We really do have rippled ash in the U.S.

[Rip Littig]

I've been watching Glenn Lucas on Instagram where he's been working with rippled ash. After searching online, I assumed this wood pattern only occurs overseas. Lo and behold I picked up a roadside ash log last week and roughed out then cored another bowl. To my surprise I found a rippled ash pattern (pics below) if not as dramatic as that in Ireland. Have any of you encountered this? Ash has not been on the top of my list in terms of wood to turn but with this grain pattern and any bit of warm coloring I like it. I realize there's an active ash borer thread but I thought of this as a separate topic. Any thoughts/observations appreciated.

 

[Brent@TurnRobust]

It's not uncommon. What Glenn calls rippled, we typically call curly. I've got a plank of it 12' long, 2" thick and 12" wide in my garage. Sourced from PA. I paid something like $10/bf for mine. Also have a nice stock blank for a full stock muzzle loader stashed in my basement. That came out of northern Illinois. Great score by the way !

 

[Richard Coers]

I have quite a bit of curly ash, as Brent said, not uncommon.

 

[Odie]

Rippled, curly, fiddleback, flame, tiger.

^^^^^ All names associated with the same wood figure pattern.



From the wood database under "maple". I didn't see ash listed in association with "curly", but as others here mentioned, it does exist:

Common Name(s): Curly maple, fiddleback maple, tiger maple, flamed maple, rippled maple

Botanical Designation: Not a distinct species of maple. Curly maple is considered a grain pattern that can be found in nearly all Acer species.



Note: "Quilted" is another common grain pattern, but is completely separate from those above.



-----odie-----

 

[Richard Coers]

It's common to find blistered maple with curl.

 

[Odie]

It's common to find blistered maple with curl.

I am not familiar with the term "blistered"......can anyone give us an explanation and example of this? Photo appreciated.

-----odie-----

 

[Brian Gustin]

I find curl often enough in most species I have worked with when using branch wood. Not so much in main trunks (though near the stump there can be) - Generally curl is caused by stresses while the wood is growing, from what I read, it is more common in trees that grow on steep hillsides or exposed to strong prevailing winds, might also explain why I find it more in branch wood (similar to crotch flame) but lot of trees can develop curly grain - Ive had it show up in walnut, cherry, oak, ash, maple, and I'm sure there's plenty other trees that can develop curly grain.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

Then do woods with curl figure reveal more internal stress when milled than with plain grain examples of the same species?

 

[Doug Freeman]

Then do woods with curl figure reveal more internal stress when milled than with plain grain examples of the same species?

They can. Its a crapshoot and not predictable.

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I am not familiar with the term "blistered"......can anyone give us an explanation and example of this? Photo appreciated.

-----odie-----

I'm also not familiar with it, found this .

 

[Odie]

I'm also not familiar with it, found this View attachment 50406.


View attachment 50407

Thanks Leo......never heard of Pomelle either. From those photos, I'd hesitate to try and distinguish that from a quilted figure......the plot thickens! It appears as though there is a grey area where it's all left up to one individual's evaluation of a single piece of wood....rather than try to make it a distinct classification, separate from other classifications.

-----odie-----

 

[David Shumaker]

Curly ash from a local cemetery. We have very little ash left in Virginia.

 

[Rip Littig]

Wow, that's really pronounced. Beautiful. While it's sad to see the ash trees go, I'm finding the wood fairly dry as the felled trees are either dead or dying. The advantage being less drying time between first and second turnings.