White Ash wood movement, board-foot & weight calculator
- Janka
- 1,320lbf
- Density
- 41.9lb/ft³
- T/R ratio
- 1.6
- Spec. gravity
- 0.6
White Ash is a North American hardwood. It has a Janka side hardness of 1,320 lbf, a specific gravity of 0.6, and an air-dry density near 42 lb/ft³ (671 kg/m³) (mechanical values at 12% moisture content). It shrinks 7.8% tangentially and 4.9% radially from green to oven-dry (T/R ratio 1.6), so a 12-inch flatsawn board moves about 0.19 in (≈ 3/16 in) across a 6-point moisture swing (about 6%→12% MC).
Compute White Ash: movement, weight & board footage
Every number below is worked from White Ash's own shrinkage and density figures, not looked up from a table — change the width, moisture swing, or board size in the calculators linked alongside.
Cross-grain movement by board width
| Board width | Flatsawn (tangential) | Quartersawn (radial) |
|---|---|---|
| 2″ | 0.031″ (≈ 1/32 in) | 0.02″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 3″ | 0.047″ (≈ 1/32 in) | 0.029″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 4″ | 0.062″ (≈ 1/16 in) | 0.039″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 6″ | 0.094″ (≈ 3/32 in) | 0.059″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| 8″ | 0.125″ (≈ 1/8 in) | 0.078″ (≈ 3/32 in) |
| 10″ | 0.156″ (≈ 5/32 in) | 0.098″ (≈ 3/32 in) |
| 12″ | 0.187″ (≈ 3/16 in) | 0.118″ (≈ 1/8 in) |
| 16″ | 0.25″ (≈ 1/4 in) | 0.157″ (≈ 5/32 in) |
Need a different width or moisture swing? Run the movement calculator preloaded with White Ash. At a T/R ratio of 1.59, White Ash is stable — it moves moderately more across the face than through the thickness — normal behaviour for a furniture hardwood, and predictable if boards are acclimatised before milling.
Board footage & weight, standard sizes
| Nominal size × length | Board feet | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1×4 × 8′ | 2.67 bd ft | 9.3 lb |
| 1×6 × 8′ | 4 bd ft | 14 lb |
| 1×8 × 8′ | 5.33 bd ft | 18.6 lb |
| 1×10 × 8′ | 6.67 bd ft | 23.3 lb |
| 1×12 × 8′ | 8 bd ft | 27.9 lb |
| 2×4 × 8′ | 5.33 bd ft | 18.6 lb |
| 2×6 × 8′ | 8 bd ft | 27.9 lb |
| 2×8 × 8′ | 10.67 bd ft | 37.2 lb |
Different length or size? Run the board foot calculator or the weight calculator, both preloaded with White Ash.
Seasonal movement by city
| City | Driest month (EMC) | Most-humid month (EMC) | EMC swing | 12″ board movement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, AZ | Jun · 4.4% | Dec · 9% | 4.6 pts | 0.144″ (≈ 5/32 in) |
| Chicago, IL | May · 12.3% | Dec · 15.1% | 2.8 pts | 0.087″ (≈ 3/32 in) |
| Miami, FL | Apr · 12.2% | Sep · 14.4% | 2.2 pts | 0.069″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| Boston, MA | Apr · 11.5% | Sep · 12.8% | 1.3 pts | 0.041″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| Denver, CO | Jul · 8% | Dec · 10.5% | 2.5 pts | 0.078″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| Seattle, WA | Jul · 12% | Dec · 16.9% | 4.9 pts | 0.153″ (≈ 5/32 in) |
Driven by White Ash's tangential shrinkage of 7.8%. These are outdoor equilibrium-moisture figures, so they are an upper bound — a climate-controlled interior swings less. How this is calculated.
How White Ash compares
Ranked against the 196 species in the Wood Handbook tables this site carries.
- Hardness: at 1,320 lbf, White Ash is harder than 69% of the 157 species with a Janka figure.
- Weight: at 41.9 lb/ft³ it is heavier than 63% of the 170 species measured — an 8-foot 1×6 board weighs about 14 lb.
- Stability: its T/R ratio of 1.59 is more even than 74% of the 196 species here — as humidity changes, 26% of them hold their shape more evenly.
See White Ash plotted against every species we carry: the full Janka hardness chart and the full density chart .
Species with a similar working profile
Closest matches on hardness, weight and stability together — useful when White Ash is unavailable or priced out.
- Honeylocust is a common substitute for White Ash : 20% harder, about the same weight, and similarly stable in service.
- Sapele is a common substitute for White Ash : 14% harder, about the same weight, and similarly stable in service.
- Black Walnut is a common substitute for White Ash : 23% softer, about the same weight, and more stable in service.
- Iroko is a common substitute for White Ash : nearly identical hardness, 10% lighter, and more stable in service.
| Species | Janka | Density | T/R |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honeylocust | 1,580 lbf | 41.9 | 1.57 |
| Sapele | 1,510 lbf | 38.4 | 1.61 |
| Black Walnut | 1,010 lbf | 38.4 | 1.42 |
| Iroko | 1,260 lbf | 37.7 | 1.36 |
About White Ash
The Wood Handbook describes White Ash as part of the Ash (White Ash Group); the account below is of that group, which White Ash belongs to.
Important species of the white ash group are American white ash (Fraxinus americana), green ash (F. pennsylvanica), blue ash (F. quadrangulata), and Oregon ash (F. latifolia). The first three species grow in the eastern half of the United States and like black ash are considered by the IUCN to be critically endangered because of the emerald ash borer. As with black ash, there is ongoing widespread harvesting of live and dead white ash in an effort to curtail the problem. Oregon ash grows along the Pacific Coast and is presently considered near threatened. The heartwood of the white ash group is brown, and the sapwood is light-colored or nearly white. Second-growth trees are particularly sought after because of the inherent qualities of the wood from these trees: it is heavy, strong, hard, and stiff, and it has high resistance to shock. Oregon ash has somewhat lower strength properties than American white ash, but it is used for similar purposes on the West Coast. American white ash is used principally for nonstriking tool handles, oars, baseball bats, and other sporting and athletic goods. For handles of the best grade, some handle specifications call for not less than 2 nor more than 7 growth rings per centimeter (not less than 5 nor more than 17 growth rings per inch). The additional weight requirement of 690 kg m–3 (43 lb ft–3) or more at 12% moisture content ensures high-quality material. Principal uses for the white ash group are decorative veneer, cabinets, furniture, flooring, millwork, and crates.
Durability & sustainability
CITES status: not listed on any CITES Appendix — no international-trade restriction applies to White Ash.
Properties
| Specific gravity | 0.6 |
|---|---|
| Janka hardness (side) | 1,320 lbf |
| Density (air-dry, 12% MC) | 41.9 lb/ft³ (671 kg/m³) ovendry-weight basis: 37.4 lb/ft³ |
| Weight per board foot (air-dry) | 3.49 lb |
| Radial shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 4.9% |
| Tangential shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 7.8% |
| Volumetric shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 13.3% |
| T/R ratio (stability indicator) | 1.6 |
Shrinkage is total green-to-oven-dry (Table 4-3); strength values are at 12% MC. Full bases and the derivation formulas are on the methodology page.
Data: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook FPL-GTR-282 (2021), public domain.