[seminole77]

Thoughts on Ash for a 20" panel saw handle? The Ash material I have available for this project aligns with the customers history with the saw. Not convinced Ash works well for a saw handle since I am not seeing anyone else use this material. It looks great but will it stand up to a drop? Every saw has to survive one drop from the workbench to the floor. I want this to be no different.
Experience?
Input?
Thanks!

 

[woodnthings]

A straight grained wood will split along the grain no matter the species. A complex grain will not, like a burl.
I never knew Apple wood was a favorite for handsaw handles:

Woods Used in Saw Handles

Although one is not apt to think of the apple tree as a source of timber, as a matter of fact at least 2,000,000 board feet of apple lumber is manufactured annually into saw handles. This, too, is …

blog.lostartpress.com

 

[Bob Bengal]

Welcome to the forum. I haven't used Ash for handles but in other projects it has good hand feel.

White Ash | The Wood Database - Lumber Identification (Hardwood)

www.wood-database.com

If you go down to the Comment section it talks about Ash tool handles.

 

[mikechell]

Aren't baseball bats made of Ash? I'd think a few homeruns with a bat would (at least) equal a fall from a workbench. Grain direction would be very important, I'd think.

 

[kwoodhands]

A friend of mine worked for Henry Disston a Philadelphia company that made many handsaws. I remember a broken pick handle that he made out of apple wood. I asked him why he used apple wood. He said he had a piece laying around and almost any straight grained wood would do. He was a saw setter most of the time but also worked in other areas including handle making. If I recall correctly the handles were made from Beech and Apple depending on what years they were made.. He said like the pick handle almost any straight grain hardwood would do for handles. He also made totes for hand planes as side job that continued when he retired. H.K.Porter bought out Disston in the 1950's .
The totes were made from several different species, cherry, walnut , apple etc. The wood used depended on what he had on hand .
mike

 

[DrRobert]

Reinforce with a couple dowels running cross grain above/below the handle opening?

 

[seminole77]

A straight grained wood will split along the grain no matter the species. A complex grain will not, like a burl.
I never knew Apple wood was a favorite for handsaw handles:

Woods Used in Saw Handles

Although one is not apt to think of the apple tree as a source of timber, as a matter of fact at least 2,000,000 board feet of apple lumber is manufactured annually into saw handles. This, too, is …

blog.lostartpress.com

So figured ash is what you would use- okay. Yes on Apple! Inherited old Disstons with Applewood handles and they feel amazing!
Again, to clarify your point - you would use Ash if the grain supported the geometries. Thanks

 

[seminole77]

Aren't baseball bats made of Ash? I'd think a few homeruns with a bat would (at least) equal a fall from a workbench. Grain direction would be very important, I'd think.

Indeed they are and I agree about the grain direction. Sure seems to be a good material.

 

[seminole77]

A friend of mine worked for Henry Disston a Philadelphia company that made many handsaws. I remember a broken pick handle that he made out of apple wood. I asked him why he used apple wood. He said he had a piece laying around and almost any straight grained wood would do. He was a saw setter most of the time but also worked in other areas including handle making. If I recall correctly the handles were made from Beech and Apple depending on what years they were made.. He said like the pick handle almost any straight grain hardwood would do for handles. He also made totes for hand planes as side job that continued when he retired. H.K.Porter bought out Disston in the 1950's .
The totes were made from several different species, cherry, walnut , apple etc. The wood used depended on what he had on hand .
mike

Thank you Kwoodhands- this is very good input and helps increase confidence in the material I am considering. Thank you very much!

 

[mmwood_1]

I use ash for tool handles regularly. I bust them from hard use long before they could split. (i.e. mauls, axes, shovels, hammers, etc.)

 

[seminole77]

I use ash for tool handles regularly. I bust them from hard use long before they could split. (i.e. mauls, axes, shovels, hammers, etc.)

Thanks! Confidence increased, material selected. Your input is appreciated, thanks again!

 

[seminole77]

Reinforce with a couple dowels running cross grain above/below the handle opening?

This is a good question! Any examples? Thanks

 

[woodnthings]

I use ash for tool handles regularly. I bust them from hard use long before they could split. (i.e. mauls, axes, shovels, hammers, etc.)

The grain direction on an axe handle is down the length, so it different than a saw handle which would be parallel with the force applied... JMO.

Thanks! Confidence increased, material selected. Your input is appreciated, thanks again!

I'm back to referring about grain direction. A plane's tote or a saw handle has a different force direction applied than an axe handle. I have had nice Walnut totes split right along the grain direction from a drop or just old age. That's my concern here, no matter the wood choice.