Replies

1. 
   Buster2000 | Dec 24, 2005 12:36am | #1

   The local wood shop recommended ash to me as a good alternative to the Hard Maple for my workbench.  It might be a little lighter and a little softer... but it's much cheaper.

2. 
   Troy | Dec 24, 2005 04:08am | #2

   Sounds like a great idea, I used old doug fir for my bench and it has been fine.

   Troy

1. 
   NumberNine | Dec 24, 2005 06:16am | #3

   Thanks for the comments, I found a European Bench manufacturer that uses Ash as well so I feel a bit more comfortable with my plan.

1. 
   dondownunder | Dec 28, 2005 11:26am | #4

   9

   The rest of the world uses just about anything other than maple. Main thing is get the design right & use timber which is reasonably resillient. My bench is made from a locally sourced eucalypt & stands up to pretty solid flogging on a dialy basis. I reflatened it once about 8 yrs ago & it'll probably go another 2 before requiring attention again.

   Don

3. 
   forestgirl | Dec 29, 2005 10:31am | #5

   I think the main thing you'll find with ash is that it is a pretty open-pored wood, like oak is.  I love ash, and it's hard as a rock and heavy (my memory is twisted by the 6'-long ash church pew I once bought and restored.  What a hunk o' wood that was).

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
   Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

4. 
   WillGeorge | Dec 29, 2005 07:51pm | #6

   I use ASH and Hickory ALL the time... Wonderful woods to work with..
   My opinion only...

   Ash hardness is about 1320.. Not as hard as Hard Maple.. Hickory is harder than Hard Maple.. (Like in all woods.. The stick hardness will vary in mileage)

   I made a bench a few years ago with a Hickory top and the rest ash..
   I LOVED IT! To bad I did not make it for myself!

1. 
   PADDYDAHAT | Feb 28, 2006 08:42am | #7

   W.G. ,I have a good neighbor in TN. who complained that his two huge hickory trees were a big problem. It seems that the squirrels and such  take all the small tree nuts but not the hickory nuts which are a problem under foot for his horses, one a beautiful golden palomino. I told him he could run them on an acre of my pasture till August as I am not moved in yet, it gives his grass a break and he can drop the trees. GUESS WHO GETS THE LOGS?

   I have another neighbor who has his own mill to cut his own trees to build his tobacco sheds. Guess who is building a hickory bench as soon as those boards are happy? I expect 18 to 24 months to dry, ya think . Pat