Question about Ash logs for stockwood.

[beagle74]

I just took down an ash tree that is about 18" in diameter.  It was dead, already had some turkey tail fungus growing on it, and the inner wood is discolored to various shades of brown and tan.  It's not rotten, so to speak, but decay has started.  The question is......  it is too far gone for a longrifle stock?  I'd like to hear your thoughts.  Thanks.   Ash is getting pretty hard to come by anymore.

[beagle74]

These logs do seem to be quite solid.

[Eric Kettenburg]

I'm loaded with ash like that, although a lot of it now is even further gone.  It's all firewood as far as I'm concerned.  Caveat, I'm not a fan of ash for stock wood anyway.  But even if it seems hard and solid, it's nevertheless starting to deteriorate and it's getting brittle.  A forester or someone more scientific here can probably give you specifics but some aspect of the makeup of the wood is clearly beginning to break down.  Given how much time and work is invested in stocking out a rifle or musket or even a pistol, I don't see why anyone would want to use sub-par wood.  You can still buy plain maple or cherry or really anything for extremely reasonable pricing and bypass the need to worry about whether the wood is questionable.

I guess it comes down to how much you value your time, because I sure as heck do not want to waste time on a big piece of lousy ash.

 

[rich pierce]

Foresters and road crews around here consider dead ash to be among the most brittle trees that are likely to fall into the road or drop limbs while felling. They are very careful around dead ash.

[Eric Kettenburg]

Foresters and road crews around here consider dead ash to be among the most brittle trees that are likely to fall into the road or drop limbs while felling. They are very careful around dead ash.

Absolutely.  I use a lot for firewood but I definitely will not use wedges with it now - that's asking for a top down on your head. 

Even the stuff that still seems solid is like glass.  It doesn't even burn like a hardwood now either - it burns like pine.

[beagle74]

Just the kind of info I was looking for.  Thank you.  Not worth the time.

[t.caster]

My woods is full of ash trees. Well it was. Over half of them have fallen on their own. I just cut them up for firewood. They also make decent tomahawk handles.

[Daryl]

My first successful bow was made from Ash, but it was made from a perfectly chosen board.
The early growth wood (dark lines) and late growth wood has a very poor, porous and soft bond, unlike Hickory, maple or other hard woods.
This early growth is very soft as well. I would think it to make a very poor stock wood, as the growth rings would be compromised.

[Bigmon]

Beware of falling ASH trees.  Don't know how far gone they have to be to be worthless for stocks.  But I had one fall on my car as I was driving down the highway at about 50-55 MPH.  It was like a bomb going off in my face.  It was on the Sunday that hunting is allowed here in Pa.  My first thoght was a stray bullet.
But it was a 12" or so tree, not a limb, that smashed my car, with me in it.
Fortunatly just some cuts and a few bruises, and now the car is fixed.
But still way too many "traps" along our road ways.

[Eric Kettenburg]

Holy cow!  You are a lucky man.

Some of the trees along major routes have been slowly cleared up here, but still far too many to ever get to all of them.  This area was loaded with ash.

[Daryl]

Yikes.
The black ash locally, have some sort of disease and are all dying. The elms are doing just great, but all need bolted cross bars holding the limbs at a fairly erect angle.

[Bigmon]

I think what saved me was that I was on my way home from a Baptism.  Ya never can tell!!

[sz]

I would NEVER ignore the hand of God!

Glad you were not hurt bad.