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Ash lumber for buildingrepair, build green or?

Started by ButchC, February 20, 2017, 09:22:07 AM

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ButchC

Hi all, I am new around here so take it easy on me OK?  ;D  I am also new to milling, drying and using my own lumber. I just purchased a Peterson swing mill because like everyone else around here I have EAB killed Ash everywhere and going to waste.  Just got the mill set up  and a big wind storm went through and blew over a huge pine tree in the yard and it hit the roof on a  10x24 wood frame out building pretty good. The construction of the building is unconventional to say the least,  the rafters are OK but it needs new 2x4  purlins ( I think that is the right word) and new sheating which is 1x4 run vertically and bowed to follow the roof contour. roofing was slate but probably will change to standing seam or shingles. I will add a picture later to help you guys figure out what I am try to say about the roof line, sorry for that.  Knowing all that my question is simply this, I have ash logs that were cut two years ago from  dead standing trees.  Can lumber be cut from them and used immediately to repair my building?  I have searched a read about this and answers are confusing. Thanks in advance!!
Peterson JP swing mill
Morbark chipper
Shop built firewood processor
Case W11B
Many chainsaws, axes, hatchets,mauls,
Antique tractors and engines, machine shop,wife, dog,,,,,that's about it.

GeneWengert-WoodDoc

In almost all cases, you can use them.  The issue with ash is that it attracts several different insects, which like wetter wood.  So if the wood is kept dry and away from the soil, no problem. 

If the building will be occupied, then the answer is "No" and the building code people will also say the same.  Ash does not have the strength required to be safe and also is not graded on the basis of strength.  If the items in the building are expensive, "No.". Use graded softwoods.
Gene - Author of articles in Sawmill & Woodlot and books: Drying Hardwood Lumber; VA Tech Solar Kiln; Sawing Edging & Trimming Hardwood Lumber. And more

Don P

Interesting, I've never looked for Ash in the NDS. It isn't in there as a sawn lumber species however White Ash is listed as a group A hardwood for glulam beams along with Beech Birch Hickory, Northern Red and White Oak... the strongest hardwood species.
Black Ash is in group C along with American Elm, Tupelo and Yellow Poplar.
Not bad company even there.

You can find those species in the awc.org spancalc. That doesn't make your wood capable of the spans listed but gives some sense of the strength.

Here's what AWC says;
QuoteAs for other foreign species such as mahogany, ipe, greenheart, etc., or domestic species such as ash, locust, magnolia, walnut, etc., there is some design information in the Wood Handbook published by the US Dept of Agriculture Forest Service, which can be found at http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us. However, since these values are average unadjusted ultimate values, they need to be adjusted per applicable ASTM standards, such as ASTM D245, to arrive at allowable properties. A further complication is that if lumber is not grade stamped in accordance with American Lumber Standard Committee (ALSC) rules:http://www.alsc.org/, there is no way of knowing what type of product will be used in construction. Engineering judgment will be required to use these types of foreign species in structural applications.

I prefer to frame with dry lumber, nothing more disappointing than having framing dry in different directions, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do

GeneWengert-WoodDoc

Remember that the strength data for wood is based on clear, straight grain pieces.  So, when we have lumber, we need to accommodate departure from this as we grade it.  Grades are an estimate of actual strength.  Most open-grown ash trees produce weaker lumber than forest grown due to slope of grain.
Gene - Author of articles in Sawmill & Woodlot and books: Drying Hardwood Lumber; VA Tech Solar Kiln; Sawing Edging & Trimming Hardwood Lumber. And more

ButchC

Thanks for the information.  Most of the ash that I have already cut log length came from the woods although a couple were fence row trees.  The building is not occupied and no codes to worry about. Of course I would like to use my own lumber instead of buying it but dont have time to let it dry properly. Shrinkage was my biggest concern. 
Here is a picture of the shed.  As you can see the construction is odd with the underlayment boards laid up and down on top of 2x4s which are on top of conventional type truss work. Tree stump is visable, it fell right about where the dog is standing, few feet to the left and the only discussion would have been where to burn the remains.

Peterson JP swing mill
Morbark chipper
Shop built firewood processor
Case W11B
Many chainsaws, axes, hatchets,mauls,
Antique tractors and engines, machine shop,wife, dog,,,,,that's about it.

Don P

Short spans, outbuilding, I'd roll with whatever is handy. The purlin and sheathing arrangement made the overhangs easy. I'd like to see a pic of the trusses if you can get one, that bow is different.

ButchC

Hard to get decent pictures inside but here is the best out of 20 I took.
Looking up to the peak. The purlins in the middle of the roof are set between the rafters, then as they progress towards the peak or eve they raise until laying on top.







Peterson JP swing mill
Morbark chipper
Shop built firewood processor
Case W11B
Many chainsaws, axes, hatchets,mauls,
Antique tractors and engines, machine shop,wife, dog,,,,,that's about it.

Don P

Thanks for the pics and description, sorry to make you work so hard for them! That is a unique way to do the purlins to me but the effect is nice. Do you know what those shingles are called? I see them all over the central US, I'm guessing it had to be a high wind shingle. I've never seen them back here but they look really nice.

ButchC

It's called manufactured slate. No nail holes as each piece has a copper wire embedded into it and is hung by one nail.
Peterson JP swing mill
Morbark chipper
Shop built firewood processor
Case W11B
Many chainsaws, axes, hatchets,mauls,
Antique tractors and engines, machine shop,wife, dog,,,,,that's about it.

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