Need advise in purchasing ASH

[Benjimin Young]

I have an opportunity to purchase about 300 board feet of rough sawn white ASH. 2 1/2 x 5 and 2 1/2 by 10ft for $2 bd/ft. It is rough sawn (possibly quarter) and has been stacked and drying in a covered but unheated building for a year. I have to drive a couple of hours to view it so I would risk renting a suitable truck to drive there and make a decision on the spot.

I am a novice lumber purchaser so I would appreciate any advise you can give me before I make the trip.
What are some board ft price ranges for rough saw ASH?
Any thoughts on what I should look out for when I get there
Tips on identifying/confirming it is ASH
Also, what are your thoughts on working with ASH

Thanks!!

[scott spencer]

I think ash is an excellent wood to work with and can be very pretty when finished nicely. It's a bit like oak, but I think it's prettier, and I like the fact that it's not oak (like every other piece of furnture in North America!) $2/BF is a good price for nice ash...I think our local Woodcraft gets $4/bf. In the rough, it'll be a bit harder to tell how it looks as it may take on a grayish tint, but it's tends to be fairly light in color, has an open grain with bold contrast, and is a bit less prone to warping than some woods. Look for excessive knots, warpage, splits, insect holes, etc. It's not a bad idea to bring along a small block plane and lightly scratch away some of the rough surface so you can see how it looks.

http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/ash/ash%20veneer%203%20s25%20q60%20plh.jpg

Please send along some pics if you end up buying some.

[Jim Becker]

I also like ash. It works nicely and smells nice. I don't use much of it as I'm more into the look of cherry and walnut, but when I want a non-maple, light-colored, strong species for things like chair spindles...ash is my choice. And Scott is correct...it has some of the "look" qualities of oak when it comes to being open pored and prominent grain pattern...without being oak.

[Jerry Strojny]

I just bought some kiln dried rough cut 6/4 ash for some toys I'm making. I paid $2.26/bd ft. I think the 8/4 was $2.76. It's seems to be a fairly good price to me.

[josh bjork]

Two+ inch thick wood that has been stored for one year would likely still be wet in the middle unless you live somewhere hot and dry.

[Jim W. White]

I've used Ash quite a bit in the past. I think it is an unsung hero in the relm of hardwoods. Well behaved and affordable. I'd try to get him down to 1.75 if you bought over 100 bd/ft; but other than that, I say go for it. Once you use it, you'll turn to it again.

Jim in Idaho

[Steve Kohn]

I cannot tell from your message where you are buying the wood from. However in the Midwest (Michigan, parts of Illinois) there is a bug running rampant and killing ash trees. You may have hear of the emerald ash borer. It may be against the law to move that wood from state to state or even county to county. Where I live, Kane County Illinois, you are not allowed to do anything with ash trees other than burn them.

[Steve Jenkins]

Ash is extremely susceptible to borers. If you see a bunch of holes about 1/16" in diameter I'd pass.

[Larry Oberle]

I have been milling some ASH lately and love to work on it in the shop. The Emeral Ash Borer that is killing a lot of trees here in the midwest, does not even attack the core of the tree, just the area between the bark and the sapwood. $2 is not bad, but like mentioned above look for the 1/16th holes. Sawdust often hides them so look close.

Some pics.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e165/Hautions11/Nicebdsm.jpg

[Jim Becker]

Larry, that's a very pretty log! Nice!

[Scott Neblung]

I cannot tell from your message where you are buying the wood from. However in the Midwest (Michigan, parts of Illinois) there is a bug running rampant and killing ash trees. You may have hear of the emerald ash borer. It may be against the law to move that wood from state to state or even county to county. Where I live, Kane County Illinois, you are not allowed to do anything with ash trees other than burn them.


Steve is correct on this emerald ash borer information.

As of December 1st, 2006 the states of Illinois, Ohio and Indiana will be added to the ban quarentine already established in Michigan for ALL ASH TREES. I am not sure if this includes certifiable kiln dried lumber or not however.

I have read some ash boreres were found in Maryland in 2003, but have not seen a ban placed on that state yet. These borers were transported from Michigan as nursery stock infested small trees.

This insect came to us in a pallet load from China and has been around the USA for under a decade. There are 33 billion ash trees in Iowa alone that are next in line for this insects attack. The experts figure this insect is moving 100-200 miles per year. It wont take long folks.

We really need to watch what we are doing when transporting any form of this wood. That form being small trees, firewood, chips etc etc.

At this point I dont see this insect being stopped. Be afraid....If is not stopped it will destroy all ash trees acrost the nation.

Scott

[Larry Oberle]

Thanks Jim. I am planning a large entertainment center from this wood. My wife wanted something very light in color, so this should work. The boards comming right of the log are actually darker then a dry board. I am kiln drying these after cutting the edges off and burning them. Here is the log the board came from. In this pic I am cutting 4" thick basebal bat blanks that a friend wanted to turn.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e165/Hautions11/Rustyblanks-1.jpg

[Steve Schmidt]

Benjimin,
Scott is correct. The population in Maryland has been found again (2006) in the same area. Also USDA has quarantined all of Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Michigan for the Emerald Ash Borer/Ash (all species). I don't know where you are located but it would be a big help and probably prudent to check with your state Department of Agriculture to make sure you have any permits needed to move Ash. The quarantine is basically for firewood and logs with bark but there are other regulated articles involved. You don't want to help move the Emerald Ash Borer. Thanks for your question and alert.

Steve Schmidt
Plant Pest Administrator
N.C. Department of Agriculture

[Steve Kohn]

My big worry about the ash borer is the two mature ash trees on my lot. Each tree is about 25 inches in diameter. I live about 5 miles from a known infestation of the borer. There is speculation in the news that if the ash borer is found within a mile from your house, the USDA might force everyone to take their trees down. Of course the homeowner gets to pay for the removal. And you won't get to keep the wood.