Replies

1. 
   9619 | Oct 23, 2006 07:16pm | #1

   Mr Frost,
   I am not sure where you are coming from on ash. It may be that you work with handtools and I work with motorized tools, but I made a desk out of ash, and had a good experience with it, except for one thing. Once the desk was made, I began to notice little holes with sawdust all around them. I found a person who did fumigation, and he said not to worry. When he finished with it, my problem was over.

   I found that the ash looked like oak to me, and as for putting it through a power saw, it cut much like oak. It is open grained. I didn't use a filler. I put on about seven coats of polyurathane, and rubbed it down between coats. It turned out pretty well.

   Probably working with handtools, you would notice things that I didn't. Using a wood filler would make the finish have looked different.

   That didn't answer your question, but I am not exactly sure what your question is.
   Enjoy.
   Mel

   Measure your output in smiles per board foot. 

2. 
   Knotscott | Oct 23, 2006 10:07pm | #2

   My experience with ash is much the same as Mel's. I thought it worked beautifully, and I love the grain. It is an open grain wood, and can be filled if desired. It can also be stained easily to a preferred color.

3. 
   mbholden | Oct 23, 2006 11:05pm | #3

   I feel your pain!

   I too am making an ash project, a pennsylvania style spice box.

   The wood looks much like oak, but seems more brittle, not quite the right word, but descriptive of how it shatters, splits, and generally misbehaves.

   It is hard to put a chisel thru. But, It does leave a nice edge, and seems less prone to edge crumbling than oak.

   Courage! We can get through these projects, it will just take longer than expected.

   Mike

4. 
   Garry | Oct 23, 2006 11:21pm | #4

   Here are a few of my projects from ash. It is one of my favorites for home interiors.
   I find it works nicely and is fairly stable. Never noticed ash to be brittle, it one of the most used woods for bending and durablility.
   Ash has many interesting colors and grain to let you express yourself if you let it.

   http://www.superwoodworks.com/Projects/Stairs.htm
   http://www.superwoodworks.com/Projects/BiFoldDoors.htm
   http://www.superwoodworks.com/Projects/WallCoatRack.htm
   http://www.superwoodworks.com/Projects/WallCoatRack.htm
   http://www.superwoodworks.com/Projects/SharpeningStation.htm
   http://www.superwoodworks.com/Projects/Vanity.htm

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   http://www.superwoodworks.com

1. 
   Jfrostjr | Oct 26, 2006 03:27pm | #6

   Thanks for the support. I have continued with the project and find that I have adapted to the "new" wood. I like the photos! That is the look I am striving for - only in a table.Frosty

1. 
   alfie | Oct 27, 2006 01:22am | #7

   Some years back I went to buy maple to build a work bench. I was looking for 16/4 material for the legs. The lumberyard guy suggested ash, which he had a good supply of in 16/4. So I went with ash for the entire bench (save the maple top that I had purchased). The project came out beautifully, and I discovered a new species. I would, without hesitation, use ash for a variety of projects. It is a very nice material to work with. The end results are beautiful and functional. True, the grain is quite open.

5. 
   jquinn | Oct 24, 2006 04:25am | #5

   I am making my workshop floor out of ash.  most of it I have cut myself (alaskan sawmill chainsaw attachment) and airdried for several years.  That stuff has the best figure over the stuff I have bought from a hardwood dealer to make up for shortcomings in bd ft, and most of it has some very tight growth rings.  The widest logs were just over 30" dia, and mostly free of knots.  It was a lucky find, and a fortunate windstorm a few years ago.

   I have planed, cut, and routed T+G (plus the air channels on the bottom side of the 3/4" boards), and generally I find it very easy to work.  I occasionally get some chipout on the figured stuff (like tiger maple), but light passes and lightly wetting the surface to be cut alleviates most of that.  I find that it routs pretty good too (for the T+G).  I seldom have any bad results there. 

   I do the same for the crotchwood and knot areas.  It can have some amazing firery figure in the crotch wood.

   I use a Dewalt #735 to plane.  The knives DW sells for this are pretty short lived.  You will notice when the planer can hardly move the boards through - the knives are too dull to cut.  Keep using sharp knives for the planer and it planes very nice.  I get an almost glass smooth surface from the #735 on ash.

   I am just using minwax polyeurathane for the floors.  It really helps bring out the figure.