Sassafrass

[Sir Chiz]

G'day Yall,

I've got a green turning block of spalted Australian Sassafrass,I was wondering if somebody could tell me something about it.
Is it prone to cracking or excessive warping or anything nasty?? http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/wink.gif
Almost forgot,any info on Rose Myrtle burl

Thankyou for any help.

Phil.

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I Love The Smell Of Sawdust In The Morning,
It Smells Like....Victory!

[This message has been edited by Sir Chiz (edited 27 June 2002).]

[Matto]

I had a blank of Black Heart Sassafras that I tried roughing down to get it dried faster. The thing started developing diagonal cracks before I was half way through and these got worse and worse. In the end I chucked it on the bottom of the wood pile to try later when I was a little calmer. The timber came up beautifully in the end but there was still fine diagonal cracks all the way through it and I have seen the same thing on other work with the same timber.

[Sir Chiz]

Thanks Matto,I guess I'll keep the soap bath handy.

Phil.

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I Love The Smell Of Sawdust In The Morning,
It Smells Like....Victory!

[JackoH]

Soap Bath???? http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/confused.gif
John H.

[Sir Chiz]

John,the link below explains the soap treatment.Click on "Techniques",then scroll down a bit,"Experimental Treatment".
I've used it for several wood species to prevent or stop additional cracking of green turnings.It does not prevent warping.
I used it for Ash,Madrone,Ziricote and Maple.
However,I wasn't happy with the finish of a piece of Figured Maple,it lacked the irridescence it should have,but other than that,it seems to work.

Phil.
http://www.ronkent.com/RKgallery.html

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I Love The Smell Of Sawdust In The Morning,
It Smells Like....Victory!

[ptc]

Get the prices he charges.
still very interesting re the detergent.
any one else tried it?if so what brand here in Oz.

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p.t.c

[JackoH]

Well I never! What will they think of next? http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/cool.gif Thanks Sir Chiz.
Regards John H. http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/biggrin.gif:

[Sir Chiz]

Well I have!!! http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/biggrin.gif
If you decide to try it,find a detergent that is clear,"no dye",it will stain the wood (timber). http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/wink.gif

Sir Chizalot.

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I Love The Smell Of Sawdust In The Morning,
It Smells Like....Victory!

[soundman]

Have read the said article about detergent treatment of timber. I have a number of concerns.

Long term effects on finsh and the timber its self. Some detergents are hydroscopic, caustic, may not cure like oil ect ect ect.

health effects may be unprodictable, many chemicals may react differently when heated or combined with other agents. May take years to show up. Who knows what is in particular deterdents.

any thaughts

[luther]

I know nothing about your Aust. saffafras but it must not be anything like the wood I know.
The following is a brag. (dont get jealous)
OHIO saffafras is a beauty to work with, smell, & look at.
Relatively soft but, very stable, very machinable, very durable outside, & often has a super spectular fiddleback figure that is as beautiful as maple.(also very low in price)
All the hi-up "OAK" trim & display shelves in my house is actually "saffafras" & is far more beautiful than R.oak which it resembles.
One of my favorites !!
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Forgot to add that I have never had problems slow drying logs up to about 8".
A buddy CURES ??? all his smaller turning logs in the freezer.
I have had no reason to try this myself.



[This message has been edited by luther (edited 09 July 2002).]

[Tristan Croll]

Soundman:

Some detergents are hydroscopic...
I think that is the idea behind this. PEG and most detergents are very hydroscopic, which means that they bind stongly to any water present in the wood, preventing it from from evaporating. This has obvious advantages, in that green timber should not shrink, warp or crack with age.
I have a feeling that surfactants may have one advantage over PEG. While PEG is uniformly hydrophilic, surfactants are amphiphilic - that is, they have a hydrophilic head, and a long, hydrophobic tail, which points away from the moisture, towards the surface. Since most (all?) finishes are hydrophobic, this should allow for a more strongly bound, even finish.
Also, since plant cell walls are composed of cellulose rather than surfactant membranes like animals, this treatment should have little or no effect on the cell structure of the timber.

