American ash wood

 ash wood

American ash wood (Fraxinus) is widely available commercial wood  in the US woodworking industry. There are about 46 species of ash tree but they are sold commercially as the ash wood. In the US wood industry this wood is classified as 2 type the Northern ash and the Southern ash according to the place it grew.  In the right area this timber can be planted and cultivated quite easy. It has relatively short life time to get the trunk tree. This tree is usually planted in an specific area and then after it has quite age they are all cut all without selection. The ash wood  is also commonly found in Europe with very similar properties.
Ash wood is quite cheap, easy to be found make it popular in the woodworking industry. This timber has medium hardness and easy to be handled in the woodworking industry. It has high elasticity, can be screwed, nailed and glued with small risk to broke or crack. The ash wood also has a relatively small shrinkage volume; it can be kiln and dried ease and fast.
This wood is has low resistant to the weather. The sap wood is high vulnerable and susceptible to the insects attached. Then it needs proper treatment to preserving from the insect and bug.

Ash  wood has light base color, white in the sap wood and light yellow brown in the heartwood with straight and regular grain pattern.

 
The physical properties of the ash wood

 
Specific gravity (MC 12%)                                              : 0.60
Average weight                                                                : 673 kg/m3
Average volume of shrinkage (green to 6% MC)         : 10.7%
Modulus of elasticity                                                        : 11.977 Mpa
Hardness                                                                          : 5871 N

Data are from: www.americanhardwood.org

 The uses of ash wood

The ash wood  is widely used for various purposes in the woodworking industry. It mostly used to make furniture, flooring, doors, sports equipment, panels, kitchen cabinets, architectural design  etc. The ash wood  is also widely available in veneer and much used in the panels or plywood manufacturer.
 

ash wood architectural cabinet

Finishing of ash wood.

This wood has a light base color varied from white to the light brown or yellowish brown so it can be colored to form many finish color quite easy. This wood also has small pores and soft grain texture. It can be finished in close pores easily. He also has nice grain, with uniform and regular pattern. With the proper finish it can produce wood product in nice appearance. His light base color make it can finished to the transparent color in variety color finish. The antique finish with dirty and old looked also can be generated as well the clean finish.

The ash wood  is also can be finished in the solid color as well as the transparent color. Its small texture of grain and pores make it is quite easy to be finish in the solid color.

The stain application directly to the wood should be done carefully.  Avoid to apply stain too wet, since it has risk to get the blotchy color. The application of wood conditioner or wood size is good option if a wiping stain is used.