Ash handles, what type of ash?

fast14riot

fast14riot

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Oct 27, 2010
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I've been wanting to make a few hafts, I know ash is a good candidate and in my city there is an abundance of Modesto Ash trees (Fraxinus Velutina) that are 50-60 years old and starting to lose large limbs or just fall over. So I have an easy supply of it, but is this moderate to fast growing tree suitable for axe handles? With the big winter storms on the way I would like to get a few large rounds to split and dry so I can try them this spring.

I know there are a couple arborists on here that are avid axe users, so hoping one of them will see this.


-Xander
 
I don't think you would want a chunk of wood out of a wind shook tree, the grain could be loosened up and not tight grained. young new growth timber is tougher then old growth wood which has more brashness and will snap off easier the new younger trees.

don;t really want any sap wood off the outer edge of the tree or and darker heart wood from the center of the tree.

what you have should work pretty good. split out a stave and let it season a little while then shave a handle out of it.
 
I think limbs as small as 5" in diameter can make a decent handle and I've heard of successful handles made of even smaller wood. When you're talking about limbs it's pretty much all sap wood. Nothing wrong with that. Sap wood and heartwood are almost equally strong. Sometimes the transition between the two can give way.

Ash is the preferred handle material in Europe where they lack a native source of hickory.

Omni's suggestion of splitting a stave off the trunk is probably best. If you decide to season it before finishing it then it's best to coat the ends during the drying process to reduce checking/cracking. If you choose to hang on unseasoned wood then leave the wedge proud so you can set it deeper once the wood dries.

And look for advice from forum member G-Pig. He's been by far the most active maker of handles on the forum.
 
White ash is what he usually use here. Honestly dont know about brown ash or other species. Ash has enough strength to spare for handles. I use Maple all the time and thats not quite as strong.

Usually anything that can be split in half and still have enough material to carve a handle from allows for good orientation of grain and whatnot is good stuff. less leeway in working slight curves out so you might need to find something shaped nice already.
 
I have plenty of access to trunk rounds as well as limbs up to 12-14" diameter. Is orienting the grain on Ash as important as with Hickory? All structural data suggests not much difference in grain orientation. Either way, aesthetically I like it to run parallel to th cheeks. I have a 1.5# head, a 2.25# head and a 4# head all in need of hafts. I would like to try and use ash on all of them if I could.

Will report back once I come across some wood.


-Xander
 
Wood from limbs can be more likely to warp due to internal tension/compression while growing. If a piece warps, maybe you could use it to your advantage.
 
Generally straight grain (parralel to direction of force) is neccesary for through running grain in curved handles. Grain run out is probably the biggest cause of weak spots. These sort of act together, so just take some time to analyze the pieces you get. Ash also tends to delaminate, so parralel grain could help prevent that. Very layered wood with pronounced growth rings. Doesnt finsh that great according to wood turner across the street. I find it takes a dandy finish for handles though.
 
You have gotten good advice here. And Steve Tall made a excellent point about wood growing in tension and compression. Wood like that can appear stable until you start removeing some of it from one side or the other.
Generaly the denser wood is the stronger. It is rated by specific gravity. Which is just comparing its density to water. Here is a link to wood and its specific gravity. Any thing under 1.0 will float.
It is just a guide and will very from tree to tree. I think your Ash may be listed here. www.bellforestproducts.com/info/specific-gravity
Have fun!
 
Thanx for all the info. Most ash falls in the .50-.60 sp. gravity range. Fraxinus Veluntina is also known as Velvet ash, Modesto ash and a couple others. It grows mostly in warmer climates unlike F. Americana which grows almost everywhere. It was planted by city planners here during the post war housing boom. I have cut down one at my parents house and there is another in the front yard.

A dozen or so fall down every year now during the winter storms, with trunk diameter roughy 30-40 inches. Should be able to get a couple hafts out of one round and possibly a couple Louisville Sluggers too! If I can get either a round or just some good size billets I will split it down to rough size, coat the ends and put them in my wood cabinet to dry. I could use a new anvil stand as well.


On another note, I have a friend with a mature pecan tree that fell on his property a couple years ago, I could buck a few rounds out of it, too. I'm pulling a couple white oak slats off some pallets at work tonight to use for wedges, so once I get a draw knife and spoke shave from the flea market I should be able to start on a hatchet handle, at least.


-Xander
 
White ash is what I have on my property and it is very dense and seems like it would work well for a handle. Also have some mountain ash which doesn't seem as good for handles, but I am not 100% on that.
 
fast14riot said:
Thanx for all the info. Most ash falls in the .50-.60 sp. gravity range. Fraxinus Veluntina is also known as Velvet ash, Modesto ash and a couple others. It grows mostly in warmer climates unlike F. Americana which grows almost everywhere. It was planted by city planners here during the post war housing boom. I have cut down one at my parents house and there is another in the front yard.

A dozen or so fall down every year now during the winter storms, with trunk diameter roughy 30-40 inches. Should be able to get a couple hafts out of one round and possibly a couple Louisville Sluggers too! If I can get either a round or just some good size billets I will split it down to rough size, coat the ends and put them in my wood cabinet to dry. I could use a new anvil stand as well.


On another note, I have a friend with a mature pecan tree that fell on his property a couple years ago, I could buck a few rounds out of it, too. I'm pulling a couple white oak slats off some pallets at work tonight to use for wedges, so once I get a draw knife and spoke shave from the flea market I should be able to start on a hatchet handle, at least.


-Xander
Click to expand...

Just so you know. Oak is a sponge. You can stick a board in fluid and it will wick its way to the top. Lots of open pores.
 
Yeah, I've replaced lots of water damaged oak cabinets over the years as a contractor. Water leak under the sink and the box is wet all the way up to the counter top! The white oak is just for wedges, not gonna make a haft out of it.

I guess I better put a real keen edge on my no-name Mexican 3.5#er to buck a few logs out of the pecan tree, its some real tough stuff! Hopefully I can find some dead limbs with spalting for knife scales, too.


-Xander
 
White oak is supposed to make a dandy haft. Red oak works good, I have a few, one in particular, that I use regularly. 3 1/2 pound double bit has seen several cords of hardwood to split this fall and its been great. The stuff ive worked on is very flexible and absorbs shock well.
 
fast14riot said:
Yeah, I've replaced lots of water damaged oak cabinets over the years as a contractor. Water leak under the sink and the box is wet all the way up to the counter top! The white oak is just for wedges, not gonna make a haft out of it.

I guess I better put a real keen edge on my no-name Mexican 3.5#er to buck a few logs out of the pecan tree, its some real tough stuff! Hopefully I can find some dead limbs with spalting for knife scales, too.


-Xander
Click to expand...

That Pecan, I like a little better than Hickory for BBQ :D. I would find a use for the whole tree.
 
Ash is dying off thanks to the Emerald ash borer ,in places like MI,PA, NY.hickory is hard to saw hammer into etc !!!.
 
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