Ash Beams

[slabmaster]

I milled 2 beams today out of ash.One is 8x8x16'.The other one is 4x6x12'.I just used the alaskan today because i was in a hurry and it's faster that way.THey are very heavey,but i managed to get them in the barn.

 

[AndyR]

They look good.
What are you planning to build with those, if I may ask?

 

[slabmaster]

Hi Andy,I'm going to build a timber frame barn to store milled lumber in.The 8x8 will be for a sill.

 

[Mike Van]

I wouldn't use ash for a sill unless it's really going to be high & dry. White oak or locust is a much better wood for sills. Just my 2 cents.

 

[slabmaster]

It will be up high on block peers.So it should be fine.There won't be any water on it.

 

[irishcountry]

Sweet Posted em' like you said appreciate it! Looks like a good start can't wait to see it come together!! Do you have alot of dead ash?? Our area of Mi. is covered with them hoping I will get ahold of some next year I have one nice straight on about 60 ft. or so I would like to make beams out of too I gotta get a mini-mill though I think thats the way to go for me. Thanks for the pics irishcountry

 

[Mad Professor]

End coat the logs/beams ASAP as ash checks badly, then allow them to dry slowly to further minimize checking.

PPBs (powder post beetles) love ash; spray them with a boric acid solution.

As mentioned, keep the sills dry or use locust, white oak, or black cherry (boxed heartwood that you can't mill into lumber) for sills.

P.S. For faming it's good strong lumber. The "grandfather" of the timber framing revival, Richard Babcock, speaks highly of it . He's forgotten more than most of the framers know.

 

[dustytools]

Nice looking beams Slabmaster!

 

[peter nap]

Good looking beams.:greenchainsaw:

It's a little amusing how we can sit here and get a lot of pleasure out of a well cut BEAM!

Most people in my family send pictures of their kids or new car. I send pictures of freshly milled boards for siding.

 

[slabmaster]

Sweet Posted em' like you said appreciate it! Looks like a good start can't wait to see it come together!! Do you have alot of dead ash?? Our area of Mi. is covered with them hoping I will get ahold of some next year I have one nice straight on about 60 ft. or so I would like to make beams out of too I gotta get a mini-mill though I think thats the way to go for me. Thanks for the pics irishcountry

About 80% of my woods was dead ash.These trees that are left are already mostly seasoned before i mill them.Most of my woods have been milled already,but my neighbor friend just gave me his trees,so looks like i'll be busy for awhile with his.I also have another 10 acres of them at my other place in ingham county.These trees all died so fast that it's hard to get them all before they get seasoned and hard.Well at least they won't shrink much or crack after i mill them.

 

[slabmaster]

End coat the logs/beams ASAP as ash checks badly, then allow them to dry slowly to further minimize checking.

PPBs (powder post beetles) love ash; spray them with a boric acid solution.

As mentioned, keep the sills dry or use locust, white oak, or black cherry (boxed heartwood that you can't mill into lumber) for sills.

P.S. For faming it's good strong lumber. The "grandfather" of the timber framing revival, Richard Babcock, speaks highly of it . He's forgotten more than most of the framers know.

Yeah,I'm useing it because of it's strength and toughness.it also holds it's shape when dry,which it already is for the most part.I haven't had any trouble with that beetle yet.I've been storing it in barns though,mabey that's why.I'm putting these beams in the barn the same day i mill them also. Thanks for warning me about that beetle as i will keep a good lookout for them. Mark

 

[redoak]

Allright! Definitely want to see how you approach the project. I've heard ash are under a stress complex they call "ash yellows" which has resulted in some die back here in NH, is that what got these trees? I've read good things about using the wood for timber framing. Keep the posts coming, and I'd love to hear about the framing choices you are making and why.

-redoak

 

[slabmaster]

My trees died from the ash boring beetle that came over on a pallet from China.So much for world trade!Looks like a bad trade to me:jawdrop: Anyway,it killed all my nice ash trees FAST.They hit the bigger ones first,then got them all.It's spreading fast through the U.S and Canada as we speak.It happened around here 6 yrs. ago.It's still spreading fast.

 

[irishcountry]

I remember sitting around the campfire about 6 yrs. ago with some friends I went to school with and one of my freinds had a girlfriend that mentioned she was doing some work with the state on a ashborer project marking and identifying trees that may be effected and I thought wow what kind of crazy experiment is that!! I ask so she explained and I still thought man is that a waste of taxpayer money HA!! Now I see why they jumped on it so quick they knew it was really bad Mi. is decimated and there are so many ash you see dead tops everywhere you drive now been like that for quite some time its a unfortunate thing and one more reason to rethink trading and how to do it without consequenses like that!! Upside good lumber to mill

 

[Brmorgan]

Pest control is never a waste of taxpayer money. Take it from someone who lives in the middle of literally thousands of square miles of dead trees as a result of inaction to combat the pine beetle.

That aside, nice beams there. How long does it take to do one pass on that ash?

 

[Zodiac45]

Those are beauties SM,

That's the same way I transported mine! I used the garden tractor though but same deal. Pretty heavy and mine was 6x6 and only 8 feet!

 

[slabmaster]

Pest control is never a waste of taxpayer money. Take it from someone who lives in the middle of literally thousands of square miles of dead trees as a result of inaction to combat the pine beetle.

That aside, nice beams there. How long does it take to do one pass on that ash?

It all depends on what saw and how you sharpen the chain.I used a 395 husky and modifyed ( by me ) ripping chain and it took 15 minutes to run 16 ft.

 

[ray benson]

Nice photos. 8x8 impressive!

 

[irishcountry]

BRmorgan Point taken when I was younger I didn't think about alot of what I do now seems its either wisdom with age or you just really start to pay attention to cause and effect!! Your right though! irishcountry

 

[Marklambert61]

Ash beams and building

Mark,

I'm building a similar project I want to buils a 24 X 32 shed for milling, Drying and firewood storage...

Just wonder how you plan to anchor the sill beam I haven't figured that out yet. I considered pouring a concrete peer every 4 ft along the sill.

Whats you plan?

Mark