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American Ash

D

duke

Old Oak
Joined
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Location
Field, Ontario, Canada
Name
Scott
Five years ago I cleared the road sides of overgrowth at my parents place. Kept the wood for heating the shop. Found a leftover branch, cut a slice off to see its age. 31 years.3223.jpg
 
Nice! What will you do with it?
American Ash is very nice to work, dense, mostly straight grain and heavy.
It weighs 650 - 850 Kg/m3

I used it on this project
Phil

Post in thread 'Treads for metal staircase'

duke said:
Phil my RAS is on wheels so I can move it around to depending on the length of boards.
Click to expand...

Looks a good sturdy saw :cool:

I might consider moving the metal table forward but would need to add a shelf at the back to stop stuff falling through.
The table is bolted to the floor and would then need new bolts and holes.

TomTrees said:
Watch Carl Holmgren's video, and look at the various options he's come up with.

The same timeless design is utilized on a few machines like the RP300 or IWOODlike machines.
Once you use a single pedal system, even just a quick timber lash up, you...
Click to expand...

And then some offcuts on this project
Phil

Thread 'Trivets 2015/23 & 2025 + 1 more Kiaat'

Trivets 2015/23 & 2025

This is the 2015 thread, re-posted in 2023 with pics.
The 2015 thread pics were lost in k-ktbucket.

https://www.thewoodhaven2.co.uk/threads/trivets.8438

The design inspiration was from an article “Waffle Pattern Trivets”, pattern number 3.

https://www.craftsmanspace.com/free-projects/waffle-pattern-trivet-plans.html

Right, now the 2025 version ………………….

I was donated some Red Oak offcuts by my beehive friend and had all the American Ash offcuts from his steps project.

Timber cost = Zero.

They had already been through the planer on the EB-TP...
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I looked at the treads when visiting the farm couple of weeks ago, looks very good, they need to do a light sanding and a PU sealer.
 
The next time I do some roadside clearing I will keep the trunks.
I will also look through our wood lot , hopefully I will find some. I would prefer to harvest a windfall tree and not a live one.
The largest Ash trees around here are from 1' to 1 1/2' at breast height. Never liked that term as not everyone is the same height.
I do remember that project of yours Phil.
 
Those growth rings are certainly easy to see!
Yes the British stuff is lovely, and despite Rob’s bad experience I’ve always found the American Ash to be very pleasant to work, there’s a bit of a glut at the moment over here as Ash dieback hits, as mentioned elsewhere I’ve got two big dead trees to have down this summer and I shall try my very best to have it slabbed. Just had a good look both have clean straight trunks about 20’ long almost 2’ in Diameter but one has been badly attacked at the bottom, not sure if this is the Dieback beetle’s work or something else.
I’m also building my new bench from it, lovely hard hardwood.

IMG_4438.jpeg
 
That was a very nicely, evenly grown branch! Most of the time in the branches I used there would be much less symmetry. Often the rings would be farther apart as well. I have made some nice shafts and walking sticks from branches that had grown straight (enough) without smaller branches along the length I wanted to use. Some time ago I met one of the chaps I made a walking stick for (years ago) and he told me he was still using it. Such nice to work with and durable wood.

It is a shame the species is hit so hard by a fungus (hymenoscyphus fraxineus) around here that they are afraid this tree will disappear completely from our forests just a few years from now. Is that the same disease you call ash dieback? I wasn't aware it was such a problem on your side of the pond as well.
 
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I’ve heard folks say both American kiln dried ash & oak are difficult to work but it’s not been my experience, I was planing some quarter sawn American white oak yesterday it came so cleanly off the planer it barely needs sanding.

I used to save quite a bit of branch wood years ago when I did a lot of woodturning but I found I got an awful lot of wastage as it was so prone to splitting, I guess that’s not a problem if you have a log burner.
 
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HdV said:
That was a very nicely, evenly grown branch! Most of the time in the branches I used there would be much less symmetry. Often the rings would be farther apart as well. I have made some nice shafts and walking sticks from branches that had grown straight (enough) without smaller branches along the length I wanted to use. Some time ago I met one of the chaps I made a walking stick for (years ago) and he told me he was still using it. Such nice to work with and durable wood.

It is a shame the species is hit so hard by a fungus (hymenoscyphus fraxineus) around here that they are afraid this tree will disappear completely from our forests just a few years from now. Is that the same disease you call ash dieback? I wasn't aware it was such a problem on your side of the pond as well.
Click to expand...
Not just the pond, Channel too, I brought the name over from the uk, I may easily be wrong but I think the fungus is carried by beetles.
Scott, I know what you’re thinking, yes those holes are very big for wood boring insects. I thought it might have been woodpecker damage but it’s only 4’ off the ground so probably not. Didn’t notice any frass, but it’s fairly old damage.
 
Ian, over here the main culprit is the Emerald Ash Borer, a beetle that kills the tree.
A little research says that damage to your tree is most likely caused by woodpeckers ripping the bark off to get at the larvea.
The Ash in our area are ok at the moment.
 
duke said:
Ian, over here the main culprit is the Emerald Ash Borer, a beetle that kills the tree.
A little research says that damage to your tree is most likely caused by woodpeckers ripping the bark off to get at the larvea.
The Ash in our area are ok at the moment.
Click to expand...
Oh right, thanks, I suppose if there are tasty grubs to have the woodpecker will have a go, but I’ve never seen them that low down.
I shall have to do some research on the Emerald Ash Borer, sounds like what had been at the wood I bought for my bench, pencil sized tunnels!
 
Cabinetman said:
Oh right, thanks, I suppose if there are tasty grubs to have the woodpecker will have a go, but I’ve never seen them that low down.
I shall have to do some research on the Emerald Ash Borer, sounds like what had been at the wood I bought for my bench, pencil sized tunnels!
Click to expand...
Do you have flickers in your area?
 
I’m not sure, but some of the flickers in the north west of the US are woodpeckers that seem to spend a lot of time close to the ground so figured they might be a possible cause for the damage.
 
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