Search for

Clicking any heading in the main data area (at right) will scroll the page back to this top position. Use the following links to jump to the associated section in the main data. Blunting Effect Boring Carving Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Schedules Luster Mortising Moulding Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Silica Content Staining Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Fraxinus latifolia Trade Name Oregon ash Family Name Oleaceae Common Names Oregon ash Regions of Distribution North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] United States Common Uses Boxes and crates, Cabinetmaking, Flooring, Furniture , Millwork, Pallets, Paneling , Tool handles, Veneer Environmental Profile Rare Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview The only Ash native to Northwestern United States, its natural range extends from western Washington to western Oregon, and southward in the Coastal Ranges and Sierra Nevada to Central California. It is also cultivated as a shade tree along the Pacific Coast. The tree thrives in wet soils along streams and in canyons at elevations up to 5500 feet (1676 m). Heartwood Color Brown Yellow Red Green/grey Yellowish brown Greenish to greyish Sapwood Color Brown Red Yellow White to yellow The wide sapwood is nearly white in color Grain Even Straight Straight Grain is straight, and there is an abrupt transition from the earlywood zone to the latewood zone. Contrast between the two zones is particularly apparent on flat sawn surfaces. Rays are not distinct or are barely visible to the naked eye Texture Medium Fine Even or uniform Uniform Luster Low Somewhat lustrous Natural Durability Perishable Non-durable Moderately durable Non-resistant to marine borers Non-resistant to pinhole borers Susceptible to insect attack Susceptible to attack by powder-post beetles Moderately susceptible to sapstain, mold, and iron scars Little natural resistance Odor No specific smell or taste Silica Content Siliceous Kiln Schedules Table 290 (Lower Grade, 4/4) Table 289 (Lower Grade, 8/4) Table 288 (8/4) Table 287 (4/4) T8-B4 (4/4); T5-B3 (8/4) United States Drying Defects Checking Splitting Distortion Uncontrolled air-drying may cause surface and end checking, and existing shakes may open. The most serious degrade is that associated with wetwood. Sapstains and sticker stains are also common if drying conditions are not controlled Ease of Drying Requires special attention Fairly Easy Low temps recommended to minimize degrade Dries rapidly with minimal degrade under controlled conditions Shrinkage values are similar to those of other Ashes Tree Size Tree height is 10-20 m Tree height is 20-30 m Tree height is 30-40 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm The tree develops a long, straight boles and often narrow, dense crown. Mature heights reach 80 feet (24 m), with trunk diameters of about 24 inches (60 cm), but trees growing at high elevations tend to be dwarfed, with ill-formed trunks. An old Northwestern superstition claims that poisonous snakes are never found in the proximity of Ash trees, and rattlesnakes will not crawl over a branch or stick of the tree Blunting Effect High to severe Medium effect Boring Fairly difficult to very difficult Very little variation in size of hole Surfaces of bored holes are smooth Carving Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Cutting Resistance Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Easy to saw Gluing Use special attention for best results Gluing done under moderately controlled conditions is reported to produce very good results. Lighter colored adhesives are recommended to prevent visible glue lines in the whitish sapwood Mortising Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Moulding Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Shapes with little difficulty The timber is reported to shape with little difficulty, and is comparable to Bigleaf maple Nailing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Holds nails well Good nailing qualities Nailing qualities are good, and splitting is less frequent than in other more dense hardwoods, such as Oak. Holding properties are rated as good Planing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Poor to Very Poor Results Special attention suggested for best results Easy to plane The timber responds very well to machining and planes without any difficulty. Planing qualities are slightly below those of the Oaks (Quercus). A hook angle of 25 degrees has been suggested as the angle for best planing results Resistance to Impregnation Permeable sapwood Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Heartwood responds readily to preservative treatment Response to Hand Tools Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Responds Poorly Routing & Recessing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Sanding Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Good sanding qualities Sanding qualities are rated as good, and sanded surfaces are seldom fuzzy although there may be some scratching in the latewood region of flat sawn boards Screwing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult The wood has screwing properties that are comparable, if not superior to other more dense hardwoods Turning Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Turns well Veneering Qualities Some logs can be sliced into decorative veneers for paneling and furniture Staining Transparent dyes and clear finishes are reported to enhance the natural luster of the wood, after the earlywood vessels are filled. Darker colored stains may darken the lighter colored and permeable earlywood without staining the latewood. Surface scratching in the dense latewood is occasionally a problem Strength Properties Hardness (side grain) = medium Bending strength (MOR) = medium One of the most valuable of the West Coast hardwoods, Oregon ash has moderate properties in hardness and weight, and is considered intermediate in bending strength and stiffness. It has high impact strength, and the combination of hardness and good impact strength makes it very suitable for furniture, paneling, or flooring. Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 12446 psi Crushing Strength 1509 psi Hardness 1137 lbs Impact Strength 32 inches Shearing Strength 1754 psi Stiffness 1333 1000 psi Specific Gravity 0.46 Weight 45 36 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 8 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 875 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 106 kg/cm2 Hardness 515 kg Impact Strength 81 cm Shearing Strength 123 kg/cm2 Stiffness 93 1000 kg/cm2 Specific Gravity 0.46 Weight 721 576 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % References Constantine, Jr. A.J. 1975. Know your Woods - A Complete Guide to Trees, Woods, and Veneers. Revised Edition, Revised by Harry J. Hobbs. Charles Scribner and Sons, New York. Kaiser, J. 1987. Wood of the Month: Ash - A Big Leaguer's Choice. Wood & Wood Products, September 1987. Page 40. Little, E.L. 1980. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Western Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York. Niemiec, S.S., G.A. Ahrens, S. Willits, and D.E. Hibbs. March, 1995. Hardwoods of the Pacific Northwest. Oregon State University, College of Forestry, Research Contribution 8, Forest Research Laboratory, Department of Forest Products, Corvallis, Oregon. Panshin, A.J. and C. de Zeuuw. 1980. Textbook of Wood Technology: Structure, Identification, Properties, and Uses of the Commercial Woods of the United States and Canada, Fourth Edition. McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York.