Hardwood Timber: Ash Wood Properties & Uses
We’ve covered Oak and Beech, so now it’s time for Ash. Although we specialise in English and European Oak, W. L. West & Sons work with all hardwoods. As ever, supplying the perfect timber products to our clients isn’t just about stocking the best timber in the country (although we do try). Rather, it’s about being intrinsically familiar with the properties and uses of all different types of wood, as well as the technique and minutiae of cutting and treating it.
Up there with the strongest hardwoods in the industry, dense and almost entirely shock-resistant, Ash is a hardwood with its own claim to fame and deserves its place in the sun.
Ash Wood Description
Ash wood (fraxinus) is strong, dense, lighter in colour than oak and smooth to the touch. It takes gluing, stains and polishes well, making it popular for woodworking projects. Less prized than oak and more physically appealing than beechwood, Ash is a great middle-ground for many tasks. Notably and unusually for its great strength and density, Ash remains lightweight compared to Hickory and Oak.
Historically, due to its notable strength, ash tended to be used in the making of shafts for spears. In fact, both the Old English `æsc‘ and Latin `fraxinus’ were used to mean `spear’ due to the common association of the weapon with ash wood.
Fun fact: The axis to the worlds in Norse mythology, Yggdrasil, is said to be a vast, evergreen ash, connecting and sustaining the nine worlds of the cosmos with its roots and branches.
Ash Wood Uses
The robust, straight-grained, good-looking and shock-resistant nature of ash wood makes it still suitable for a plethora of timber products but particularly suited to furniture making, construction and sporting equipment.
Timber products involving ash wood can include staircases, treads, moulding, timber frames and tools. Its notable elastic qualities and suitability for steam bending have also made it popular in the making of bows, tool handles, baseball bats and drum shells.
When both are open-pore and unfinished, Ash is usually compared unfavourably to Oak, despite often acting as a replacement for the latter to the extent that it gets called `golden oak‘. Unlike Oak, however, Ash does not fare well outdoors due to its low tolerance for ground contact.
Is Ash Wood Durable?
Ash wood is not suited for outdoor purposes. It is rated as perishable and will not last long if in contact with the outside ground.
It is slightly more durable with regard to decay, but is not particularly rot-resistant or insect-resistant, hence its suitability for indoor purposes.
European Ash Wood
Sometimes known as Olive Ash due to its colour, European Ash can look very similar to Oak when stained.
Also known as Fraxinus excelsior, European Ash has been affected by ash dieback (or chalara) for a number of years now, even declared in 2016 to be in danger of extinction. Although there are ongoing government efforts to address prevention of the spread, the effects are as costly as they are destructive. Our joint MD Dave West comments on this matter and suggests ways of making the most of Ash timber despite the disease.
White Ash Wood
White Ash, fraxinus americana is the lightest available in colour, with less densely-packed tree rings than black ash.
Native to North America, white ash trees grow and are economically important mainly to the United States and Canada. White ash trees are a vital part of forest ecosystems due to their leaves and bark being the main food sources for many frogs and beetles.
White ash wood is not as affected by ash dieback in the USA; however, native species of ash, including black ash, green ash and blue ash, are currently under threat from the emerald ash borer beetle, which feeds on the inner bark of ash and whose population is able to spread unchecked.
About W. L. West & Sons
W. L. West & Sons Ltd source their timber responsibly in Europe, including Oak and Ash. To stay true to our core philosophy of versatile timber production, we purchase and stock European oak and ash timber of various grades to suit different projects and budgets.
We also attend annual conferences and events dedicated to the timber industry to continue educating ourselves—and our customers—on matters at hand and how best we can act in response.
W. L. West & Sons Ltd is a timber merchant and sawmill business with 150 years of experience. We provide a wide range of air-dried oak and kiln-dried oak timber products and supplies. We also build and install custom projects for our customers.
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For entirely finished products, timber supplies or woodworking tools, have a look at our Retail Shop (which is temporarily closed for lockdown but will re-open in due course).
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