Experience with sassafras?

[Michael Ray Smith]

Anyone have any experience using sassafras? I may have a chance to pick some up, and I wondered what it's like to work with. I don't know anything about it other when we were kids, my brother and I would break off green twigs to chew. And for as long as I knew him, my father hated root beer because it reminded him of the sassafras tea that his mother made him drink as a spring tonic. I never thought of the wood as being useful for anything, but my quick Google search told me that it's at least a possibility. If anyone has experience with it, I'd like to know how hard it is, what it's like to work, and what its dimensional stability is like.

Thanks in advance!!

[lowell holmes]

My only experience is that sassafras sticks make excellent hiking sticks. It is a rather light weight strong wood.

[Stanley Covington]

I have used sassafras a lot. Recommended by a sawyer when living in Dublin OH. Great wood. Light weight, easily worked by hand or with machines, and it has the highest glue adhesion strength of any wood in North America. I still carry around a couple of small chests I made for my wife's sewing stuff, and it has held up very well. It has good grain when stained. Downside is that is soft and not especially hard wearing, perhaps the same as white pine. It also has a greenish tint that is not very appealing, so if you plan to use it as a primary wood, be prepared to stain it dark or use dye to mitigate the green.

Stan

[Mel Fulks]

The wood is soft but it has one of the highest ratings for rot resistance.Lore and legends about it are interesting.

[Scott Thornton]

I am in the process of building a corner TV stand out of it, using nothing but hand tools. I personally love the smell of it. I was able to find some nicely figured wood, very consistent dark greyish color. Be careful of grain direction when planing, it can tear out easy.

[Jim Belair]

Made this box for my 45 from sassafras. I found it worked pretty easily. The box of the box is finished with orange shellac and the lid insert panel is maple with waterbourne varnish.

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[Adam Cruea]

If I remember right, Sassafras is one of those woods you want to make sure and have adequate ventilation around.

http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-allergies-and-toxicity/

[Scott M Perry]

I built our deck railing from sassafras. M&T, stained with exterior semi-opaque stain. Used it with the thought that it was highly rot resistant. It wasn't. Within three years it was falling apart. Add to that the stench when milling (I'm not fond of root beer) and I hope never to use it again.

[Zach Dillinger]

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I built this tall case clock out of sassafras. I love the stuff! Interesting grain, easy to work, and there is no better smelling wood on the planet.

[Mel Fulks]

Scott, sorry you had to redo that rail. My guess is your material had a lot of sapwood ,which is not rot resistant in any wood without chemical treatment. If you have any sassafras left, drive a heart piece in the ground to give it a test.It is rated highly by Wood Products Lab and they test everything. Even in commercial shops sapwood is a constant problem as the sap is not rated as a defect by the guy who sells it to you. I will not use it in an exterior aplication unless it is under
cover. But that can sure irritate the proprietors.

[Frank Drew]

I like sassafras, but I've used it only occasionally, and then only for turning. I was able to find some wide stock and it made nice platters; it turns easily, sands and finishes well, and the prominent ring-porous grain (similar to oak, ash, chestnut, etc.) provides visual interest.