Ash

I have just been up to visit my parents in Mid Wales, with Lucy and Natasha. My parents, 2 weeks before had the tree surgeons in to fell a couple of smallish trees near the house, and they had a couple of longer bits saved for me. It is lovely ash, and fast grown, the tree in question only being 21 years old and 4 rings to the inch. I like fast grown ash because it is very strong. I once had some very slow grown ash from Dartmoor which was about 16+ rings to the inch, which I made into legs for a small bench. This bench was used as a step, to get in and out of the back of my van, and to display stuff on at shows. This bench was not treated very kindly, as ash was a strong resilient wood that can take shock, I managed to break 3 legs off it over the years, all snapped at next to the tenon. Slow grown ash is good for nothing.
This Welsh ash was very very dry, I had never felt or used fresh ash this dry. I know the old rhyme, see the rhyme here, says that ash can be burnt green, this is because ash does have a low moisture content, but this dry!!! I have a few tent pegs, 2 sets of legs for chairs from it, and a couple of side axe handles as it had a good curve in it, I was on holiday.

























































My new shaving horse, inspired by Rick Schuman at http://forwoodnesssake.wordpress.com/2009/04/08/old-dover-days/ I like the way that I seem to be floating in the air and not sitting on the adjustable seat





















Lucy and me in front of a not so old oak tree, this is one of the oaks that has played an important part in my life. It has had a major lower limb rip off on the main trunk many years ago, and my parents have been advised to take it down. I am glad that they will not, as it is a major landmark tree in the area and a valued friend.