Working with Ash: What I’ve Learned Building Furniture

Working with ash wood has gotten complicated with all the species confusion and availability concerns flying around. As someone who’s been building furniture with ash for eight years now, I learned everything there is to know about this underrated hardwood. Today, I will share it all with you.

Ash wasn’t on my radar until a local mill had a pile of it at a good price. Bought more than I needed, figured I’d experiment. That was eight years ago and ash has become one of my go-to woods for furniture projects. Sometimes the best discoveries happen by accident.

Why Ash Works

Ash hits a sweet spot that’s hard to find in lumber. It’s hard enough to handle daily use without denting up like pine, but it’s not so hard that your tools hate it the way they hate working with something like hard maple or hickory. The grain is usually cooperative — straight and even with enough character to be interesting without being fussy.

I’ve used it for dining chairs (where it needs to be strong), table tops (where it needs to look good), and tool handles (where it needs to take serious abuse). Does well in all three roles. That kind of versatility is worth something when you’re stocking your shop.

The Different Types

Probably should have led with this section, honestly. Most of what I work with is white ash. Light colored, consistent grain, takes stain well if you want to change the color. It’s what you’ll find at most lumber yards.

Black ash is darker and coarser grained. I’ve used it for a few rustic pieces where I wanted more visible grain texture. It’s also traditionally used for basket weaving — you can separate the growth rings by pounding. Not relevant for furniture but kind of interesting if you’re a wood nerd like me.

European ash is similar to white ash but the stuff I’ve worked with seemed a bit more flexible. Could be batch variation, could be a real species difference. It bends well for steam bending if that’s your thing.

How It Machines

Ash doesn’t complain much in the shop. Planes nicely with sharp tools. Rips clean on the table saw. Takes router profiles without burning or chipping unless your bit is dull — and then it’ll let you know immediately.

One thing I’ve noticed — the dust is fine and tends to float around more than some other species. I’ve gotten better about wearing a dust mask when machining ash. Nothing dangerous specifically, just annoying if you don’t manage it. My shop vac works overtime on ash days.

The wood sands well through the grits. Doesn’t load up sandpaper too fast. Gets a nice smooth finish around 180-220 grit without needing to go higher.

Joinery Notes

That’s what makes ash endearing to us woodworkers — it’s cooperative with every joint you throw at it. The wood holds screws and nails solidly. I’ve had good luck with both. It’s dense enough to grip fasteners without being so hard that you need to pre-drill everything (though pre-drilling never hurts).

For mortise and tenon joints, I find ash very forgiving. The fibers compress a bit, so a slightly too-tight tenon will still go together without splitting the mortise. Glue joints are reliable. Dovetails cut clean — the growth rings show nicely in the end grain, which is a bonus.

Finishing Ash

I’ve finished ash with oil, polyurethane, lacquer, and wax. They all work, which is nice because it means you pick based on the project, not the wood.

Oil brings out the grain and gives a natural feel. Poly protects but can look plasticky if you go too heavy — two coats max for me. Lacquer is my usual choice for furniture that’ll get regular use because it’s durable and relatively easy to repair.

One quirk — ash is moderately porous, so if you want a glassy smooth film finish, you’ll need to fill the grain first or apply more coats than you’d expect. For most furniture this isn’t an issue, but for tabletops where you want that perfectly flat feel, plan for the extra steps and time.

The wood takes stain reasonably evenly. Test first as always, but I’ve had better luck staining ash than more blotch-prone species like cherry or maple. That alone makes it a good choice for clients who want a specific color.

What I’ve Built With It

A dining table that’s been in daily use for six years now. Still looks good. A few dents in the top from normal life but nothing that bothers me. My kids aren’t gentle and the ash handles it.

A set of workshop stools. These get dragged around, sat on by people in dirty work clothes, occasionally used as step stools when nobody’s looking. Ash handles all of it without complaint.

A Shaker-style wall clock. This was more about looks than durability. The light color of the ash works really well with the simple lines of Shaker design.

Various tool handles when commercial ones broke. Ash is a traditional handle wood for a reason — it absorbs shock well and doesn’t split easily. I’ve replaced a hammer handle and two chisel handles with ash from my scrap bin.

The Bad News

Emerald ash borer is killing ash trees across eastern North America. This is genuinely tragic — we’re losing millions of trees. From a practical standpoint, it may mean less ash availability in coming years, and prices could go up.

If you see good ash lumber at a reasonable price, it might be worth stocking up. The trees being harvested now still produce excellent lumber. There just might be less of it in the future. I’ve been slowly adding to my stash whenever I see good boards at fair prices.

Care and Durability

Ash furniture lasts. I have some pieces that belonged to my grandparents — ash dining chairs that are still solid after 60+ years. The finish has worn through in places but the wood itself shows no signs of giving up. That’s the kind of durability that makes you feel good about the hours you put into a project.

Basic care is all it needs. Dust regularly, wipe up spills, keep it away from heating vents. Same as any wood furniture really. Nothing special or fussy required.

Should You Try It?

If you haven’t worked with ash, I’d honestly recommend giving it a shot. It’s affordable, available (for now), easy to work, and makes good-looking furniture. Not as trendy as walnut, not as cheap as pine, but a solid middle ground that rewards the effort you put into it.

My lumber rack currently has about 200 board feet of ash waiting for projects. That pile doesn’t get smaller — I keep adding to it every time the mill gets a good batch. Says something about how much I’ve come to rely on this wood.