O/T Sasafrass Fence Posts

Fergienewbee · Mar 7, 2010

I heard sasafrass makes good fence post because they are rot resistent. Is that true or just a wives' tale? I've been thinning our woodlot and have lots of 4-6" sasafrass.

Larry in Michigan

John in MD · Mar 7, 2010

About as good as mulberry or cherry,about 2-3 years, if it"s not to wet.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 7, 2010

didn't know any better when I was a kid and cut some water maple (silver maple?) one summer to build a stretch of fence. The next summer, had about 12 sprouting posts. Last summer while visiting back home, some of them were still there (25 years later).
Bet the sassafras would smell good while working.

Dave

thurlow · Mar 7, 2010

In the air, sasafrass will last pretty good; in the ground, just as John said. When we built here in '73, I used sasafrass to build a split-rail fence around the yard; we got tired of it after 15-18 years (and tore it down) and the rails were still in good shape. None of it was allowed to touch the ground.

thurlow · Mar 7, 2010

I love working with sasafrass; it's a very 'neutral' wood. Saw-log sized trees are hard to come by around 'here'.

JDemaris · Mar 7, 2010

I know it makes good root beer.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 7, 2010

Back when the state forest regulations were more lax, my grand-dad used to help clear trails for the saddle club's annual 100-mile trail ride. In exchange for helping clear the trails, the forestry crew let Grand-dad cut some sassafras piles to build a corral for our horses. He built the corral in 1964, and in 1976, the last year I rode, the corral was still there, and still as strong as it was when it was built.

Paul from MI · Mar 7, 2010

I used sassafras posts in my first grape arbor. They lasted about 10 years. The steel posts I replaced them with are still good after 25 years.
Paul

Bob Kerr · Mar 7, 2010

Totally worthless for fence posts in my opinion. Use locust, red cedar, hedge, or walnut if you find small dead ones. We had 75 + year old red cedar post on the farm that were still good. Grandpa put them in when he was young. At another place we sank a 25 ft locust pole in the ground for a flag pole back in 1976 for a bicentennial campout on July 4th. Pole is still up but the wire holding the upper pully fell off a few years back. We have a lot of sassafrass at that place and it only holds up a few years in the ground. Termites LOVE it.

Bob Kerr · Mar 7, 2010

I have some nice sassafrass lumber I need to sell if you are interested. Nice very very straight grained clear boards 14-15 ft long with no to very little black. It was one of the nicest sassy trees I ever cut and was in deep dense woods. My sawmill guy was amazed how nice it was! I am in west central Indiana south of Terre Haute.

O/T Sasafrass Fence Posts

Fergienewbee

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John in MD

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Anonymous-0

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thurlow

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thurlow

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JDemaris

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Anonymous-0

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Paul from MI

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Bob Kerr

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Bob Kerr

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