Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: GB on August 17, 2014, 10:50:51 pm

Title: Can anyone tell if this is white ash?
Post by: GB on August 17, 2014, 10:50:51 pm

Driving through town today and saw that someone had just taken a tree down and had a bunch of it piled next to the curb for the city to haul away.  I loaded as much as I could get into my truck (bow wood hopefully, o/w firewood).  There were two big chunks 4 feet long by 10" diameter and a 7 foot long branch 4" diameter.  Pretty knotty looking, though.   Checked one of the tree ID sites ( I'm mainly a board bow guy, no trees of my own to cut) and I'm pretty sure it's ash, just not sure if it's white ash, which I've heard can be good bow wood.  I live in Northeast Wisconsin if that helps.  ???   Thanks!

(http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo207/okdoak/ashtree1_zps21ec2936.png)

(http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo207/okdoak/ashtree_zpsaf22a21f.png)

Title: Re: Can anyone tell if this is white ash?
Post by: PatM on August 18, 2014, 01:24:52 am

Green Ash seems to be the more frequently planted variety in urban landscaping. It's definitely Ash though and there really isn't any noticeable difference in wood properties.

Title: Re: Can anyone tell if this is white ash?
Post by: GB on August 18, 2014, 03:09:22 am

Thanks Pat!

Title: Re: Can anyone tell if this is white ash?
Post by: TacticalFate on August 18, 2014, 03:17:57 am

turn the leaf over, if the underside is lighter than the top, its white ash. if its the same color, its green ash. Source: my time as a street tree mortality intern.

Title: Re: Can anyone tell if this is white ash?
Post by: GB on August 18, 2014, 05:05:23 am

Yes, the underside of the leaf is much lighter than the top.  Thank you for that information TacticalFate.  Guess I'll be splitting it up to see how the billets look.
Thanks again!

Title: Re: Can anyone tell if this is white ash?
Post by: nakedfeet on August 18, 2014, 10:20:19 am

Not entirely sure. I'm most familiar with white and black where I live. If you're in a wet/swampy area, it's black -- anything else, white is a safe bet. I live in northern Michigan. It is definitely ash though. Hopefully the ash borers haven't totally had their way with it!

Title: Re: Can anyone tell if this is white ash?
Post by: jasonoflivingston on August 18, 2014, 12:03:34 pm

From the look of the leaf that is turned to expose the underside a little, I would say that it is green ash. 

Title: Re: Can anyone tell if this is white ash?
Post by: PatM on August 18, 2014, 05:57:56 pm

You can read about how Dutch Elm disease inadvertently also caused a more rapid spread of Emerald Ash borers through the use of Green Ash to replace the wiped out urban Elm population.
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraxinus_pennsylvanica

Title: Re: Can anyone tell if this is white ash?
Post by: GB on August 19, 2014, 03:31:17 am

Thanks for the link to the article, Pat.  That is very sad.  I grew up in Milwaukee and remember how devastating Dutch Elm disease was as a kid way back in the 1960's.  My Grandparents' street was lined with huge elms that were all eventually cut down.  These trees were so big that they would shade the whole street.  Sad to see it happening to the ash trees now from those damned EABs.  Anyway, I'm going to split the billets and see how the wood looks this weekend.  Thanks again to everybody for all the information.

Title: Re: Can anyone tell if this is white ash?
Post by: chamookman on August 19, 2014, 05:33:45 am

Here in Mid-Michigan, it's sad to see all the Standing dead Ash due to the borers. Devastating for sure ! Bob