While I freely admit that I know very little about woodwork, I know quite a lot about surface chemistry (I'm doing my PhD on it at the moment), and I can say that everything in this guy's treatment method makes sense.

HTH,

Tristan

[soundman]

Uh Hu Uh Hu OOOOO.

I think I understuud part of that

so you are saying that the paint should still stick?

http://www.ubeaut.biz/ahgee.gif

[JackoH]

Luther.
Whats the botanical name of your sassasfras?

Australian Sassafras varieties:-

Northern Sassafras/Teak/Crows Ash.(flindersia australis)
Qld/NSW..Family rutacia
GreySassafras/Glossy Laurel.(cryptocarya laeviguata} Qld/Nsw. Family lauraceae.
Southern or Black or Blackheart Sassafras.(artherosperma moschatum)Family Monimiaceae.


The last named is the only one I have any experience with. It is good to turn and usually takes a beautiful finish with TripleEEE and Shellawax. I have just cut a lovely slab into bowl blanks
& waxed them for use in a couple of years time. I may rough turn one or two of them shortly.
The above is a prime example of the necessity to use the botanical name to identify all plants, as common names vary so much.
Regards John H. http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/biggrin.gif





[This message has been edited by John Hambly (edited 10 July 2002).]

[Sir Chiz]

Hi "Woody",fancy meeting you here! http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/smile.gif

I rough turned this piece Saturday,didn't smell very good,smelled like mold(spalted).
It started to crack as I was roughing out the inside so I squirted CA in the crack,sanded them over,then wiped on the soap solution and buried it in shavings,no more cracks.
Maybe PEG prevents warping,but the soap does not.
As to safety,I suppose one should observe the same precautions as one would with any other potentially hazardous material.
I mean,we all wear rubber gloves when washing dishes,right?And one of the plastic bonnets when shampooing our hair,right?
One should always wear a dust mask and wash after turning anyway,some of these woods may have no effect on you now,but 20 years from now that same wood you've be working without incident,could whack you like a sledge hammer.
Given that you observe some basic safety precautions,I don't think an occasional contact with some soap will hurt Ya. http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/wink.gif

Chizler.

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I Love The Smell Of Sawdust In The Morning,
It Smells Like....Victory!

[luther]

HELLO Sir Chiz--nice to read you.

John-I must admit that I thought Sassafras was native to America only & there was only one species !! (My daughter said--albidum)
Around here--the local old timers (myself inc.)called this the MITTEN or TEA tree.
As a very young youth I made many dollars in the late 30 dys. shaving these roots & selling a fistfull-4" long-for $.10 to $.15
Mitten---came from the 3 leaf patterns.
Does yours have 3 diff.leafs???

[JackoH]

Luther. The Black Sassafras(artherosperma) has mature leaves described in my ref. book, Key Guide To Australian Trees, by Leonard Cronin. as being:- Opposite, eliptic to narrow ovate or lanceolate with entire or more usually irregularly serrated margins, 2-10cm long and 1-2cm wide on stalks 3-8mm long and tapering to a sharp point, glossy green above and covered with dense grey to white woolly hairs below. The midrib is raised on both surfaces and the young shoots are covered with dense woolly hairs. So There!!!!
We have 2 commonly named Tea-trees:- both leptospermum,family myrtaceae.
Regards. John H. http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by John Hambly (edited 11 July 2002).]

[luther]

John I looked it up & it seems the U.S.A. have only I tree---"albidum" (my daugher was right).
Each tree has 3 shapes of leafs.(about equal number)
A solid 5 finger mitten. (as you described)
A 4 finger mitten with a R.H. thumb.
A 4 finger mitten with a L.H. thumb.
very pronounced thumbs--almost as long as the leaf..
beautiful aroma & makes a very refreshing tea.
I forget to say--some trees has a tiger stripe pattern which is very pronounced & very very beautiful.