Thermo-treated ash

I have seen it before but have not used it in a project. I did contact a company in Canada that makes it and asked about Black walnut being treated as I was looking for an Ebony substitute. They stated they had some and would send me a sample of it to review as far as how dark/black it was, but they never sent me the small sample (there idea) so I gave up on it as there is not much distribution in my area. I may try the site you posted to see what they have or what I can order if available.

James 101 – I’ve seen thermo treated polar and it looked great. The ash was especially brittle due to it being a loose grained material to begin with. Brittle to the point that I could easily roll over sharp edged with my fingers. I had to be very careful during glue ups not to bust the crisp edges. And complicated joinery was a challenge to keep clean. I was told that I had to use polyurethane glue (Gorilla glue) because the wood would soak up other glues too rapidly for a good bond. What was your gluing experience?

rustynails – I got my material from a local lumber broker in South Carolina. The company is Carolina Lumber Sourcing The company only deals in quantities of 100+ BF, though.

-- Michael Sanders, Charleston, SC, "Tight joints and clean lines"

Thanks for the info Michael, I will have to give them a call.

Rustynails

Gibson has started using heat-treated maple for the fingerboards on a few of their models, instead of rosewood. I can’t say I’m a big fan of the look on guitars, but that poplar looks nice.

-- ian | "You can't stop what's coming. It ain't all waiting on you. That's vanity."

I’m surprised at how nice that poplar looks!

-- Richard, Hot Springs, Ar -- Galoot In Training