Sassafrass

[Dustin English]

I recently removed a sassafrass tree from my yard and decided to use it to make a few blanks. Since I'm new to turning I wondering if anyone knows if it's difficult to turn? Should I turn it green or dry?

[Dale Winburn]

A friend gave me some sassafrass several months ago. It's nice to turn, I turned it green and sealed it with anchorseal. I've finished one bowl and it turned out nice.

[Dale Miner]

I recently removed a sassafrass tree from my yard and decided to use it to make a few blanks. Since I'm new to turning I wondering if anyone knows if it's difficult to turn? Should I turn it green or dry?

It turns well, either to completion green or twice turned. Makes the shop smell wonderful. Suck up a few wet shavings in your vacuum and for the next week or so everytime the vacuum is used the shop gets a shot of sassafrass fragrance.

A couple of notes:

Make the best tool work as possible. It doesn't take much sanding to washboard the early/late wood areas.

Some people get respitory difficulty from sassafrass, and the wet sap can cause an ivy like blistering if it remains on the skin for extended periods.

[Frank Drew]

A friend sent me an offcut about an inch and a half thick that was big enough to turn a 16-17" platter. I like the wood, it has the ring-porous look roughly similar to ash, chestnut, etc., and turned without difficulty.

[Chip Sutherland]

I have turned a good amount. It is not hard to turn but can be prone to end grain tear-out but resolved with the usual techniques. I turned it wet and dry. Wet is easier but a whole lot more odorific. Not sure I enjoyed the smell all that much and it chased my wife out of the house one afternoon. There are open pore rings that give it character which take a liming treatment well. I had a couple of pieces with some interesting chatoyance which I think is just stress from growing in the east Texas climate. The pieces I didn't sell have all darkened with age to a dark olive-brown color.