sassafras maybe......

[hughie]

Hi,
I have been given quite a few logs that look like some sort of Sassafras, maybe black heart??
They came in short logs dumped off by a friend but he had no knowledge of what type, nor could he describe the tree. The wood is not aromatic in anyway so it could be NSW variety??
So what is it?? Below is a bowl and a couple of shots of one of the logs. The bark typically has that silvery type finish to it and all logs have the same colour and pattern to the centre. As you can see from the bowl its well figured and has some bark in it to boot.

sorry Ern no leaves, no flowers and no idea, but the wood looks good.

hughie

[CameronPotter]

Doesn't look like the sassafras I know - but then I may be wrong...

Cam

[ptc]

Wild guess
Olive ?

[laurie ann]

hello, it's been a while since i've posted here....so i'll give it a shot. it really looks like cedar. like our american red cedar. real aromatic. a soft wood grown all over the usa.

no thats just a guess.

laurie

[8ball]

Deffinatelly not sassafrass by the bark, appears to be Hickory, do you have those down under?

[KevM]

Not Sassafras
Not Tasmanian Timber
Not know what it is.....but ....... the grain in the sapwood looks a little like English Elm.

Kev M

[CameronPotter]

Don't know about the bark, but I have seen yew wood that looks similar...

[rsser]

Hey Hughie, I'll forgive ya. Esp if you send me a piece for close analysis.

Lovely wood.

It's not like the UK elm, olive or Blackheart Sassy bits that I've turned. The sapwood reminds me of English Ash but not the heartwood at all.

Got me stumped (ahem).

[ptc]

saw a lot turnings in Spain
that were local Olive
and looked a lot like that.

[Gil Jones]

Hey Hughie,
This is Sassafras from the US >http://www.iswonline.com/wwp/wom/sassafras.cfm, and it looks different than your wood. I have several small Sassafras trees growing on the edge of our yard, and if I peal off a piece of bark, if tastes and smells like root beer.

[Baz]

My SWAG (Scientific Wild &&&& Guess) is Chinese Elm.
Cheers
Barry

[Hickory]

I don't know about where you are but around here you would know if it were Sassafras as soon as you started cutting on it. (I love the smell) The color (colour) isn't right either.

[CameronPotter]

I don't know if it is the same, but the first time I did sassafras, I thought that it smelled like a really good smokey BBQ...

Maybe I was just hungry! :D

[ubeaut]

No way in the world is it black heart sassafras.

I would just about bet it's Elm, the darkness of the heart wood is most likely due to moisture content even the bark looks right, although a little thin. If left to dry thoroughly it would most likely turn to a silvery brown.

[WoodWad]

I'm with the boss on this one,

I checked out a couple websites of elm bowls and they look quite similar in grain and colour to yours Hughie.

Either way, great bowl.
Johnny.

[hughie]

Thanks for the replies, had no idea that it would generate such a good response.
Well its not a soft timber and it does not have any particular aroma to the pieces that I have turned up so far. The bark is not like the reply pic posted. The silver bark was there when it was delivered and cut down just a day or two before I got it.
I am gonna have to take it down to the local guild and see if they can make some sense out of it.
I roughed it out and dumped in the liquid soap for a month and then dried it out for about 3-4 weeks. This could be some of the colour in the sap wood area. As I did this with some willow and and it turned out quite yellow, luckily ''she who must be obeyed'' liked it ;)

Ern where do you want it sent to? I have a fair bit of it and your quite welcome to some,I am in Sydney. pm me and we will get it sorted
hughie