Sassafras

[jvsank]

I was wondering if anyone has ever made a pen out sassafras wood.

 

[jrc]

I Have. If you have wood around a knot or a fork can be beautiful. Turning it can smell very odd, not a sassafras root smell.

 

[bob393]

Not yet[:I]

 

[leehljp]

I did some larger turnings years ago and the smell and somewhat of an alergy to it made me stop turning just after I got started. I still have most of the turnings and still get compliments on them.

In Japan, seaweed used to come in large (gallon size) square blue tinted glass jars with large round lids. LOML wanted canisters made out of them so I made lids out of sassafras. Very pretty grain.

 

[kf4knf]

Beware the carcinogen! [:0][}]

 

[mrcook4570]

First pen I ever turned was sassafras. It is fairly soft and open grained but nice colors.

 

[mrcook4570]

Originally posted by kf4knf
<br />Beware the carcinogen! [:0][}]

Could you give more details please?

 

[kent4Him]

Not a pen, but a bowl. It was a pain. Open grain that liked to tear. Keep your tools sharp.

 

[ilikewood]

I have too. I had some lumber sassafrass and made some pens from it. It looked fairly plain, but really had a great smell. It was awful soft though and really soaked up the CA.

 

[Efletche]

I have made a few from the trunk of the small sassafrass trees that grow in Maryland. They come out with a creamy translucent look to them. I have also made a few from the roots and growths at the base of the trees (don't want to call them burls). These are various shades of grey with a silvery sheen to them in the light. Really beautiful to turn, and they smell wonderful too.

 

[underdog]

I've made a couple miles of T&G flooring out of it, does that count?[]

Carcinogen?

Huh... I have fond memories of sipping sassafrass tea when I was a youngster...[]

That mean I'm due to croak pretty soon?[xx(]

 

[wdcav1952]

Originally posted by underdog
<br />
I've made a couple miles of T&G flooring out of it, does that count?[]

Carcinogen?

Huh... I have fond memories of sipping sassafrass tea when I was a youngster...[]

That mean I'm due to croak pretty soon?[xx(]

If so, I'll go with you. My mother loved sassafrass tea, and gave it to us regularly. BTW, she made it to 88!

 

[kf4knf]

Yea, the FDA has found it to be a carcinogen. That is why the no longer use it to flavor root beers. Its the oil that is the problem. Drinking the tea might give you a low dose of it. []

Try searching the wikipedia site for sassafras. It will give you more info on the tree in general and also has some interesting info.