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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 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 Drying Rate Kiln Schedules Luster Mortising Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Painting Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Varnishing Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Fraxinus pennsylvanica Trade Name Green ash Family Name Oleaceae Common Names American ash, Ash, Blue ash, Darlington ash, Fresno, Green ash, Pumpkin ash, Red ash, Swamp ash, Water ash, Water ash profunda, White ash Regions of Distribution North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Canada, United States Common Uses Agricultural implements, Baseball bats, Baskets, Bedroom suites, Beehives, Bent Parts, Boat building (general), Boat building: framing, Boxes and crates, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Chairs, Cooperages, Decorative plywood, Decorative veneer, Dining-room furniture, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Food containers, Fuelwood, Furniture , Furniture, Handles, Handles: general, Hockey sticks, Interior construction, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Oars, Office furniture, Paddles, Paneling , Plywood, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Railroad cars, Railroad ties, Shafts/Handles, Skis, Sporting Goods, Tables, Tool handles, Toys, Utility furniture, Vehicle parts, Veneer, Wainscotting Environmental Profile Widespread May be rare in some parts of its range Globally secure Data source is Nature Conservancy Abundant Distribution Overview Green ash is the most widely distributed of all the American ashes. Its range extends from Cape Breton Island and Nova Scotia to southeastern Alberta and Montana, and southward to central Texas and northern Florida Heartwood Color Brown Yellow Orange Brown Greenish to greyish Yellowish brown Yellow to golden-yellow to orange Light brown Dark brown Very similar to white ash Sapwood Color White Yellow White to yellow Well defined Paler than heartwood Grain Straight Figure Even Growth rings (figure) Straight Clear growth rings (figure) Texture Medium Coarse Luster Somewhat lustrous Lustrous Natural Durability Non-durable Susceptible to insect attack Non-resistant to powder post beetles Perishable Non-resistant to marine borers Moderately durable Susceptible to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles Non durable Heartwood resistance to attack by decay fungi and other wood destroying organisms is very low or negligible. Odor No specific smell or taste Kiln Schedules T8 - B4 (4/4); T5 - B3 (8/4) US Drying (speed) is fast Drying Defects Checking Distortion Existing shakes may open up End splitting Distortion (twist/warp) is likely Slow drying of timber produced from trees from wet sites may cause gray-brown sapwood stains (sticker marks, stains), and surface checks (in 6/4 and thicker stock) Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Easy Dries rapidly with little degrade Kiln Drying Rate Rapid Drying rate is fairly rapid to fast Tree Size Bole length is 10-20 m Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Bole length is 20-30 m Tree height is 10-20 m Tree height is 20-30 m Tree height is 30-40 m Product Sources Green ash has very similar properties to White ash, and lumber and veneer produced from the two species are often mixed together and maketed without distinction. Blunting Effect Cuting edges are dulled moderately Boring Fairly easy to very easy Very good results Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Gluing Fair gluing properties Easy to glue Mortising Responds readily to mortising Movement in Service Stable Small The timber is dimensionally stable after seasoning, with only small movement in use Nailing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Pre-boring recommended Holds nails well Planing Difficult to plane Resistance to Impregnation Permeable sapwood Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Good response to preservative treatment Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Easy to machine Good response to hand tools Sanding Sanding is fairly difficult Screwing Screwing yields good results Possible if prebored Turning Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Difficult to turn Veneering Qualities There is slight to moderate drying degrade and the potential for buckles and splits Moderately easy to veneer Steam Bending Very good Satisfactory Painting Satisfactory results Polishing Very good Staining Stains well Varnishing Good results Strength Properties Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = medium Max. crushing strength = medium Bending strength (MOR) = medium Hardness (side grain) = soft Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft. Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low Toughness-Hammer drop (Impact Strength) = medium Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = low Toughness-Hammer drop (Impact Strength) = low Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate Shrinkage, Radial = moderate Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = very low Max. crushing strength = low Max. crushing strength (stiffness) = very low Density (dry weight) = 53-60 lbs/cu. ft Density (dry weight) = 31-37 lbs/cu. ft. Bending strength (MOR) = low Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 8117 12643 psi Crushing Strength 622 1196 psi Density 41 lbs/ft3 Hardness 995 lbs Impact Strength 36 34 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 3438 5928 psi Shearing Strength 1931 psi Static Bending 2156 3822 psi Stiffness 1225 1407 1000 psi Work to Maximum Load 10 11 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.46 0.5 Weight 39 37 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 6 % Volumetric Shrinkage 11 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 570 888 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 43 84 kg/cm2 Density 657 kg/m3 Hardness 451 kg Impact Strength 91 86 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 241 416 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 135 kg/cm2 Static Bending 151 268 kg/cm2 Stiffness 86 98 1000 kg/cm2 Work to Maximum Load 0.70 0.77 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.46 0.5 Weight 624 592 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 6 % References Banks, C.H., Schoeman, J.P., Otto, K.P.,1977,The Mechanical Properties of Timbers with particular reference to South,Africa,South African Forestry Research Institute Bulletin,(Ed.,Schoeman, J.P. 1973 & Otto K.P. 1976,No.48 Betts, H.S.,1945,American Woods - Ash,USDA, Forest Service American Woods 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. Brown, H.P. and Panshin, A.J.,1940,Commercial Timbers of the United States Their structure, identification,,properties and uses,McGraw-Hill, London Brown, W.H.,1978,Timbers of the World: - No.7 North America,TRADA California Department of Forestry. Comparative Physical & Mechanical Properties of Western & Eastern Hardwoods. Prepared by Forest Products Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California. n/d. Clifford, N.,1957,Timber Identification for the Builder and Architect,Leonard Hill (Books) LTD. London 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 I.U.F.R.O.,1973,Veneer Species of the World,Assembled at F.P.L. Madison on behalf of I.U.F.R.O. Working Party on,Slicing and Veneer Cutting Kaiser, Jo-ann. Wood of the Month. Ash - A Big Leaguer's Choice. Wood and Wood Products, September, 1987. Page 40. Kaiser, Jo-Ann. Wood of the Month. Wood & Wood Products, July 1986 to September 1993. Kloot, N.H., Bolza, E.,1961,Properties of Timbers Imported into Australia,C.S.I.R.O. Forest Products Division Technological Paper,No.12 Little, E.L. 1980. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York. Markwardt, L.J., Wilson, T.R.C.,1935,Strength and related properties of woods grown in the United States,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture Technical Bulletin,No.479 Panshin, A.J. and C. deZeeuw. Textbook of Wood Technology. McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York. U.S.D.A. Forest Service,1974,Wood Handbook,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Handbook,72 USDA. 1987. Wood Handbook:Wood as an Engineering Material. Agriculture Handbook No. 72. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Madison, Wisconsin. USDA. 1988. Dry Kiln Operators Manual, Preliminary Copy. Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.