Carving Ash

I’ve made canoe paddles out of ash. Does that count as carving? If I remember correctly there are easier woods to work with. Ash is very hard. I’m currently making a paddle out of cedar and it cuts like butter.

How do you shape your paddles? I’ll do rough carving with aggressive rasps, then files and chisels to form the more finished shapes.

I work often with ash, and it turns and finishes wonderfully! Its a great wood, hard but not too hard, and smells like olive oil when you work it (at least the European Ash here does, as I believe it is related to the olive tree) anyway, turning with is really nice and it even though it is a openpored wood, it still with a sharp tool and a little of fine sanding, gets real smooth and makes great tool handles. I made a couple of mallets and fence post driving mallets out of ash on the lathe as well as salt and pepper shakers. Its great for bending and form gluing too! or even Bow building, if you are someone who enjoys archery.

-- Nicholas, Journeyman Cabinetmaker, Partenkirchen, Germany

The wood is great, is used for spindles and legs in chairmaking, so will be good at the lathe.
I tryed once Letter Carving and was not bad, even don’t having the proper chisels.

-- Francisco Luna, San Francisco Bay Area.

As far as carving Ash, it’s a little chippy so you have to take off thin shavings and avoid carving small objects—if you’re using hand tools.

I’m making a quilt rack from Ash and want to carve something on the sides. I took a scrap piece and attempted to carve a heart and some leaves in it. I noticed that carving larger objects like the heart was easier but the smaller objects allowed more chipping. This is because the smaller objects require faster radius’s on small weaker items.

Other than that it isn’t that difficult with the right technique.

-- There are three types of people in the world, those who can count and those who can't!

Dan,

I shape my paddles with planes, a spokeshave, a scraper, and a rasp. What is it that you are carving?

Rob

I think it’s great wood for carving.

I’ve carved a number of things in ash.

Check out this Windsor chair. Which is one item I remember.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Thanks for all the good info and your experiences everyone.

Rob,

I’m a very amateur carver, so I’m mostly working on shapes/forms (abstractions). I’m also doing some animal and human forms, so it’s “artsy” and not as practical as furniture, which I’m more experienced at. But it’s fun!

Dan in WV