Today's new word. saloop

Root Beer

Re: Today's new word. saloop

William Duffield

Many years ago, Roy Underhill showed a dinghy made at the Wooden Boat School predominantly from sassafras. Around here, the sassafras trees usually don't grow big enough to make whole boats.

Save at least one stick of it, so you can encourage your dog to fetch it.

Re: Today's new word. saloop

Hank Knight

When I was a kid, we used too chew on sassafras roots we pulled up in the woods.

Sassafras is my dog’s name,

Keith Newton

And Bark is her middle name. I took her to the Vet this morning. While there, I mentioned that I’d be sawing a Sassafras log when I get back. He said there was a huge one behind the clinic that I could have if I wanted it. I went back there and surely enough, it’s over 36” diameter. Unfortunately it has a bit of twist, and lots of big branches, plus numerous big poison ivy vines.

I’m having to think about it.

Sassafras

Yonak

Sassafras is a beautiful wood which is very aromatic when working it. It would be good for almost any kind of furniture or project. It's got a medium brown color with a grain similar to oak and ash but, if I remember correctly, more regular and even. It's not very heavy and is great to work with. I wish I had a bundle of it.

Re: Sassafras

Keith Newton

Since Chestnut isn't around anymore, I think this is the best substitute for it in a lot of ways. It is about the same density, and has excellent decay resistance. It is very nice to work.

Soon after Clinton was elected in 1992, and friend got commissioned to make a replica of the Resolute Desk for a display-oval office in the Arkansas State House museum. He ask me to help with the carving, which he thought was W Oak. When I examined his photos, I guessed it was probably American Chestnut, due to color, lack of any medulary ray cells and grain. I suggested we could use Sassafras and cut the carving time in half, so he managed to run some down. I think I carved the presidential seal in about 3 days, if I recall correctly. It took a stain that matched to color very nicely.

I've made some utilitarian boat paddles for down at the cabin that are holding up well, in that they don't need a finish, get left out in the weather all the time and won't rot. The weight and strength are good for that purpose too.

Re: Sassafras - Example

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In New Jersey

A little spalting helps as well.

Smells like sarsaparilla in the shop.

Resolute Desk -a bit of background

Gary Smyth

The original desk is oak (except possibly for upgraded work (knee holes, (for FDR's wheelchair) new carving, drawer slides etc.) As it was originally a British ship, and according to Patrick O'Brian historian on the British sailing fleet. (Also author of Men of War". "Master and Commander", "The Golden Ocean".

British ships had three kinds if wood, Fir for masts, Elm for the keel, and "Oak, the finest oak" for only Oak stood up to the Winter storms as the British were at sea all year -- as opposed to the French, Spanish and Dutch who stayed in harbor during Winer in the Atlantic. By the way, 2000. trees (57 acres) were used for a first rate ship and required about six years to complete.

The Resolute ship was sent in search of Sir John Franklin and his party who had disappeared in the Arctic while trying to discover the Northwest Passage. Unfortunately, Resolute had to be abandoned in thick ice and its crew returned to England aboard another ship.

H.M.S. Resolute was discovered drifting in pack ice near Baffin Island by Capt. James Buddington of the US whaler George Henry in September of 1855. When the thaw set in he took her to his home port of New London, Connecticut, where, after the British Government waived all claim to her, the American Government bought her from the fortunate whalers for $40,000. She was refitted at the American Government's expense in the Brooklyn Navy Yard with the intention of presenting her to Queen Victoria and the British people “on behalf of the people of the United States as a token of the friendly feelings by which our country is actuated.” She accepted the gift. In 1879, when RESOLUTE was finally broken up, a desk was made from her timbers which was presented by Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes. Apart from short spells, the desk has been in daily use in the White House by almost every President of the United States since then.

Re: Resolute Desk -a bit of background

Keith Newton

Thanks Gary. Yes I was aware if that, and even a bit more. Before it was locked in the ice, there had been other expeditions that went badly up there. One of the crew that found it whenever it floated out had been on an American expedition to the North Pole, where the physician and maybe Captain poisoned the expedition leader before they got caught in a storm while locked in ice. The ice was grinding against the hull and they were taking on water faster than the men on the bilge pumps keep up with.

Some of the crew were engaged in unloading supplies off onto the ice when the boat somehow broke free. The Captain left them stranded, and made no effort to come back for them even though they were in sight. Somehow they survived about a year, thanks to a few Eskimos that knew how to kill seals, before they were picked up by a whaling ship. The one American, I think Powell was his last name, from that ordeal was back out whaling with Capt. James Buddington as you mentioned, when they found HMS Resolute and he brought it in.

If you like reading nautical history, the book is "Fatal North", and is right up there with The Shackleton Expedition for tough men surviving against incredible odds.

Re: Resolute Desk -a bit of background

johannaj

Thanks for a really interesting bit of history. I'll think about it every time I see a picture of the Oval Office.

sassafras wood, roots, and tea

John K Jordan

I've cut a lot of sassafras turning blocks. I like turning it, smells great. Interesting three-leaf shapes. When I took down a tree I often saved the roots for those who liked to make sassafras tea - made from the outer layer of the root (bark?).

About a decade ago I started hearing about toxicity related to sassafras. From the Wood Database "Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Sassafras has been reported as a sensitizer. Usually most common reactions include nausea and respiratory effects. Oil extracted from the roots and wood of Sassafras has been shown to be toxic and weakly carcinogenic if ingested." Another article reported "Sassafras is no longer considered safe for human consumption, especially when safrole oil is included. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently prohibits sassafras bark, oil, and safrole as flavorings or food additives."

Recently a person at our turning club warned of the hazards of breathing hazardous chemicals while working the wood. Perhaps this is like other woods where some individuals are sensitive to specific species. Search google for sassafras wood hazard.

In my experience the wood dries quickly without much movement and is extremely stable. I once noticed the sound you get from tapping a thin board with the fingernail or tool then read an article describing the the properties make it useful for musical instruments. I turned a music box from sassafras and walnut and it did have a good sound.

People who make dulcimers may want some. A google search for sassafras dulcimer shows it is used quite a bit and some have described it as having a tone from mellow to wonderful.

If offered a tree as big as you mentioned I'd seriously consider it. Sassafras usually doesn't seem to get that large before it dies - the biggest I've cut and sawn was about 18" at the base. Cut down about 2 years ago (and off the ground) I'm still cutting pieces from the log and the wood is still good, even minimal end checking on the exposed end. No insects have moved it.

JKJ

Thanks for the reply, and here is an offer.

Keith Newton

If you want to come over with your trailer and help me cut it, I'll split it with you. However that would be quite a long distance haul for raw wood, considering how much other wood you have locally, I suspect.

Last weekend while at the cabin, I grabbed one of the paddles that I'd made a while back and left unfinished. I was surprised by how much it looked like Burmese Teak that is left exposed to the weather. Rather than trying to keep the Teak on my sailboats bright finished. I chose to spend my time out sailing and occasionally bleaching and rinsing the raw wood.

I think I mentioned the tree that I just sawed had a long bow. It just dawned on me that it would be perfect to make tillers from, because many small to medium sailboats look better with and upward bow on the tiller, and this could follow the grain. I think I'll let some of my old sailing club friends know what I have, if they have a need for tillers.