic of a sassafras I took today. Sitting in front is my 017 Stihl. I was cleaning up the property line and remembered this thread from the other day. I didn't have a ruler, but would say its at least 24" about chest high. It has all kind of scratches on it, from some animal.

 

[BobL]

Sassafras is used in making intstruments, it makes a very soft mellow sound. I have a dulcimer made of Sass and it's a really nice looking little instrument, Joe.

I'm not sure what your sassafras looks like but ours (called black heart sassafras) is also used in instrument making. A couple of years ago when I attended a guitar making school, 3 of the students made guitars from it.

The fourth student was me and I used Tasmanian black wood (that's the brown backed guitar)

I did manage to work a bit of sassafras into my guitar, I veneered the headstock like this.

Our sassafras sounded very bright to me - apparently its a favorite in classical and blues guitars.

 

[keith811]

Here's a pic of a sassafras I took today. Sitting in front is my 017 Stihl. I was cleaning up the property line and remembered this thread from the other day. I didn't have a ruler, but would say its at least 24" about chest high. It has all kind of scratches on it, from some animal.

thanx for the pic I cut a tree down in my back yard after the top broke out and coudn't figure out what it was. the bark looked like a cross between hickory and oad and the wood was extreamly fragrant I think now that it was sass. first one I.ve ever seen (that I know of) burns like paper even when green but smells great.

 

[Scooterbum]

Dig up some of them Sassy roots and it makes a great pot of tea.

 

[Wood Hick]

I cut one 27" last year along a rural driveway. The elderly lady resident was worried about it falling over so it had to go. She gave me the tree as part of the deal, and I had it band milled. I got two 8 foot logs and one 12 out of it. Ended up with about 350 bf of nice stuff and its stickered and drying for a year now. Anyone know where to market the stuff for instrument making ? As I recall there are 11 1x12x8, 11 1x10x8, 1 4x10x12 cant, and lots of small stuff.

 

[dingeryote]

Hey Dinger ...

You have any insight on how to manage them to get some larger?

You are right they come up like weeds, and grow fast. I have a few acres that are nothing but sassafras weed trees - all no more than 3-5 inches in diameter, and all wildly twisted.

I was figuring I'd clear them down, saving the healthier looking, larger ones, and try to put each I was keeping in about 25' sq foot of clearance.

There is no canopy above them, so I'm think once I clear them up, they'll get a ton of light and grow like nuts.

The bigger ones here all have come up straight and as fast as they could to compete for light. The twisted up trees are all in briars and growing tight against other trees. I suppose if they were given plenty of space and all the runner sprouts were kept trimmed, they would come up plenty straight and fast.

I don't "manage" them. I Murder them. They send out runners and pop out little ones faster than I can snip 'em and spritz 'em with Tordon.
Hell, I spent Sunday applying close to 100gal of 3% Velpar to my field edges to keep 'em honest.

I do know that they will grow 7' in one season if given water and fertilizer.
I held off on clipping a couple out of between some Bushes and just ran a root ripper down the middles to see if they would recover or die.
LOL!
They both ran thier roots within the rows and shot up like weeds.

Sassafrass is the Coyote of the tree world. Gotta hate 'em with some respect.LOL!!

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[dingeryote]

Dig up some of them Sassy roots and it makes a great pot of tea.

I just wash 'em and then use the veggie peeler to get the root skin off.

It's supposed to be slightly carcinogenic, but what ain't anymore.

We also dry up Sassafrass leaves and then run 'em through the food processor untill powdered. Makes a GREAT File' for thickening soups and sauces without having to play around with flour or Corn starch.
My Granny cooked with it, and she lived to 94, Her Mom cooked with it too, so it can't be bad for ya.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[dumbarky]

It's supposed to be slightly carcinogenic, but what ain't anymore.

We also dry up Sassafrass leaves and then run 'em through the food processor untill powdered. Makes a GREAT File' for thickening soups and sauces without having to play around with flour or Corn starch.
My Granny cooked with it, and she lived to 94, Her Mom cooked with it too, so it can't be bad for ya.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

Yeah everything is bad for you: oils, lead based paint, drinking from garden hoses, tobacco, sodas and diet sodas, nose spray, working, not working. Maybe its a governmental conspiracy to make everyone think their sick or dying. If the mind thinks its sick or has negative info on health quality long enough then the body assumes its right and follows suit. This way the quicker we die off, the government won't have to payout Social Security benefit on all us as we near retirement age. Negative propaganda works for the masses. Na that can't be right they wouldn't do that to our own people or would they? Huh maybe I think to much but have you ever seen "The Village" by that M Knight Shamalaya dude. Not sure about the spelling.