ash, the borer, and backings

[upstatenybowyer]

I can't speak for any other part of the country, but here in upstate NY the ash trees are on their way out. 

Anyhoo, I've got lots. Been cuttin um down and splittin um up, and I've noticed the wood appears to be unaffected. Do you think I could use it to make backings? 

[bjrogg]

I think if it's still nice and white jeff. I did make a bow from one that had bore holes in it. I chased a ring below the bore holes. It was still nice white solid wood. Sure sad seeing it all dead now. I'd Harvest as much of it as you can. For any use you can. Before it's to scary to fell with a saw.
Bjrogg
I sawed some for lumber this winter that I put on my man cave walls. Still solid enough I couldn't pound a nail in it. Had to drill every hole. It turned out beautiful. Need to get a picture hosting app again so I can post a bunch of pictures.

[Pat B]

I'm not that familiar with ash. We don't have a lot of it or elm here where I live. I did get some from a commercial tree farmer that had to cut down all his ash trees because of a problem they had. The insect would make runners under the bark making trail markings on the wood underneath. Whether that was ash bore or not I don't know but it did not affect the integrity of the wood by the time I got it. He had to destroy his trees to prevent the spread of the problem.

[upstatenybowyer]

Now that you mention it BJ, I remember that bow. That's encouraging for sure. I will definitely salvage as much usable lumber as I can. Sure is a shame seeing all those dead trees. I wonder what the long term affect on the Morels will be.

That sure sounds like what's going on here Pat. Glad to here the integrity of the wood appeared okay when you got it.

[bjrogg]

Jeff I wouldn't use the stuff I put on my walls for backing, but the stuff that is just starting to die I'd give it a try. It seems to take about three years for them to totally die. By then the cambium is completely gone. The one I made the selfbow from still had cambium left but bore in cambium and trails in cambium and first couple of rings. White Ash was the dominant wood around here. Many wood lots probably 90% ash. Those really got wiped out fast. Here they are falling in every direction the wind blows. The roots are decaying to point they just snap off. Bad enough the ash die but they fall over on other trees nocking them over. Or leave trees standing by themselves that can't stand in the wind. I guess it's maybe natures way of taking out the dominant species. I'm sure in twenty years it'll all look like nothing happened. Right now though it's heartbreaking.
Bjrogg

[upstatenybowyer]

I remember that bow now. Snow White! How's she holding up?

[bjrogg]

I remember that bow now. Snow White! How's she holding up?

Just fine.
Bjrogg