Ash log project

[devonwoody]

A couple of years ago a neighbour let me have some of their ash logs and I stored them in my workshop.

They came from these trees which have since regrown, (they were coppiced)

Marcross lent me his moisture meter over the winter and back in November 12
they were around 15%. So I cut one of the logs on the bandsaw (not vey well, I did not get straight even cuts, I could not control the log going past the blade)
Yesterday I took the thinnest slab and because I could not get a straight edge over the length I cut it to short lengths which I thought I might be able to make usable.

I put the shortest length to the planer and I did not like the operation, the wood surface was to uneven, so I had to make a surface suitable with the jack plane first.

after using the jack plane to get the planer going nicely everything then started to go smoothly, put through the thicknessor as well and got these pieces.

Managed the four pieces and was left with small waste pieces from the first slice.

I stacked them for the time being and might bring in doors for a week or two. guess I what I am going to use them for?

 

[dm65]

Is this the beginning of a small picket fence ?

 

[devonwoody]

Is this the beginning of a small picket fence ?

Possibly with those waste pieces. :wink: :wink:

 

[cedarwood]

hmm what to do with them, well lets put them on the fire to keep us warm for an hour or better still make a very useful little trinket box then when that fails put it on the fire to keep warm :lol: :lol: :lol: now i'm off (hammer)

 

[devonwoody]

Got the bug, pulled out another slab of that ash from the same log.

so I have got four usable pieces for another box which I will give to the neighbour who let me have the logs.

If others here have had experience of using such young and fresh timber, can I expect break up problems. Should I put splines at mitre edges to tack them up perhaps?

btw. those ash trees are a problem, wish they would get die back disease, I have pulled out another 50 saplings at least growing in our garden again this year already. Its only the last three years out of the past 40 that we have had this sort of problem.

 

[Dangermouse]

Its a real shame to just throw those saplings away, why not pot them up and then plant them around your area. We need all the trees we can get !!!

 

[devonwoody]

Its a real shame to just throw those saplings away, why not pot them up and then plant them around your area. We need all the trees we can get !!!

They should be Okay, they went in our black bin and were taken away yesterday, so they will get planted at some landfill site with gorgeous fertilizers. (hammer) (hammer) (hammer)

 

[devonwoody]

Had another session with a piece of ash that was too badly cut by me on the bandsaw to safely use on my planer. It was not flat enough to lay on the bed and also too short to safely control going over planer blades. Also too much labour for me to work with a hand plane.

So I strapped it to a straight length of thick contiboard with masking tape and packed out the gaps between board and ash. I thought this might be of use to others.

Then put it to the bandsaw and got a reasonable flat face cut that could go straight through the thicknesser avoiding the planer. (because the length is too short)

finished up with a usable piece towards a box.

 

[riclepp]

Hi DW

I just love your wip's for your boxes. I think keys in mitre joints look attractive as it gives character to them. As we all know mitre joints (basic ones) are a weak joint so a bit of strengthing is sometimes wise. I know tissue boxes don't generally get moved and bashed about, so shouldnt fail. I am in the process of making some boxes out of sycamore and to strengthing the joint I have put some contrasting keys in the mitre joints and I must say it does improve the look of the box joints. (there is a wip someware with a picture of the keyes in the joint, and in no way do I mean to hijack your thread DW).

 

[devonwoody]

Finished off that diamond box yesterday and could not hold back any longer on some of this ash so I picked up these four pieces out of my play room and got to work making a box.

Knocked up this carcass quickly (the timber is around 11mm thick so cut down on the machining) and glued up.

I am quite tight on timber measurements and a paper tissue box only just fits in.

I shall add splines to give it more support because the timber is most probably not really ready for work.

 

[devonwoody]

Constructed the top, used possibly that iroko and an ash stripe.

Made 3mm thick sliders from some ABW waste.

 

[devonwoody]

Finished off the ash box as per picture the top is a composite of iroko ? and ash.

Also some splines added to corners in case the corners decide to spread.

This one is going to the neighbour who let me have that ash from his garden some three years ago, interested to learn how stable the timber remains.