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Cypress Woodworks
14222 Cornelia,
Cypress Texas, 77429
(832) 758-0393
White Ash
Photo and data from Forest World
Common Names
American ash, Ash, Biltmore ash, Biltmore white ash, Fresno, White ash.
Common Uses
Baseball bats, Baskets, Cabinetmaking, Chairs, Decorative veneer, Food containers, Furniture, Joinery, Bedroom suites, Chests, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Floor lamps, Handles, Hatracks, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Radio, stereo, TV cabinets, Rustic, Stools, Tables, Wardrobes.
Species Distribution
REGIONS:
North America
COUNTRIES:
Canada
United States
Physical and Environmental Profile
Environmental Profile
White ash is reported to be demonstrably widespread, abundant, and secure globally,
although it may be quite rare at the periphery of its range
(Source - The Nature Conservancy Rank of relative endangerment
based primarily on the number of occurrences of the species globally).
Distribution
The North American range of White ash is reported to include
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec,
Alabama, Arkansas,Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida,
Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts,
Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi,
North Carolina, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.
The tree prefers moist soils of valleys and slopes, particularly deep, well-drained loams.
It is usually found growing with many other hardwoods.
Product Sources
Some material from this species is reported to be available from sustainably managed,
salvaged, recycled, or other environmentally responsible sources.
Supplies of Ash are reported to be plentiful on the US market.
The cost of Ash, which was once moderate, is reported to be steadily rising.
Tree Data
White ash is reported to be the largest and most important
of the 18 Ash species that are native to the United States.
Trees often attain heights of 70 to 80 feet (21 to 24 m),
with trunk diameters of 24 to 36 inches (60 to 90 cm).
Boles are are reported to be often straight and clear of
branches to 30 to 50 feet (9 to 15 m).
Sapwood Color
The narrow sapwood is nearly white in color.
Heartwood Color
The heartwood is pale brown, grayish brown, light brown, or pale yellow streaked with brown.
The color may also be cream to very light brown, occasionally with a reddish tinge.
Grain
The grain is described as bold, straight, moderately open with an occasional wavy pattern.
Plainsawn boards usually have strong contrast in grain.
Texture
The material is normally coarse-textured.
Luster
The wood is reported to be lustrous.
Natural Durability
The heartwood is reported to have little or no natural
resistance to attack by decay causing organisms and insects.
The sapwood is also susceptible to attack by powder post beetle and fungi.
Resistance to Impregnation
The wood is reported to respond well to preservative treatment.
Veneering Qualities
Cutting Resistance
There is very little cutting resistance.
Blunting Effect
There is moderate blunting effect on cutting tools.
Planing
The wood is fairly easy to plane.
Turning
Turning properties are reported to be rather poor.
Boring
The wood is characteristically very easy to bore.
Mortising
Mortising properties are reported to be poor.
Gluing
Under controlled conditions, Ash is reported to glue with satisfactory results.
Nailing
White ash is reported to possess good resistance to splitting, and has good nail-holding properties.
Screwing
The timber has fairly good screwing properties.
Sanding
The wood is reported to have satisfactory sanding characteristics.
Polishing
Polishing qualities are reported to be good.
Staining
The wood has good staining characteristics and is often finished in black.
Varnishing
The wood has satisfactory varnishing qualities.
Painting
Painting properties are reported to be satisfactory.
Steam Bending
The wood has satisfactory or fairly good steam bending characteristics.
Response to Hand Tools
The wood works well with hand tools.
Reference Sources
Numerical Data
Source
USDA. 1987. Wood Handbook:Wood
as an Engineering Material. Agriculture Handbook No. 72.
United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Madison, Wisconsin.
United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Madison, Wisconsin.
Descriptive Data
Source
Panshin, A.J. and C. deZeeuw.
Textbook of Wood Technology. McGraw-Hill Series in Forest
Resources.
McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York.
McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York.
Canadian Forestry Service.
1981.
Canadian Woods - Their Properties and Uses. Third Edition. E.J. Mullins and T.S. McKnight, Editors.
Published by University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada.
Canadian Woods - Their Properties and Uses. Third Edition. E.J. Mullins and T.S. McKnight, Editors.
Published by University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada.
Jackson, A. and D. Day.
1991.
Good Wood Handbook - The Woodworker's Guide to Identifying, Selecting and Using the Right Wood.
Betterway Publications, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Good Wood Handbook - The Woodworker's Guide to Identifying, Selecting and Using the Right Wood.
Betterway Publications, Cincinnati, Ohio.
HMSO, 1981. Handbook of
Hardwoods, 2nd Edition.
Revised by R.H. Farmer. Department of the Environment, Building Research Establishment,
Princes Risborough Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
Revised by R.H. Farmer. Department of the Environment, Building Research Establishment,
Princes Risborough Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J.
Bois, E.M. Wengert. 1988.
Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Hardwoods - Temperate and Tropical.
USDA, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57,
Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.
Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Hardwoods - Temperate and Tropical.
USDA, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57,
Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.
USDA. 1988. Dry Kiln Operators
Manual, Preliminary Copy.
Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.
Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.
Little, E.L. 1980. The Audubon
Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region.
Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York.
Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York.
Kaiser, J. Wood of the Month:
Ash - A Big Leaguer's Choice.
Wood and Wood Products, September, 1987. Page 40.
Wood and Wood Products, September, 1987. Page 40.
NWFA. 1994. Wood Species
Used in Wood Flooring.
Technical Publication No. A200, National Wood Flooring Association, Manchester, MO.
Technical Publication No. A200, National Wood Flooring Association, Manchester, MO.
Kline, M. 1983. Fraxinus
americana - White ash.
In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World, Flynn Jr., J.H.,
Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. Page 162.
In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World, Flynn Jr., J.H.,
Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. Page 162.
White Ash
LightingFX
