What Is Ash Veneer?

Cabinet makers often fashion table tops, cabinet facing and other decorative wood features from veneers, which are thin slices of wood shaved from tree trunks. Ash -- Fraxinus americana -- is a hardwood that that grows in eastern North America, and it makes a utilitarian light veneer that resembles red oak and is suitable for desks, dressers and other household items. Slicing ash into a veneer is a way to take the most advantage of the highly figured grain patterns that appear on some logs.

Characteristics of Ash

Although there are many species of ash, the best wood comes from the white ash tree, which grows east of the Great Plains from the Mississippi Delta up to southern Canada. The tree can grow to a height of 100 feet, and the trunk can attain a diameter of 5 feet. The wood has a Janka hardness rating of 1,320 pound-feet, which is virtually the same as white oak. Ash isn't very resistant to rot and decay, but it's strong and flexible, both good characteristics for a veneer. It also accepts stain and finish well, and can be stained to closely resemble oak.

Why Veneer?

An important reason for using a veneer instead of solid wood is that the veneer, once glued to a substrate of particle board or plywood, makes a more stable building material than the wood itself. Whereas wood can crack and warp in conditions of variable temperature and humidity, a veneer-covered sheet of plywood seldom does. Veneers can display especially interesting grain features, depending on which part of the log they originate from, and often make furniture more decorative and ornate. Moreover, because veneers are bendable, woodworkers can use them to cover curved surfaces.

Sanding Ash-Veneered Furniture

Ash is not an expensive hardwood -- its price compares to that of white oak -- and it's more often used as a veneer on utility-grade furniture than fine furniture. You can sand, stain and finish it just like solid ash, but keep in mind that ash veneer may have a thickness of less then 1/32 of an inch and exercise caution when sanding. It's best to stick to hand-sanding, especially on the edges of ash-veneered furniture, or you can wear through the veneer and expose the substrate underneath. This is especially important to remember when stripping the finish of a favorite piece of furniture in preparation for refinishing.

Staining, Finishing and General Care of Ash Veneers

The blond, open grain of ash is attractive in itself, but you can stain it any color you like, usually with good results; it accepts stain evenly and doesn't blotch. You can finish it with oil, polyurethane or lacquer, and care of the finish is straightforward. Dust it frequently, and, when washing becomes necessary, use a pH-neutral cleaner, such as an ounce of dish soap in a gallon of warm water. When the finish turns dull, you can usually restore the shine with light coat of furniture polish followed by gentle buffing.