This past winter I cut up one of two Black Ash logs that a Beaver had cut down, right next to the what we call “the Beaver pond” one was a nice bigger tree before it got cut down the other one was maybe 20” or so and was partially hollow, so that one I cut up into firewood lengths, not the best wood it still will burn, as I was looking at it, I decided to try to make a bowl from one of the half hollow pieces.

As I cut it up on the bandsaw, it showed worse that I thought it was, still I should be able to turn it and it looked like it had some nice grain in it.

Turning it showed why it is also called basket Ash, I lost a couple of chunks and the final size a mere 10 inches by 2 inches high, turned quite thin it dried in a matter of days, mounted it again so I could sand and finish it, then I found two small splits in one of the year-rings, so as I didn’t want to make baskets the split was CA’d, then the base finish turned and some Tung oil added.

I kind of like the grain and the color of the wood, not so much its tendency to wanting to split into layers, anyway this is the outcome

There was very little warp, if you have a close look at the finished foot you can see how little the foot has changed from round by the rings in the foot.

Black Ash bowl.jpg Black Ash bowl 1.jpg Black Ash bowl 2.jpg Black Ash bowl bottom.jpg Black Ash bottom just finished.jpg