Editing Fraxinus (section)

== Uses ==

Ash is a [[hardwood]] and is dense (within 20% of 670&nbsp;kg/m<sup>3</sup> for ''[[Fraxinus americana]]'',<ref name="NicheTimbersWhite">{{cite web |url=http://www.nichetimbers.co.uk/north-american-hardwood/ash/ |title=White Ash |publisher=Niche Timbers |access-date=22 February 2010}}</ref> and higher at 710&nbsp;kg/m<sup>3</sup> for ''[[Fraxinus excelsior]]''<ref name="NicheTimbersEuropean">{{cite web |url=http://www.nichetimbers.co.uk/native-hardwood/ash/ |title=Ash |publisher=Niche Timbers |access-date=22 February 2010}}</ref>), [[Toughness|tough]] and very [[Strength of materials|strong]] but [[Elasticity (physics)|elastic]], extensively used for making [[bow (weapon)|bows]], [[tool]] handles, [[baseball bat]]s, [[hurley (stick)|hurleys]], and other uses demanding high strength and [[Resilience (materials science)|resilience]].

[[File:Flamed Quartersawn Ash Guitar Top.jpg|thumb|left|5/16" thick flame figure [[quartersawn]] ash guitar top, unmilled]]

Ash is a [[tonewood]] commonly used in the manufacture of [[electric guitar]]s.<ref name="fender.com">{{cite web | url=https://www.fender.com/articles/tech-talk/ash-vs-alder-whats-the-diff | title=Ash vs. Alder: What's the Difference? }}</ref> It exhibits a pronounced bright tone with a scooped midrange.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://neaera.com/best-wood-for-electric-guitars/#Bright_sound_and_Fender_twang_Ash | title=Best wood for electric guitars &#124; Full guide matching wood & tone | date=16 September 2022 }}</ref> It is lightweight, easy to work and sand,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.timberblogger.com/ash-wood-properties-and-its-advantages-and-disadvantages/ | title=Ash Wood &#124; Its Advantages and Disadvantages | date=26 March 2021 }}</ref> accepts glue, [[Wood stain|stain]], paint and [[Wood finishing|finish]] very well and is inexpensive. All this has made it a favourite of large factories mass-producing instruments. The Fender musical instrument company has been continuously and uninterruptedly using Ash to make electric guitars since 1956.<ref name="fender.com"/> [[Swamp ash]] is used a lot in guitar building because of its figure. It is a choice of [[Tonewood|material]] for [[electric guitar]] bodies<ref>[https://www.commercialforestproducts.com/good-swamp-ash/ SWAMP ASH Lumber Guide: 8/4 Lightweight Guitar Wood 2020] 15 December 2018 ''www.commercialforestproducts.com'', accessed 27 September 2020</ref> and, less commonly, for [[acoustic guitar]] bodies, known for its bright, cutting edge and sustaining quality. Some [[Fender Stratocaster]]s and [[Fender Telecaster|Telecasters]] are made of ash, (such as [[Bruce Springsteen]]'s Telecaster on the ''[[Born to Run]]'' album cover), as an alternative to alder.

Ash is also used for making [[drum shell]]s.

[[File:Ash_Table_by_Ben_Barclay.jpg|thumb|right|Ash coffee table]]
Woodworkers generally consider ash a "poor cousin" to the other major open pore wood, oak, but it is useful in any furniture application. Ash [[Wood veneer|veneers]] are extensively used in office furniture. Ash is not used much outdoors due to the [[Wood#Heartwood and sapwood|heartwood]] having a low durability to ground contact, meaning it will typically perish within five years. The ''F. japonica'' species is favored as a material for making baseball bats by Japanese sporting-goods manufacturers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mitsuwa-tiger.com/batmuseum/process.html|title=美津和タイガー/野球博物館/バットのできるまで |trans-title=Mitsuwa Tiger / Baseball Hall / Bat |website=www.mitsuwa-tiger.com}}</ref>

Its robust structure, good looks, and flexibility combine to make ash ideal for staircases. Ash stairs are extremely hard-wearing, which is particularly important for treads. Due to its elasticity, ash can also be steamed and bent to produce curved stair parts such as volutes (curled sections of handrail) and intricately shaped balusters. However, a reduction in the supply of healthy trees, especially in Europe, is making ash an increasingly expensive option.

Ash was commonly used for the structural members of the bodies of cars made by carriage builders. Early cars had frames which were intended to flex as part of the suspension system  to simplify construction. The [[Morgan Motor Company]] of Great Britain still manufactures sports cars with frames made from ash. It was also widely used by early aviation pioneers for aircraft construction.

It [[firewood|lights and burns]] easily, so is used for starting fires and [[barbecue]]s, and is usable for maintaining a fire, though it produces only a moderate heat. The two most economically important species for wood production are white ash, in eastern North America, and European ash in Europe. The green ash (''[[Fraxinus pennsylvanica|F. pennsylvanica]]'') is widely planted as a street tree in the United States. The inner bark of the blue ash (''[[Fraxinus quadrangulata|F. quadrangulata]]'') has been used as a source for blue [[dye]].

In Sicily, Italy,  sugars are obtained by evaporating the sap of the [[manna ash]], extracted by making small cuts in the bark. The manna ash, native to southern Europe and southwest Asia, produces a blue-green sap, which has medicinal value as a mild laxative, demulcent, and weak expectorant. The young seedpods, also known as "keys", are edible for human consumption. In Britain, they are traditionally pickled with vinegar, sugar and spices.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2021/06/foraging-in-june/ | title=Foraging in June | date=24 June 2021 }}</ref>