Sassafras wood movement, board-foot & weight calculator
- Janka
- —
- Density
- 32.1lb/ft³
- T/R ratio
- 1.6
- Spec. gravity
- 0.46
Sassafras is a North American hardwood. It has a specific gravity of 0.46, and an air-dry density near 32 lb/ft³ (514 kg/m³) (mechanical values at 12% moisture content). It shrinks 6.2% tangentially and 4% radially from green to oven-dry (T/R ratio 1.6), so a 12-inch flatsawn board moves about 0.15 in (≈ 5/32 in) across a 6-point moisture swing (about 6%→12% MC).
Compute Sassafras: movement, weight & board footage
Every number below is worked from Sassafras's own shrinkage and density figures, not looked up from a table — change the width, moisture swing, or board size in the calculators linked alongside.
Cross-grain movement by board width
| Board width | Flatsawn (tangential) | Quartersawn (radial) |
|---|---|---|
| 2″ | 0.025″ (≈ 1/32 in) | 0.016″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 3″ | 0.037″ (≈ 1/32 in) | 0.024″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 4″ | 0.05″ (≈ 1/16 in) | 0.032″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 6″ | 0.074″ (≈ 1/16 in) | 0.048″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| 8″ | 0.099″ (≈ 3/32 in) | 0.064″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| 10″ | 0.124″ (≈ 1/8 in) | 0.08″ (≈ 3/32 in) |
| 12″ | 0.149″ (≈ 5/32 in) | 0.096″ (≈ 3/32 in) |
| 16″ | 0.198″ (≈ 3/16 in) | 0.128″ (≈ 1/8 in) |
Need a different width or moisture swing? Run the movement calculator preloaded with Sassafras. At a T/R ratio of 1.55, Sassafras is stable — it moves moderately more across the face than through the thickness — normal behaviour for a furniture hardwood, and predictable if boards are acclimatised before milling.
Board footage & weight, standard sizes
| Nominal size × length | Board feet | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1×4 × 8′ | 2.67 bd ft | 7.1 lb |
| 1×6 × 8′ | 4 bd ft | 10.7 lb |
| 1×8 × 8′ | 5.33 bd ft | 14.3 lb |
| 1×10 × 8′ | 6.67 bd ft | 17.8 lb |
| 1×12 × 8′ | 8 bd ft | 21.4 lb |
| 2×4 × 8′ | 5.33 bd ft | 14.3 lb |
| 2×6 × 8′ | 8 bd ft | 21.4 lb |
| 2×8 × 8′ | 10.67 bd ft | 28.5 lb |
Different length or size? Run the board foot calculator or the weight calculator, both preloaded with Sassafras.
Seasonal movement by city
| City | Driest month (EMC) | Most-humid month (EMC) | EMC swing | 12″ board movement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, AZ | Jun · 4.4% | Dec · 9% | 4.6 pts | 0.114″ (≈ 1/8 in) |
| Chicago, IL | May · 12.3% | Dec · 15.1% | 2.8 pts | 0.069″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| Miami, FL | Apr · 12.2% | Sep · 14.4% | 2.2 pts | 0.055″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| Boston, MA | Apr · 11.5% | Sep · 12.8% | 1.3 pts | 0.032″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| Denver, CO | Jul · 8% | Dec · 10.5% | 2.5 pts | 0.062″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| Seattle, WA | Jul · 12% | Dec · 16.9% | 4.9 pts | 0.122″ (≈ 1/8 in) |
Driven by Sassafras's tangential shrinkage of 6.2%. These are outdoor equilibrium-moisture figures, so they are an upper bound — a climate-controlled interior swings less. How this is calculated.
How Sassafras compares
Ranked against the 196 species in the Wood Handbook tables this site carries.
- Weight: at 32.1 lb/ft³ it is heavier than 32% of the 170 species measured — an 8-foot 1×6 board weighs about 10.7 lb.
- Stability: its T/R ratio of 1.55 is more even than 80% of the 196 species here — as humidity changes, 20% of them hold their shape more evenly.
See Sassafras plotted against every species we carry: the full density chart .
Species with a similar working profile
Closest matches on hardness, weight and stability together — useful when Sassafras is unavailable or priced out.
- Eastern Redcedar is a common substitute for Sassafras : about the same weight, and similarly stable in service.
- Coast Douglas-fir is a common substitute for Sassafras : about the same weight, and similarly stable in service.
- Black Ash is a common substitute for Sassafras : about the same weight, and similarly stable in service.
- Spanish-cedar is a common substitute for Sassafras : 11% lighter, and similarly stable in service.
| Species | Janka | Density | T/R |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Redcedar | 650 lbf | 32.8 | 1.52 |
| Coast Douglas-fir | 710 lbf | 33.5 | 1.58 |
| Black Ash | 850 lbf | 34.2 | 1.56 |
| Spanish-cedar | 600 lbf | 28.7 | 1.5 |
About Sassafras
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) ranges from southeastern Iowa and eastern Texas eastward. Sassafras is easily confused with black ash, which it resembles in color, grain, and texture. Sapwood is light yellow, and heartwood varies from dull grayish brown to dark brown, sometimes with a reddish tinge. Freshly cut surfaces have a characteristic odor. The wood is moderately heavy, moderately hard, moderately weak in bending and endwise compression, quite high in shock resistance, and resistant to decay. Sassafras was highly prized by the native Americans for dugout canoes, and some sassafras lumber is still used for small boats. Locally, sassafras is used for fence posts and rails and for general millwork.
Durability & sustainability
Decay resistance: the Wood Handbook rates Sassafras heartwood resistant to fungal decay . Ratings are for heartwood only and the table's own note cautions that resistance varies substantially within a species; treat this as a general indicator, not a guarantee, especially for ground contact. Wood Handbook, Chapter 14: Biodeterioration of Wood (Arango, Lebow, Glaeser), USDA Forest Products Laboratory, FPL-GTR-282 (2021), Table 14-1. Public domain.
CITES status: not listed on any CITES Appendix — no international-trade restriction applies to Sassafras.
Properties
| Specific gravity | 0.46 |
|---|---|
| Janka hardness (side) | — |
| Density (air-dry, 12% MC) | 32.1 lb/ft³ (514 kg/m³) ovendry-weight basis: 28.7 lb/ft³ |
| Weight per board foot (air-dry) | 2.68 lb |
| Radial shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 4% |
| Tangential shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 6.2% |
| Volumetric shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 10.3% |
| T/R ratio (stability indicator) | 1.6 |
Shrinkage is total green-to-oven-dry (Table 4-3); strength values are at 12% MC. Full bases and the derivation formulas are on the methodology page. Values shown as “—” have no matched entry in the Wood Handbook strength tables (5-3b/5-5b).
Data: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook FPL-GTR-282 (2021), public domain.