WOOD SPECIES · Hardwood
White ash: density, weight and properties
Fraxinus americana
White ash (Fraxinus americana) averages 672 kg/m³ at 12% moisture content, according to the USDA Wood Handbook. The figures below are averages for clear, mature wood; individual boards vary with origin, growth and moisture.
Key figures
- Density at 12% moisture
- 672 kg/m³Specific gravity 0.60 (oven-dry mass, volume at 12%) × 1.12 × 1,000 kg/m³, Wood Handbook Eq. 4-14
- Basic specific gravity (oven-dry mass, green volume)
- 0.55
- Janka side hardness at 12%
- 5,900 N (≈ 1,326 lbf)
- Bending strength (modulus of rupture)
- 106 MPa
- Stiffness (modulus of elasticity)
- 12,000 MPa
- Compression parallel to grain
- 51.1 MPa
- Tangential shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 7.8%
- Radial shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 4.9%
- Volumetric shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 13.3%
- Fibre saturation point
- 30%Not measured: Wood Handbook default
Weight at 12% moisture content
Volume × 672 kg/m³, the same calculation as the weight calculator. Green or wet wood weighs considerably more.
| Piece | Size | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cubic metre | 1,000 × 1,000 × 1,000 mm | 672 kg |
| 1 board foot | 12 × 12 × 1 in | 1.59 kg |
| 1×4 board, 8 ft | 3/4 × 3 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 2.78 kg |
| 1×6 board, 8 ft | 3/4 × 5 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 4.36 kg |
| 2×4 board, 8 ft | 1 1/2 × 3 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 5.55 kg |
| 2×6 board, 10 ft | 1 1/2 × 5 1/2 in actual × 10 ft | 10.9 kg |
Movement across the width
How much a board 11 1/4 in (286 mm) wide changes when its moisture content moves by a few percentage points. The estimate uses the total shrinkage above and a linear relation below the fibre saturation point of 30% (Wood Handbook Eq. 4-9). Flat-sawn boards move with tangential shrinkage, quartersawn boards with radial shrinkage.
| Moisture change | Flat-sawn | Quartersawn |
|---|---|---|
| 3 percentage points | 2.2 mm (0.088 in) | 1.4 mm (0.055 in) |
| 6 percentage points | 4.5 mm (0.176 in) | 2.8 mm (0.11 in) |
Wood movement across the grain · Moisture content and acclimatising wood
Natural durability
The Wood Handbook groups the heartwood as slightly or nonresistant to decay (Table 14-1). Keep it dry, or use treated wood where decay can develop.
Working and finishing
Heavy, strong, hard and stiff with high shock resistance, which is why it is used for nonstriking tool handles, oars and bats; some handle specifications require 2 to 7 growth rings per centimetre. The Wood Handbook notes that the emerald ash borer has made American white ash critically endangered (IUCN).
The Wood Handbook names oak, ash, hickory and walnut among the hardwoods with large vessels: for a smooth film finish the pores may need a filler, followed by light sanding.
Typical uses
- Tool handles
- Sporting goods
- Sliced veneer
- Cabinets
- Furniture
- Flooring
- Interior joinery and millwork
Calculate with this material
Species with similar density
- Teak 670 kg/m³
- European ash 680 kg/m³
- Slash pine (Pinus elliottii) 660.8 kg/m³
Sources & references
- USDA FPL · Wood Handbook (2021), ch. 5: Mechanical properties of wood
- USDA FPL · Wood Handbook (2021), ch. 4: Moisture relations and physical properties of wood
- USDA FPL · Wood Handbook (2021), ch. 14: Biodeterioration of wood
- USDA FPL · Wood Handbook (2021), ch. 2: Characteristics and availability of commercially important woods
- USDA FPL · Wood Handbook (2021), ch. 16: Finishing of wood
Uses and working notes summarise the cited source. Check the moisture content, grade and origin of the wood you actually buy.