Curly Ash

[Chris in Washington]

Thinking about building a curly Ash poor boy mountain rifle.... was wondering how does it work compared to curly Maple.  Is it a harder wood?  Does the curl stand out as well?  What is the general opinion of Ash.
Pictures of finished rifles stocked is Ash would be great. 

Thanks,
Chris

[J Shingler]

My Chambers smoothbore is curly ash.  I liked workiing it. Yes the wood is very dense.  Tools must be kept really sharp. Took aqua fortice really well. You have to deal with the open grain but I like it. Mine base seen several hard falls and other than a scrath or dent is still in one piece. Very strong wood. I will see if I can find a picture for you.

[elk killer]

im building 4 rifles and 4 pistols from curly ash,,
i have found it to be,,some what chippy,,but other than that
its not so bad,,is a challenge for sure,,
i have a huge plank left over,,enough for maybe 3 rifle blanks and a few pistols

[P.Bigham]

 Makes a nice plain Mountain Rifle Stock. But Its a challenge to carve.

[Lucky R A]

   Don't have time to post a photo now, but if you go to my site www.Recreatinghistory.com and scroll down through the for sale section almost to the bottom you can view a carved curly ash stock.  I believe it is labled as an Early Virginia rifle

[Dale Halterman]

Allan Sandy had a beautiful carved curly ash rifle at Dixon's a few years ago. He remarked to me that it was difficult to carve and he hopeed he never had to do another. However, I understand it is more stable than maple, and I bought a piece of plain ash for a half stock hunting rifle I am building. Don't plan to carve it, though.

Should make a nice poor boy, and a practical hunting gun.

Dale H

[billd]

I'm working on my second southern style one now.  I love the look and feel of ash.  I'm not much of a carver but I wouldn't want to carve ash. The one on Lucky R A's sight is beautiful but it's a quarter sawn blank.  Both of mine have been slab sawed. I have a quarter sawn blank I'm saving for something special.  Keep your tools sharp and your kids out of earshot and you'll be fine.

Bill

[Stophel]

I have an ash blank here that has been sitting for years.  Just waiting for the right project.  VERY strong curl in the butt end of the blank.  Cut from near the root.  I will have to be extremely careful when shaping the stock so I don't bust out the curl.

I have practiced carving on ash a little.  It carves nicely, actually, but the porous layers visually interrupt the carving.

[rdillon]

I had one I tried to make a Bean Rifle on.  Was the nicest piece of Curly Ash I have ever seen.  Tight fine consistant, bold curl from top to bottom.  Half way into inletting the Lolly Pop tang I couldn't get it in any more!!!!!!!!!!!!  Just wouldn't cut anymore.  No matter what I used it was like trying to inlet in Concrete!!
I got so mad it got cut up and put in the woodstove   NEVER again for me.  Once was enough!!!!!!  I'll stick to maple!

[billd]

At Lewisburg this past winter there was a beautifully carved ash rifle, by Cabin Creek I believe. Directly across from Ian Pratt's table. The builder told me he would never carve another one. One and done, but it was spectacular!
Bill

[Ryan McNabb]

The problem with curly ash isn't that it's so much harder, it's that there is an alternating "pith" in with the hard rays.  This pith (I don't know what else to call it) is extremely soft and porous.

I built two carved ash rifles for a customer with a wild hair for ash, and both turned out just fine.  The hard rays are as hard as really hard maple.  The soft rays are about like pine.  Good luck with that...

If you're building a plain rifle, you'll be pleased with it.  It's brilliant white wood - stain it very dark or it will look awfully bright and red.

Attached photo of ash rifle.  You can see the soft "pith" lines running perpendicular to the curl.  There's one right on the highlight of the wrist.  They take the stain very darkly.

[Ryan McNabb]

Found a much more instructive picture - same rifle.  Here you can clearly see the soft rays running perpendicular to the curl.  Most of the pores are large enough for you to actually see in the photo, if that tells you anything. 

[flintriflesmith]

Those soft areas are just the spring wood of the annual rings. Walnut has a similar ring porous structure but not as radical a difference between spring and summer wood. Ash is almost as bad as red oak in terms of large pores in spring wood.

Gary

[Jerry V Lape]

Since I got religion I lack the proper language to work on ash anymore.  Never made a rifle of it but did some furniture with it once - and only once! 

[Ryan McNabb]

Those soft areas are just the spring wood of the annual rings. Walnut has a similar ring porous structure but not as radical a difference between spring and summer wood. Ash is almost as bad as red oak in terms of large pores in spring wood.

Gary

Of course - thanks.  Couldn't think of the right term.  I knew "pith" wasn't right, but it's what I thought of when I cut into it.  And red oak is what immediately came to mind.  There's a great photo in one of Roy Underhill's books showing him blowing bubbles in a bucket of water through a stick of red oak.

[alex e.]

Here is ash on my .40,nothing fancy but a neat piece of wood,Sharp tools are a must

[Stophel]

Of course - thanks.  Couldn't think of the right term.  I knew "pith" wasn't right, but it's what I thought of when I cut into it.  And red oak is what immediately came to mind.  There's a great photo in one of Roy Underhill's books showing him blowing bubbles in a bucket of water through a stick of red oak.

I've done the same thing with yellow poplar...

[Dan'l 1946]

The problem with curly ash isn't that it's so much harder, it's that there is an alternating "pith" in with the hard rays.  This pith (I don't know what else to call it) is extremely soft and porous.

I built two carved ash rifles for a customer with a wild hair for ash, and both turned out just fine.  The hard rays are as hard as really hard maple.  The soft rays are about like pine.  Good luck with that...

If you're building a plain rifle, you'll be pleased with it.  It's brilliant white wood - stain it very dark or it will look awfully bright and red.

Attached photo of ash rifle.  You can see the soft "pith" lines running perpendicular to the curl.  There's one right on the highlight of the wrist.  They take the stain very darkly.

The end result sure seems to be worth all the trouble! What sort of filler is used to close the pores?
                                                Dan

[Chris in Washington]

Thanks for all the input... those are some really good looking guns, I like the looks of the grain patterns.  For a really plain simple gun it sounds like it'll be just what I'm looking for.... something different. 

OK, for the next question.... where did you get you stock blank and what grade?  Dunlap has it listed for $125-Grade 3 or grade 4 @150+

Chris

[David Rase]

I have bought 2 premium pieces of curly ash from Freddie Harrison.  Think I paid $125 and $175.
DMR

[WadePatton]

I just ordered a piece from Pat and Freddie. It's for my 40. 

Didn't realize it was such a love/hate wood.  Saw a couple completed guns in it at Tippy's last time and decided to getsome!  Good thing I don't has to carve it.

what of "filling the grain"?

MORE ASH PICS!!!

[chris laubach]

Thinking about building a curly Ash poor boy mountain rifle.... was wondering how does it work compared to curly Maple.  Is it a harder wood?  Does the curl stand out as well?  What is the general opinion of Ash.
Pictures of finished rifles stocked is Ash would be great.  

Thanks,
Chris

Here is one I did in curly Ash;






http://contemporarymakers.blogspot.com/2012/03/virginia-rifle-by-chris-laubach.html?m=1


Not sure I would do as much carving again on a ash stock.

C.Laubach

[WaterFowl]

36 CAL..   from Tip's shop...

[Pat_Cameron]

That is a pretty sharp looking gun.
It appears as if the ash can really pop with the right stain application.
Nice stuff indeed.

PJC

[D. Bowman]

Here is one more curly ash. Keep yer tools sharp !