OCtoolguy Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 (edited) I hated to ask this question. At my age, I should be able to figure this stuff out on my own but I'm stumped. I have looked at every source I can find but nobody has this wood. So, hopefully I'm not opening a huge can of worms, can anybody recommend either a source for this wood or a substitute for it in color and grain. I'm not into staining so I really don't want to have to stain something to look like it. My finished project will be done with Watco natural oil. The wood is going to be part of a floral lid on the jewelry box I'm making and it will be 5 petals between 8 red cedar petals and 5 petals of aspen. The cedar is very red, the aspen very light. A centerpiece of walnut. The sassafras in the picture looks like it's sort of a light brown/tan with a straight grain. They are all of differing thickness. The sassafras is supposed to be 1/2". I even thought of gluing up some 1/4" poplar and substituting it but it's too green. Thanks for any and all advice. Edited June 6, 2019 by octoolguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmcrafts Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 I don't see it very often.. I got a couple pieces of it from my brothers mill a couple years ago.. Cuts like butter, LOL.. I'm not sure if I still have some or not.. If so I could probably mail it to you because I just don't use much wood if it's not a real common wood.. I hate retaking photos because I changed up the wood types.. That's why you see me staying with most projects being cherry.. I got a awesome deal years ago on a bunch of cherry lumber.. I'm going out to look and see if I have any... Another wood type similar ( I think ) might be Beech? Others will probably know better than I.. But I have some beech and sassafras and I thought they looked close to the same... Un-finished anyway.. LOL OCtoolguy and meflick 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappile Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 https://www.ebay.com/itm/12-THIN-KILN-DRIED-SASSAFRAS-12-X-3-X-1-2-LUMBER-WOOD/253976541662?hash=item3b222e79de:g:xJoAAMXQdm5Q9-gY OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Monk Posted June 7, 2019 Report Share Posted June 7, 2019 1 hour ago, Scrappile said: https://www.ebay.com/itm/12-THIN-KILN-DRIED-SASSAFRAS-12-X-3-X-1-2-LUMBER-WOOD/253976541662?hash=item3b222e79de:g:xJoAAMXQdm5Q9-gY By the picture that looks a lot like fir. OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmcrafts Posted June 7, 2019 Report Share Posted June 7, 2019 1 hour ago, Dave Monk said: By the picture that looks a lot like fir. Yeah I was thinking the same thing.. The couple pieces I had was darker than that and not much grain marks in it.. smelled sort of like root beer with cutting it, LOL OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCtoolguy Posted June 7, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2019 3 hours ago, Scrappile said: https://www.ebay.com/itm/12-THIN-KILN-DRIED-SASSAFRAS-12-X-3-X-1-2-LUMBER-WOOD/253976541662?hash=item3b222e79de:g:xJoAAMXQdm5Q9-gY Thanks Paul, I went ahead and bought that just to have it on hand. I may never use it but at least I'll have it when I need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjweb Posted June 7, 2019 Report Share Posted June 7, 2019 Sorry Ray don’t know of any place to get it, but I am anxious to see this project you are working on, RJ OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCtoolguy Posted June 7, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2019 27 minutes ago, rjweb said: Sorry Ray don’t know of any place to get it, but I am anxious to see this project you are working on, RJ I'll post pics once it's finished. I'm almost done cutting. Just sanding and oiling after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmcrafts Posted June 7, 2019 Report Share Posted June 7, 2019 Okay, the piece that I had I did end up using.. been so long I forgot I looked all over the place in my wood storage area and couldn't find it.. then laying in bed last night ( instead of sleeping ) I thought about it and remembered using it on the bandsaw box I made.... .. I used it in this bandsaw box I made a few years ago,, The two strips surrounding the one in the middle is the sassafras.. JimErn, SCROLLSAW703 and OCtoolguy 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill WIlson Posted June 7, 2019 Report Share Posted June 7, 2019 While Sassafras isn't common, it is available around here. I've used it a number of times. The grain pattern is very open and pronounced, similar to oak. In fact, I substituted sassafras for red oak in a large shelf project I did once, when I ran out of the red oak. Took some trial & error to match up the stain, but once done you couldn't tell the difference, until you pick up the two sections and notice the drastic weight difference. Leaving the wood natural and not having to match it to anything else, I would suggest that you could use white oak as a substitute. OCtoolguy and SCROLLSAW703 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTTHECLOCKMAN Posted June 7, 2019 Report Share Posted June 7, 2019 https://www.wood-database.com/sassafras/ As mentioned white oak has the open grain look if you are looking for the lighter sassafras wood. If you are looking for the Blackheart sassafras wood then a walnut may work. https://www.wood-database.com/blackheart-sassafras/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sycamore67 Posted June 7, 2019 Report Share Posted June 7, 2019 Sassafras is an interesting plant with various medicinal uses for all parts of the plant. For myself, I would use something with similar grain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerJay Posted June 8, 2019 Report Share Posted June 8, 2019 (edited) A few years back I made some key-hooks from a board that I had trouble identifying - after some research it turned out to be Sassafras - if I am remembering right it was very soft to cut (left fuzzies on the edges), had a bit of a natural greenish colour, was noticeably fragrant and looked like Oak when stained - it was fine in the end product - but I didn't feel it was different enough to seek it out in the future for any kind of unique or exceptional look. Jay Edited June 8, 2019 by RangerJay SCROLLSAW703 and OCtoolguy 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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