Author Topic: Green Ash?  (Read 2888 times)

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Offline turtle

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Green Ash?
« on: May 13, 2013, 11:16:58 am »
Im going to cut some bow wood soon and was wondering if you all think green ash is worth fooling with. I have one picked out thats around 12" diameter that i can get at least 3 if not 4 clean straight 6' logs from and can back my truck right up to it. I have seen a few bows posted on here made with it but just want to know what you all think about it. Thanks
Steve Bennett

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Green Ash?
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2013, 01:46:10 pm »
No experinece with it passed literature.  I have read a few times over that white ash is about the only one good for bows. I think the basket weavers like green and black.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline Slackbunny

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Re: Green Ash?
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2013, 01:54:26 pm »
Sounds like a big tree and a lot of work for a species that may not be much good for bows. That tree probably isn't going anywhere, maybe you could find a smaller specimen of that species to try out before you put all the work into processing the big one.


Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Green Ash?
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2013, 02:39:05 pm »
I have had a mixed bag of results with Fraxinus pennsylvanicus, green ash.

If you are thinking that the bow is very light weight and the wood isn't very dense, chuck it before spending another moment with it, it will be a crippled slug.  If the stave seems to have a lot of mass for what wood you have, maybe you will have better luck.  I have found that the usual rule of thumb regarding heavier mass within the species makes better bows to be very true with green ash. 
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline turtle

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Re: Green Ash?
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2013, 08:23:08 pm »
Thanks for the replys. Think i will just pass on it. Too bad its not very good bow wood cus i have at least six more justas nice as the one i described. Emerald borers got most of my white ash.
Steve Bennett

Offline huisme

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Re: Green Ash?
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2013, 12:36:17 am »
In my limited experience, the only ash you'll be wanting is white ash, and white ash is pretty decent at that. Today I finished a kids bow from some core wood I split off a stave that's drying, and I had to keep in mind that I wasn't aiming over thirty pounds.
50#@26"
Black locust. Black locust everywhere.
Mollegabets all day long.
Might as well make them short, save some wood to keep warm.