Handling & safety. Has been reported to cause skin irritation and a decrease in lung function.
Properties
| Latin name | Fraxinus americana |
|---|---|
| Species type | Hardwood |
| Origin | Eastern North America |
| Density | 675 kg/m³ |
| Janka hardness | 5,870 N |
| Modulus of rupture | 103.5 MPa |
| Elastic modulus | 12 GPa |
| Crushing strength | 51.1 MPa |
| Specific gravity | 0.67 |
| Porosity | Ring-porous |
| Tangential shrinkage | 7.8% |
| Radial shrinkage | 4.9% |
| Volumetric shrinkage | 13.3% |
| T/R ratio | 1.6 |
| Durability (EN 350) | Class 5 |
Density and mechanical properties are typical values at around 12% moisture content. Shrinkage figures represent total dimensional change from fibre saturation to oven dry. Individual boards vary.
Description
In the workshop ash is generally cooperative: it machines well, steam-bends well, and glues and finishes reliably. That combination is why it’s been a traditional choice for tool handles, sports equipment and hard-wearing furniture parts where you want strength with a bit of spring.
Natural durability is low, so white ash belongs indoors or fully protected. Think of it as a performance hardwood for impact and bending, not an exterior timber—brilliant when used in the environment it suits.
Anatomy
- Porosity: Ring-Porous
- Vessel Arrangement: Large earlywood pores 2-4 rows wide, small latewood pores solitary and radial multiples.
- Vessel Description: Large earlywood pores; tyloses common.
- Parenchyma: Banded (marginal), paratracheal parenchyma around latewood pores vasicentric, winged and confluent.
- Rays: Narrow, normal spacing.
Durability
- Durability Class: Class 5 — Perishable
Heartwood is rated as perishable, or only slightly durable in regard to decay. Not resistant to insect attack.
Odor
Can have a distinct, moderately unpleasant smell when being worked.
Uses & Availability
Common Uses
Flooring, millwork, boxes/crates, baseball bats, and other turned objects such as tool handles.
Pricing & Availability
Among the least expensive utility hardwoods available domestically; compares similarly to oak in terms of price.
Conservation
- CITES Status: Unlisted
- IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Lookalikes & Substitutes
When stained, ash can look very similar to oak (Quercus spp.), although oaks have much wider rays visible on all surfaces. Ashes lack these conspicuous rays.
Working the timber
Produces good results with hand or machine tools. Responds well to steam bending. Glues, stains, and finishes well.
Finishing & gluing
White ash has a very open ring-porous grain, so clear coats tend to sink unless you build lots of film or use grain filler—decide whether you want ‘textured’ pores or a dead-flat sheen. It takes stain readily and usually evenly, but the large earlywood pores can go much darker and exaggerate grain lines; that’s great for a bold look, less so for subtle colouring. Because ash isn’t durable, exterior clear finishes fail quickly—keep it indoors or fully protected.
Ash glues reliably with PVAs and UF, but the porous structure can wick glue away on end grain—sizing end grain first helps, but an end-grain glue joint is still weak, so use a joint with long-grain contact or a mechanical fixing where strength matters. If you steam-bend ash, let parts fully acclimatise before glue-up to avoid joint creep as moisture equalises. For high-stress joints (chair rails, handles), UF or epoxy offers better creep resistance than standard PVA.