Trade Names:  White Ash

Origin: Europe,North America

Range:  Throughout Europe and parts of eastern United States at altitudes up to approx. 1300 m above sea level. The best growing areas for the veneer industry are found especially in France and to some extent in Germany.

Uses:  Good veneer wood for furniture and interior decorating. Burls are epecially in high demand. Also used as wood for sports equipment (parallel bars, etc., due to its high bending strength), gun stocks, tool handles and grips.

Properties:  It is hard to differentiate between sapwood and heartwood. In aging, however, there is pronounced darkening of the heartwood with varying diameters down the lengths of the logs. Dark patches can occur as well as frequent figuring. In American Ash, a glass-worm is often demarcating the wood.

Machining:  Ash can be easily machined with all tools. The planed edges of fast grown coarse wood tend to break away. The surfaces are very smooth.

Seasoning:  The wood is to be dried at a moderate temperature and not too quickly. There is only a slight tendency to warp. Surface checking is extremely rare.