# Working with Ash wood



## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

At work we got shipments of product which are protected with 1'x6'x4' pieces of what looks to me to be ash wood.
I am not very familiar with ash wood and at first I tough that it was some king of pine wood as the color is very light. 
But in the past, someone told me that my kitchen cabinets are made of ash wood and the figures on the cabinets and on the wood I get are very similar, very highly figured.
Now my question: since the grain goes in all directions, how am I going to joint and to plane this wood with out too much tear out ?
What about finishing, it looks like this wood would blotch a lot, what should I do?
Thank you.


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## REO (Sep 20, 2012)

It machines much like oak, specific gravity is lighter so it not as hard to toss around.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

It's light and strong, bends well, one common use is snowshoe frames. The pieces you have were probably used for packing because of the wonky grain. I used quite a bit of it on my workbench it is not hard to work if the grain is straight. It does machine a lot like oak, you have to be very concerned about the direction of planing and get out your card scrapers to deal w/ the wild grain.


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

I like ash and have built some cabinets with it. The cost is a bit less than red oak in my area and it is available in pretty wide pieces. Ash will not be around too much longer as many trees are either dying or being cut down due to the infestations of emerald ash borers.

I find it pretty easy to work as long as the grain is fairly straight. It also finishes well for me and I use oil stain and oil based poly.

I would buy a harbor freight metal detector and go over the pieces to make certain there is not some embedded metal in it as is often the case with wood used for packing.


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

Ash can be very nice looking, and is good to work with. Depending on staining and the particular grain structure, it can resemble oak, but often has nicer grain patterns.


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## natenaaron (Jun 24, 2013)

On top of what others said above you get the added bonus of people coming up and saying "dude, nice ash." Always flattering to have your ash complemented.


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## jdh122 (Sep 8, 2010)

I've used ash quite a lot too and like it. As Redoak49 says, it looks like it will disappear all over north America, which is very sad.
I have had pieces that were very hard to plane without tearout and I ended up having to use card and cabinet scrapers for hours on end, but it generally works OK. I have not had problems with blotchiness - I've always finished it with oil and wax.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

There is about no straight grain in the pieces I get, it is very pretty but surely it will be difficult to machine


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## Paul (Mar 13, 2007)

I've enjoyed working with Ash. Yes, more difficult to make pleasing grain pattern matches when gluing up wider boards. Yet, I don't think you will find the machining and staining as difficult as you imagine. Of course my ash was from an old woodworker's milled and air dried stash liquidated at an estate auction. I would guess that packing crate wood may not be fully dry.


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## dhazelton (Feb 11, 2012)

Most of the ash trees in the woods behind my house are dead or down. Thank you emerald borer, another import from China. Burns well in the wood stove if you decide you can't use it. I have turned some mallets from short lengths of it, about all I could think of doing with it.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

The wood is new, no nail and no screw. 
It just seats on the top of the shipment to protect it and it is held in place with plastic banding.


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## RogerInColorado (Jan 18, 2013)

I'm envious of your position. I think Ash is a beautiful wood. I read often about people making keepsake boxes from it. In addition to it's other qualities, it is strong and useful for tool handles because it absorbs the shock of the tool striking a target (head of a hammer on a nail) instead of transmitting the shock onto your arm. It is also used for shovel handles because it is really strong and not expensive. You have a find, my friend. Make a bunch of toys and give them to a shelter.


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## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

Wood magazine referred to ash as the "other oak". It finishes and machines much like oak as the others have said. No splotching. It makes many people sneeze like crazy so be prepared for that. It was used for cabinets in the late '60's and in the '70's in my part of the country. I think many trends begin on the coasts and work toward the center of the country so we might have been in the last part of the trend. I have make some projects from ash and found it to not bee too difficult to work with. Good luck and a great find.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

Yes, I have a find. 
We receive these shipment twice a week (every shipment fills the back of my mini-van). 
I want to keep all the wood but I already run out of place to stock it.


