Sassafras stock 54 cal.

[Wyoduster]

I'm ready to order a barrel, Thinking a 54 cal 42" Virginia/Golden age swamped Rice barrel. Then I got this shiver......... Am I ..Should I be concerned about putting that 54 cal. in a Curly Sassafras wood stock? Never built a gun with sassafras before and it being a light weight wood, fairly hard wood should I be concerned about the recoil of the gun and what it might do to the stock?
 Any One ever done this? Advice?
 Yes I know I could just build a 40 cal. but I do like bigger bores.. 

[Mike Brooks]

I really have come to dislike soft wood of any kind.

[Wyoduster]

I really have come to dislike soft wood of any kind.

Yea but Mike I Do like to see different woods.. I know it won't be pleasant to build..I learned that with my Chestnut.. But when done....ahhh... I'm just concerned about it shattering or cracking from the recoil.

[G_T]

http://workshopcompanion.com/KnowHow/Design/Nature_of_Wood/3_Wood_Strength/3_Wood_Strength.htm

Not much better than 2/3 as good as soft maple. I don't think I'd go there for anything other than a wall hanger.

Gerald

[Eric Krewson]

I tried to make a bow or two from sassafras, I found it weak and prone to splintering which resulted in a broken bow.

[alacran]

I used curly sassafras on a piece of furniture. It worked ok and made the shop smell good. Weak wood and a bit brittle. I wouldn't waste my time building a rifle with it.

[rich pierce]

I’m shocked sassafras gets big enough. Are you sure you don’t mean sycamore?

[Wyoduster]

I’m shocked sassafras gets big enough. Are you sure you don’t mean sycamore?

No Its Sassafras ... I'm just worried about putting the time in an splintering the stock after a few shots.. Maybe smaller cal. Dang I want a 54 cal. ....

[Stophel]

I've never seen sassafras even as big around as my leg.

This type of question comes up ALL the time....

There's a reason why people never have used any of these "other woods"... They are, for one reason or another, simply unsuitable as stock woods.     And frankly, even some of the ones that are used, I still consider unsuitable.

[Robert Wolfe]

Sassafras trees can get huge. They used to split big ones for shingles. I've got some on my property that are over 30" diameter and they are not unusual.

From wikipedia: The largest known sassafras tree in the world is in Owensboro, Kentucky, and is over 100 feet high and 21 feet in circumference.

[Jim Spray]

I had some 18 to 22" Sassafras trees on my place. Cut them and sent them to the mill! They made great bathroom cabinets but I would never use them for a gun stock!

[WadePatton]

Yeah, I have a big Sassafras on my place, but there are usually carpenter ants in the middle.  Still plenty of sawable lumber can be and is made from it. 

A fellow I know make wooden (paneled) doors and maybe some cabinetry with Sassafras. He's a master of furniture making (modern machinery) and I've helped him harvest logs.  He's made about anything from everything, including an airplane, and his three-story "cabin" on the lake where those sassy doors are hung.

I've burned a little of it. I find it's far superior to a snowball-and there's always a bunch I can drive right up to because, I have to saw it out of my driving paths every Fall. I may make some lumber from it, but I wouldn't put a bbl in it.  I'm sure I could go find you a 24" (DBH) specimen in minutes. 

I say build it, as you desire and if it splits-- put on a fantastic patch and then make up some great story about it.

Then hang it up! 
(afore it splits agin) 

[Gordy]

The Amish in my neck of the woods     
(eastern Ohio) use the sassafras for exterior window frames. Seems to hold well on there houses, they also make interior 6 panel doors from it, as well as some furniture. The only thing I have made from it is some shooting crossticks, mainly just firewood. And trust me our woods have a plenty of them. And of course sassafras tea !

P.S. Remember our Hero's 18 years ago today !
God Bless
Good Day, Gordy

[okawbow]

I’ve used sas. in musical instruments. Makes a great tonewood. Seems stable when dry, but can crack and trust while drying.

[Keb]

I tried to make a bow or two from sassafras, I found it weak and prone to splintering which resulted in a broken bow.

I've had the same experience. Also, It's an ugly wood. Dirty looking almost as pretty as mud.

[Don Stith]

I have used it for 22 cal bench rest stocks.  Finished out pretty.  Of course no recoil concerns there

[Jeff Durnell]

I've used it for bows. For selfbows, meh, too weak for my tastes. I don't like bows that are big, wide, long, and flat, and that's what it takes for a sassafras bow to survive.

BUT, when flatsawn and then resawed through the rings at a slight to moderate angle, and used as lams under clear fiberglass? It's beautiful. Often mistaken for red elm... and is very, very close in performance too. I have a 65# sassafras deflex/reflex longbow that's a sweet shooter and sweet looker.

I might use it for a gun... especially if it was all curly. Just be careful with it.

How about mulberry? Anybody ever make a rifle with it?

By the way, sassafras is good for smoking meat. I'm going to cut one up this weekend that fell down on our property a few days ago. Too small to make anything with, so it'll go in the smoker.

[Eric Krewson]

You could soak all the interior stock surfaces with superglue, sassafrass is fairly porus and will probably soak up a lot of glue which will make the wood much stronger.

Last time I posed this tidbit the naysayers said such a treatment wouldn't strengthen wood as the glue would stay on the surface. One even contacted a tech rep for one of the glue companies so he could prove me wrong, surprise, surprise, the tech rep said yep it does, like case hardening metal.

I learned this fact 20 years ago rescuing cracked bows I had made with a good dose of superglue.

I now put it in my tang and lock inlet, just in case.

[Bob Roller]

Leonard Meadows made  Bedford fullstock from oak years ago. He said NEVER AGAIN.
How about Sycamore? Has anyone seen a Sycamore stocked rifle?
I think some of the imports were pine in the 1970's.

Bob Roller

[alacran]

A few years back there was a British rifle in an auction. It was made out of quarter sawed sycamore. It was made to look like an American longrifle. It had flint ignition and a Spanish square to round barrel. If you are not familiar with quarter sawed sycamore, it is quite curly looking.

[okawbow]

Sycamore in England, is a type of maple. The same tree as American sycamore there is called “plane”.

Quarter sawn sycamore has lots of medullary rays showing. Very nice looking wood when sawn that way. I have started a fiddle using sycamore for the back, sides and neck, and sassafras for the top.

[Long John]

Wyo,

I would NOT build a rifle with a sassafras stock.  In my experience, it might be acceptable for a real small bore, but the wood is not suitable for a large bore gun due to its tendency to split and break.  It is a relatively weak, brittle wood but exhibits good initial stiffness.  Consequently it is a good tone wood, the traditional choice for dulcimers, but as the stress increases it breaks rather than bends.  I would be concerned about a 54 caliber rifle having a catastrophic break as a result of pulling the trigger.  Most of the uses of sassafras are uses where there is minimal need for strength, low stress elements in furniture and small boxes.  Some pieces of sassafras are pretty, generally a light to medium brown and it can be found with pleasing figure, but all the sassafras I have known is light, open pored, and brittle once dried.

If your time is valuable to you, choose a wood worthy of that time.

Best Regards,

JMC
John Cholin