finish for ash

[Zahid Naqvi]

I have read that Ash will turn yellow when treated by certain types of finishes. I am making a toy box for my kid (finally made that lynn jig) with ash and a cherry top (what can I say that's what I had at hand). The ash I have has some real nice figure and I would like to keep its natural white/pale look to contrast with the cherry top. What would you recommend as a good finish, I was thinking about either Watco danish oil or perhaps water based poly.

[Jim Becker]

Most woods will darken over time and that tends, on lighter species, to exacerbate the yellowing that comes from the finish. Any oil-based finish will cause yellowing, both initially and to a greater extent, depending on the formulation and oil type, over time. If you want to keep your ash as light as possible, you'll want to use a WB finish or lacquer and possibly something with UV protectant to increase the time between "now" and when the wood darkens noticably. Unfortunately, you cannot stop that process...it's the way the world works.

[Kurt Aebi]

Zahid,

Check out Bill Grumbine's thread http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=11654 for his vase he made from Ash. He has a few ideas.

Maybe you can e-mail him and he can help you.