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Ash lumber, Update

Aside from the identifying little rays Most of the "Oak" furniture in the stores is Ash. But, by itself Ash is a very attractive wood, My sister has a loverly Ash Matchbook Veneered Dining set that is so unique using Burl veneer and straight 1/4 sawn grain veneers as accents. She bought it in the 70s and it is still a thing of beauty, today. Henry Ford built the bodies for his Model Ts from Ash because of the strength weight and best of all because his family owned land loaded with Ash.
 
Ok, so I go to the National Forrest office. They can't help because it is on private ground. They give me the number to Scott in Indianapolis. Get home and call Scott. Scott can't help because it is too far away. Scott gives me the number to the local woman in Tell City, same town as Forrest office, hmmm. Call Angie, she says no problem. Spencer county, where I live is not a quarantined county. Where you taking the log? Dubois county. Now we have a problem. Dubois is a quarantined county. I can take it there, but have to leave all shavings, bark and 1/2 inch of sap wood for mill to dispose of. Will call mill later and check to see if he wants to mess with it. Also found another mill, maybe closer.
 
Larry, thumb vs tablesaw.

John, yes I am getting good info at least. This has been a great learning experience. Lot more goes into woodworking than just going and picking up the boards.

There is a mill about one mile from the house. The guy shut it down and now only sales firewood. He bought one of those do it all, cutters/ splitters. I have been trying to find him all day. Neighbor told me he might fire it back up for me. I know the guy just didn't give it a thought.

I might also loose the pecan also. Owner is thinking he is going to leave it stand.

While I am on a roll. How small is too small?
 
Just an update on this. Got one 8 foot log, 26" at base, out of the Ash's in question. The other 2 were in bad shape. Called the local guy, who I was thinking had sold his saw and he charges 25 cent BF. Will be close to spring until we can do it, but log is coated and waiting on him.
 
Hey Steve, You won't be sorry milling the Ash. I have a woods full of ash trees that are just getting the EAB. I had been watching for it and noticed this Spring that the beetle had arrived. This past week I felled a 12" Diameter ash that was dead and found that the EAB had killed it so I figure the bug has been in the woods for at least 2 years. I had a couple of wind downed trees, and had bucked the logs but left them in the woods because the market wasn't paying much for ash. I sawed one up for firewood and was surprised at how nice the wood grain and color looked when I split the blocks. It had some other wood borer in it and I might just mill the remaining logs because I think the wormy ash lumber might look real nice.

Ash is considered an excellent wood for flooring. I have been advised to maybe saw up all the dying ash trees into flooring and stick them in the barn as a "wood bank account" Something to think about.
 
Yea I wish I could have used all 3 but the other 2 got busted into firewood. They were pretty small. I have a couple walnut that are going to be cut up also. Wood bank accounts never hurt.
 
I just had an ash cut into lumber last fall & can't wait til it's dry to use some. I used some smaller pieces that I dried last year to make a jewelry box & I just loved working with it. Very similar to oak & took stain beautifully. When you can get it at the price you have in it, you definitely can't go wrong.
 
Ash is most wonderful wood to work with. much of the "Oak" furniture on the market is stained Ash. When using Oak, often the secondary woods are Ash to keep the costs down. I enjoy Ash for its own beauty and qualities.

Only concern with Ash is the Emerald Ash Borer, and transporting un cured lumber is a NoNo...
 
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