Ash logs

[SimonUK]

A question about ash logs. In my experience small diameter ash logs have wide growth rings which is good. I also find the wood strong and sort of creamy - very easy to work with. But they also have a lot of knots/nodes that make it impossible to get a clean stave. Large logs have narrow rings, which I guess makes them a bit weaker, but they are nice and straight without knots.

Does anyone know the ideal diameter log for bow making? I remember Jaro saying that the wood is of better quality deeper in the log... but how deep?

Simon

[markinengland]

I can't say much about large diameter ash logs but I have found a very wide variation between trees in different locations of the same size. I think the conditions the tree gorws in, the health of the tree etc make a huge difference. The annoying thing is that you can't tell until the tree is cut.
Mark

[sagitarius boemoru]

Thickness of the growthrings is not as good pointer as real wood density. If you dry it and float small sample you ll get your answers.
I have two staves now one is SG past 0.8 another is certainly 0.9. Neither of one has very thick rings.
This can be evntually used for making heavy and narrow bows.

Jaro

[SimonUK]

Thanks guys. Yes I agree growing conditions make a big difference - the ones in the forrest have long branchless trunks that seem to go on forever.

Jaro, would you say growth ring width is something of a pointer? And how far from the centre of the log is the best wood?

[sagitarius boemoru]

I think for these bows larger logs from biger tree is better, but not too big either. I think when ash starts to have this "wrinkled" bark its good.
But as I said I dont think thickness of the rings is much of the pointer. If you take the piece of wood in hand you ll know it. It has to be heavy, dense and somehow fat. Lighter ash has tendency to be somehow maplish - brittle. The one for heavy bows have to be vaxy. Even with good stave we chase ring down to thicker rings - but it needs to have these specific qualities.
Its usually about one third of the thickness of the stave once you hit proper material. This is again probably because the wood is somehow waxy there.



Jaro

[Marc St Louis]

Simon
The Ash we have here is not the same as what you have but from my experience the best wood I have cut is from a 12" tree. This would be about a middle aged tree

[SimonUK]

Good advice, thanks. My last log had smooth bark and was about 10 inches diameter. I had to go about 3/4 inches into the log to get past the brittle layer. It was also mottled near the surface, especially around insect holes. Tricky stuff ash, but not half as bad as yew...