Ashes & Elms

Ash and elm are tough, springy hardwoods with bold, open grain that looks great under stain or a clear finish. White ash is famous for baseball bats and tool handles because it takes a shock without breaking, and its straight grain bends well with steam. Ash has become harder to find as the emerald ash borer kills trees across the Midwest and East, so a lot of today's ash is salvage. American elm has wild, interlocked grain that resists splitting, which once made it the choice for wagon wheel hubs. It makes characterful slabs and tabletops. Hackberry, an elm relative that grows across the South including Florida, looks a lot like ash and works much the same at a lower price. None of these woods are rot resistant, so keep them indoors. Open each species page for hardness, finishing tips and what we have in our Fort Myers shop.