Given some ASH what now?

[Tinbasher]

My friend just dropped off two tree trunks 4 ft long by about 10 inches diameter said to be ASH he just cut it down.

I have no idea at all what to do with them!

Tin

 

[Pvt_Ryan]

Give them to me..

 

[Tinbasher]

I might exchange some for a little help doing whatever I need to do with it whatever that is!

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

pipper Ryan I love Ash hehe

If for turning then im not the best to ask but if your planking them? I can help

 

[mike s]

to make bowl blanks cut off a chuck slightly longer than the diameter of the log and split that chunk in half.
if you have a bandsaw big enough you could cut it on that.
then use a saw (again, bandsaw is you have it) to cut it into a round-ish shape
then attach to your faceplate/screw chuck onto the flat side and start turning.

 

[nev]

its one of the few woods thats burns well without seasoning :twisted:

will i be banished now (theres no smilie for shame!)

 

[myturn]

Why d'you think it's called ash? :mrgreen:

 

[Good Surname or what ?]

a greenwood chair?

 

[Silverbirch]

Hi Tin,

Do as Mike suggests, then you have a choice: either
a) seal the end grain by painting with spare household paint or PVA and set aside to season

b) rough turn into bowls leaving plenty of thickness to allow for warping as it dries (wall thickness about 10% of the overall diameter, so about 1" thickness for a 10" diameter bowl) and again leave to season, wrapped in newspaper in a cool dry place. Seasoning time will be shorter this way. It can then be remounted and turned to finished shape and thickness.

Ian

 

[Tinbasher]

Thanks Ian

Clearly I am greener than the Ash!

This was what wanted to know.

Next question then....

Are there some things that if turned from green wood survive better. I watched a guy turn babys rattles from green applewood on telly the other night. I can see how a bowl might split or a platter bend but is between centre / spindle turned stuff as critical?

I have still to put tool to timber in anger but it was nice of Dave to think of me when cuttin down the ash, he does a fair bit of hedging, small tree surgery type stuff so comes across a lot of mostly small timber. I like the idea of using local hedgerow stuff rather than put it immediately on the woodburner (although i expect lots of my stuff will get there eventually) :roll:

Thanks for all the friendly help (and the banter).

Tom

 

[Silverbirch]

Any green wood is likely to warp and/or split depending on variety and harvesting/ storage conditions . this is likely to be more important for, say, a candlestick than a garden dibber.
you could set aside some to season as suggested and use the rest for practicing -you'll find it cuts much more easily than dry wood and you won't have dust to contend with. it peels off in nice, long, satisfying ribbons. You have the benefit of a supply of free wood, so you've nothing to lose by experimenting !

Ian