wood question

[phil harold]

I just chopped down a couple of decent size ash trees (about 24 inches in diameter)

What is the best way to let them season ?

How big should I cut them into sections?

What do I paint the ends with to stop checking?

Can the crotches be used?

Is ash good turning material?

So the bottom line is how can I get a fine piece of ash?

phil

[David Christopher]

I just chopped down a couple of decent size ash trees (about 24 inches in diameter)

What is the best way to let them season ?

How big should I cut them into sections?

What do I paint the ends with to stop checking?

Can the crotches be used?

Is ash good turning material?

So the bottom line is how can I get a fine piece of ash?

phil

parafin wax or anchorseal and let um set

as big as the bowl that you want

parafin wax or anchorseal

yes

yes

yes

[Bill Bolen]

I would seal the ends with anchorseal and leave in log length till you decide if you want a bowl from a piece or an end grain form...Crotch wood is excellent and should give you some great bowls...Bill...

[Bernie Weishapl]

If you don't have any anchorseal go to wal-mart and get some cheap latex paint. I did that on some ash logs a year ago and they still have no cracks. I would cut them about 4 or 5 inches longer than what your bowl blank will be. That way if they do crack a little you can cut the ends off and have good wood. Yes ash is a good turning wood. I have turned a lot of it. Crotches are great to turn and as to your last question. That is up to you.

[alex carey]

You already got good info from the rest, but I must say it seems you didn't know that you have quite a good gloat. Ash is great, 24" is huge, and a whole tree of it awesome.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Phil, good catch, and worthy of a "you suck" gloat.

The ends will check, one log has only 2 ends that will check, cut into 20 pieces and you'll have 40 ends that will check, you know what I mean ??.
If you don't have any anchor seal right now, wrap the ends with a plastic bag right now, yes right now, and get some anchor seal, it is worth to do that.
Ash is a nice turning wood and good furniture building wood also, every crotch and area where limbs are coming from the tree are guaranteed to have curly wood/feather, I've never seen a crotch that didn't have it.
Some of my nicest turnings came from Ash trees, don't loose it all by cutting it into many small pieces.
Here's a couple of pieces to wet your appetite ;-))

[phil harold]

You already got good info from the rest, but I must say it seems you didn't know that you have quite a good gloat. Ash is great, 24" is huge, and a whole tree of it awesome.

By the time they dry, I will hopefully have a lathe...

[Richard Madison]

Phil,
Do not expect the wood to dry in log form. If you do a good job sealing the log ends, the log will still be wet inside a year from now, which is probably what you want. When ready to turn, cut off enough log for one blank (actually two if you cut out the pith), remove the pith, reseal the cut ends, rough out one bowl, maybe reseal the end grain and bag it (or whatever your drying method of choice will be at the time). You are most fortunate to have a log that size. Definitely a worthy gloat.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Phil - great gloat - but would be a whole lot better with photos! With that much wood available - I am guessing you will be looking for a larger lathe! If you haven't turned yet, or are not sure about lathes and what you need, get with your local turning club and start asking questions. You may even have the opportunity to do some turning on different lathes and find out which one suits your purpose.

Best of luck! If you have questions - you came to the right place!

[phil harold]

Phil - great gloat - but would be a whole lot better with photos! With that much wood available - I am guessing you will be looking for a larger lathe! If you haven't turned yet, or are not sure about lathes and what you need, get with your local turning club and start asking questions. You may even have the opportunity to do some turning on different lathes and find out which one suits your purpose.

Best of luck! If you have questions - you came to the right place!

Well right now the picture wood be white snowy today and I still have to get them out of the field

I can get pick up a used sears lathe on a single pipe but, if I sell some other things I could buy a nova or jet

woodturners meeting is next saturday


ps the vortex scares me...

[Steve Schlumpf]

Phil - I started out on a Craftsman Mono-Tube lathe and while it is not the fanciest lathe out there it works well and is something to learn on! I still have mine but have changed it over for use as a sanding station. Keep hoping one of my boys will want to get into turning - then just pass it down to them.

I understand the white fields comment! We have had well over 200" of snow this winter with more in the forecast! This month it officially becomes spring - which means only 2 more months of snow! Yeah!

[charlie knighton]

We have had well over 200" of snow this winter

does that mean spring floods and free wood on the mississippi????

[David Christopher]

Phil - I started out on a Craftsman Mono-Tube lathe and while it is not the fanciest lathe out there it works well and is something to learn on! I still have mine but have changed it over for use as a sanding station. Keep hoping one of my boys will want to get into turning - then just pass it down to them.

I understand the white fields comment! We have had well over 200" of snow this winter with more in the forecast! This month it officially becomes spring - which means only 2 more months of snow! Yeah!

Steve, its white down here too....but its on the beach

[John Timberlake]

I just got through finishing turning two ash salad bowls that I roughed in September. They came out pretty good. Highly recommend turning while green - saves a lot of time.