WOW #2 Ash

RSB-Refugee

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
When I made my alphabetical list, ash was second on it. It appears ash is somewhat generic, and perhaps it should not have been second. ;) I thought since the internet, reaches world wide, and there are a lot of snooker players in the world, that ash should be included. I also thought, a lot of Americans, may know little about it.

Ash is the wood used in the making of snooker cue shafts. Ash has a very high strength to weight ratio. Scientifically, it is known as Oleaceae Fraxinus Nigra. The Oleaceae infers that it is a member of the olive family. The wood's oils are chemically related to olive oil. The genus Fraxinus, contains approximately 70 species, 17 of which are North American. The Nigra refers to the species, black.

The wood is porous and requires filler before finishing. Snooker cues have sealer coats that experts advise should not be sanded off.

This is all that I have been able to find on the subject. I am sure there are some here that will be able to add to this information, or correct any errors I have made. If you can think of any questions, or have something to share, your participation would be appreciated.

Tracy
 
RSB-Refugee said:
When I made my alphabetical list, ash was second on it. It appears ash is somewhat generic, and perhaps it should not have been second. ;) I thought since the internet, reaches world wide, and there are a lot of snooker players in the world, that ash should be included. I also thought, a lot of Americans, may know little about it.

Ash is the wood used in the making of snooker cue shafts. Ash has a very high strength to weight ratio. Scientifically, it is known as Oleaceae Fraxinus Nigra. The Oleaceae infers that it is a member of the olive family. The wood's oils are chemically related to olive oil. The genus Fraxinus, contains approximately 70 species, 17 of which are North American. The Nigra refers to the species, black.

The wood is porous and requires filler before finishing. Snooker cues have sealer coats that experts advise should not be sanded off.

This is all that I have been able to find on the subject. I am sure there are some here that will be able to add to this information, or correct any errors I have made. If you can think of any questions, or have something to share, your participation would be appreciated.

Tracy




Black ash is a specie of wood wich is very strong, lengthwhise. It's also very stiff. That's when the wood is dry. Ideal wood for building or flooring...

When the wood is dry, it sands very well and is about the same weight (depends on the square) as maple. When it is wet, there's no way you can use it for cues.

The best is top have it dried to 6% or less if you're lucky. Also, the older the wood, the stiffer it gets. The hit of ash is about comparable to the hit of purpleheart.

Like olivewood, it takes lots of time to get really well dried wood, but it will never lose it's sent... And like olivewood, it finishes very poorly.

ONLY USE QUARTERSAWN ASH OR YOU'LL ENCOUNTER NASTY SURPRISES !!!

Dry and quartersawn ash is ideal for handle wood if the wood is not nice enough for shafts or buttwood.

TIP: In order to test if the wood is dry enough when you don't have a hydrometer at hand, is to let it bounce on a concrete floor. The higher the sound, the dryer it is. You could compaire it with the sound of an aluminium bar bouncing.
Another way to check is to put it in the lathe and look how it turns with a sharp toolbit. If dust comes of, it's dry. If a "look alike woodpaste" comes of, it's not.

Tom Penrose
 
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I know my intro was a little lacking and I would like to appologize for that. I was afraid I was going to be left high-and-dry, on this one. Thanks for adding some info, Tom. Would ash make a good shaft wood for jump cues?

Tracy
 
RSB-Refugee said:
I know my intro was a little lacking and I would like to appologize for that. I was afraid I was going to be left high-and-dry, on this one. Thanks for adding some info, Tom. Would ash make a good shaft wood for jump cues?

Tracy


Hi Tracy,


For a jump cue, the wood of the shaft is not the most important, but the tip and the weight of the butt. A very hard tip can make balls jump over a coke bottle...

But yes, it would. Just like maple or purpleheart...

Tom
 
RSB-Refugee said:
I know my intro was a little lacking and I would like to appologize for that. I was afraid I was going to be left high-and-dry, on this one. Thanks for adding some info, Tom. Would ash make a good shaft wood for jump cues?

Tracy


The original Mezz jump cues came with a ash shaft.>>Link<<
 
deep said:
The original Mezz jump cues came with a ash shaft.>>Link<<



I know the Mezz jump cues, but I don't like them as much as my own... I don't believe they're bad or something, but I prefer harder tips and lighter butts.

Personal preference... :)

I seem to get more out of my own cues. :D

Tom Penrose
 
I seriously can't imagine any jump cue butt being lighter than the airshooter,those cues are really light.
How many euros do your jump cues run. I seem to be getting quite a collection of jump cues at the mo!
 
deep said:
I seriously can't imagine any jump cue butt being lighter than the airshooter,those cues are really light.
How many euros do your jump cues run. I seem to be getting quite a collection of jump cues at the mo!

I just worked on one that the customer stripped, I bored 1.5 inch and the rest of the forearm was hollow.
 
One thing with American Ash is that because of the openness of the grain it tends to take on moisture after being dried more than Maple. This makes it a little harder to judge the final weight of the shaft while turning it. By taking on moisture it takes on weight. A good Michigan Maple shaft dowel will weigh in fresh out of the kiln at an average of 10 ounces. Ash will weigh in fresh out of the kiln at maybe 9.5 ounces average. But after taking on moisture in a humid climate it might weigh 11 ounces. That is a 1.5 ounce gain in water weight. And maple will only take on maybe 1/2 ounce in the same conditions. I don't have a lot of experience with working it, but I do sell the nice White Ash dowels you would want for shafts. I am told that Ash will almost totally disappear from the USA in years to come. Some kind of insect is killing off the Ash trees like they did the Chestnut trees. Right now it is plentiful in the higher quality stuff as the demand on for it is low. I sell the 30" x 1" Ash dowels for $7 each. My cuesmith email is not working right now so email me at cueman@direcway.com if you need to get ahold of me.
Chris
www.cuesmith.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com
 
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