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## quvia (Nov 1, 2013)

I love working with ash. (check my projects) Makes nice toys, Table legs, boxes etc. Finishes nice and sands smooth.


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

I use a lot of ash. I really like it and have no complaints.


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## 228861 (Feb 23, 2009)

I worked for a furniture company that used it for chairs and other stuff like side tables and when stained up it is hard to tell it from oak. It actually looks better than oak. It also turns well too. I just did a bunch of baseball bats with it and it was nice to turn.


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## juniorjock (Feb 3, 2008)

The ash I've worked with is not light. As a matter of fact, its very heavy. Probably the heaviest wood I've worked with. It mills just about as good as any wood. Just about every piece has figure in it. Looks great with just a clear finish. I stained a little and didn't notice any blotching. Like I said I've stained "just a little". Sounds like you've got plenty to experiment with. Have at it.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

To me ash is quite similar to oak when it comes to working it. I use my drum sander rather than the planer on all "highly figured" wood. A lot slower but no risk of ruining a piece with tear out.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

"I use my drum sander" I do not have one.
There is one a used on sale for $500.00, I am tempted but I do not know where I would put it in my shop.


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## kaerlighedsbamsen (Sep 16, 2013)

Lucky you! Ash is a lovely wood to use. If there are smaller pieces with straight grain it makes perfect handles for axes etc and since it bends nicely bows are fun to make too. It is supposed to be good for steam bending. 
For the more curly pieces use in a thick workbench sonds nearly ideal.

The light color keeps fairly well and it has fairly low tendency to yellow over time. If you aim for i light finish on furniture perhaps look into this method: http://notrashproject.com/2012/08/09/i-love-this-chair-for-its-design-beautiful-lines/

Lets see some pictures when you start working it!


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

Thank you all for your help


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Bert, If that is a decent drum sander, I would jump on it! I have 2 and they get used on every project.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

This is a good one
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=27930422&cat=&lpid=&search=drum sander&ad_cid=4


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## TheWoodenOyster (Feb 6, 2013)

I love using ash for tools. I built a shavehorse out of 8/4 ash and had a blast with it. Also have built croquet mallets, chisel mallets, ax handles out of it. I have never built any furniture out of it, but no doubt lots of LJs have. From my experience it is the perfect cheap wood for functional abuse. You can beat the crap out of it, throw it across the shop, bend it, drive over it, hit robbers with it, wash it in the lower rack of your dishwasher, make tires out of it, make firearms out of it, make airplanes out of it, etc. That being said, do what you want, but save your offcuts and make a nice simple mallet


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## floyd1365 (May 5, 2013)

are you sure it's ash and not catalpa


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## mloy365 (Oct 30, 2009)

I love working with ash. It is very inexpensive and works similar to oak. Average person on the street can't tell ash from oak.


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## juniorjock (Feb 3, 2008)

Never noticed ash having the open grain like oak. May just be the ash in my neck of the woods.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

floyd1365
What is catalpa?
How would I know the difference?


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## RogerInColorado (Jan 18, 2013)

There are several species of Ash. There is a site with grain photos that are pretty useful. http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/#ash,_misc The "moderator" of the site seems to have made a career of photographing wood grains. and making them available on the web. I am appreciative of his work.

A poster of the photos is available and is relatively inexpensive. I bought one and framed it because I needed a ready reference for wood species and because the poster is beautiful I recommend it. Go there and compare, for instance, white ash and catalpa.

Just so you know, Bert, you likely have Catalpa trees growing in SLC. They are the trees that have a seed pod that looks like a HUGE string bean. They are really sweet smelling when they bloom and they give awesome shade.


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## rtriplett (Nov 25, 2009)

Great reason to get the drum sander. This is the one I have and I use it a lot for figured wood. That is a fair price, esp with the infeed and out feed tables. Ash makes great boxes when you add a contrasting top or trim.


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