White Ash Lumber

[Paystar]

Thanks for all the info and advice. I went over this afternoon to skid it out of the bush behind the old chicken coupe.
I brought the Ford thinking I would need the extra muscle to skid it out of the bush over the stumps, but turns out the little Kubota handled it, and picked it up on the forks no problem.
Tomorrow I will load it on my trailer now that I know I can lift it.
They are 16 inch diameter, 8 feet long. and took a couple shorter ones that I can use for shorter lumber around windows, etc. Or whatever I end up doing with it?

I am going to take all your advice and pile it on a flat floor under roof, sticker it and let sit for a year.

 

[nyone]

The difficulty with working with unfinished lumber is planing it smooth to a uniform dimension and then getting square edges on it. Sometimes takes me quite a long time just to get a board to where I can start to make anything useful.

If your going to make anything lasting and usefull then planing and getting things to a uniform dimention isnt that big of a deal, it's just time consuming.

This year I cut all the wall studs and second floor floor joists for a 20x24 cabin. The only special tool i have is a 15in planer i got used.

 

[Rarefish383]

Call Louisville Slugger! Ash isn't great for exterior use.

My wife and I went on a tour of the Slugger factory. I asked the guide how the Emerald Ash Bore was affecting the production of bats? She said really not at all, they only used Ash in about 5% of their bats. I usually have unlimited access of dead standing Oak from several farmers I know. The last 5 years I've cut almost all Ash, 15 cord a year. Last year the last of the trees still standing were starting to rot. I'm back on the Oak now.

I found an old Plumb Boys Axe that was so rusted I was going to throw it in the scrap metal pile. Since I could still read the Plumb logo, I polished it, then browned it, and made a handle for it from a piece of Ash firewood.

 

[yomax4]

Used to burn a dozen cord per year. Ash borer made it easier but too much to cut and stack. I'm moving so a lot of dead ash will likely rot when I leave. The sad art is a bunch od Red Oak got the wilt and they are ready to harvest as well as a fresh 23" Cherry blow down. It's straight as a n arrow for 90' and it will rot as well. Beautiful waste.

 

[Paystar]

On my way home from dropping the logs off at the sawmill, I saw an odd looking bug on the windshield of my truck. I asked my forester friend who was with me and he said "that is an emerald ash borer."
They got into the logs I have, but no real damage. Just some trails under the bark.

Hauled one load of ash (nine 8 footers) and a second of mixed. (15 smaller logs)

 

[DaveNJ]

I have my own small mill and have been using ash for board and batten siding on outbuildings. I use a dark pigmented stain to finish it and have had no problems with exterior use as long as there is no ground contact.

 

[Jstpssng]

The borer is just creeping into Maine from the north and from the south. There are quarantines in effect to try and control the spread plus they are experimenting with parasites. I'm never sure if it's a good thing to bring in something to fight something... it reminds me of the lady who swallowed the horse.

 

[Paystar]

Well, I might not have to worry about using it outside. Seems like the wife already has interior plans, LOL
Good news is it has to dry for a year, so I'm off the hook until next summer, LOL

 

[DaveNJ]

The borer is just creeping into Maine from the north and from the south. There are quarantines in effect to try and control the spread plus they are experimenting with parasites. I'm never sure if it's a good thing to bring in something to fight something... it reminds me of the lady who swallowed the horse.

I first noticed decline in the ash trees here in NJ from the borer about nine years ago. All of them are dead now. Ash trees were about 20% of our 30 acre forest and the decrease in the canopy has really increased growth of invasive species like multiflora rose. Many pin oak and red oak are declining for a number of reasons. Beech trees are showing signs of a disease that should wipe them out too in 5 to 10 years. As a child I was able to see the very last of the Chestnut trees and witnessed the decline and fall of all the Elm trees. All due to invasive organisms imported for one reason or another.

 

[Rarefish383]

My one farmer friend counted 68 Ash on her 100 acres and every one is gone. I had one on my acre lot, it's gone. Most of my Red Oaks are gone too.

People are worried about smart bombs, and such, and they need to be. But, I tell them I'm more afraid of insects, bacteria, virus, that wipe out every thing in their path in a couple years. I remember when the Dutch Elm Disease went through Washington DC. My Dad's company had a contract with the District removing them. At 10-12 years old I went to work with Dad in the summers. My job was to wipe down all of the cutting tools after they had been used on Elm trees. We had cases of gallon jugs of alcohol, all the American Elms are gone anyway.