Wood top

I believe Ford used almost any hardwood including oak, maple, ash, birch and even elm. An original Ford print attached is for top bows for a 28/29 phaeton, but I have seen the same wood types on other Ford drawings. So, you can use about any hardwood.
Rusty Nelson
 

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It is very strange to me that I don't see ASH on of the list of wood in this print. I have always thought ASH to be THE Wood to use. Well at least the most preferred on this site seems to be the ASH. Just an observation on my part.
 
I’ve found ash to be more of a body structure wood. Another note is that oak is specified on a lot of top wood, I find it a bit coarse and splintery
I use mostly hard maple throughout
Just imho
 
Ford used what ever good hardwood trees that populated the Iron Mountain forest area where the company sourced its wood. White oak, ash, and birch are more commonly used for automotive structural members just by the nature and popularity of the wood. Maple was also used by Ford and red oak can be used as well. They are more colorful hardwoods than the others. Ford painted most of it black as a protective measure so a person couldn't tell easily what wood may have been in their old model A cars.

Rock elm or cork elm was also used by Ford but I'm not sure how well the elm varieties have survived the elm bark beetles and Dutch elm disease that started killing them off once those critters got here from the old world. Chestnut trees that used to be common here in North America were also affected by a fungal disease that came from Asia. The ash trees are the most recent victim of the Asian emerald wood borer that likely came here in wood used for shipping containers.
 
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FWIW, ash was the preferred wood when they made wood spoke wheels.
 
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I am seeing ash at my supplier again; absent for awhile.
I’ve also seen small amounts of wormy chestnut there…. May/must be old cutting??
 
Oldbluoval said:
I am seeing ash at my supplier again; absent for awhile.
I’ve also seen small amounts of wormy chestnut there…. May/must be old cutting??
Click to expand...

I predominately use Ash in my shop, and we never really had any issue finding the Ash tree, ...it was more about getting the tree cut and to the sawmill. :D
 
my 52 Buick wagon bodies are made of ash. it is probably the strongest of hardwoods, but def not the prettiest.
 
“I predominately use Ash in my shop, and we never really had any issue finding the Ash tree, ...it was more about getting the tree cut and to the sawmill. “


Regretfully I’m at the mercy of a big yard near Atlanta! Can’t find sawmills or suppliers locally. Used to work with a fellow that had a portable sawmill and put him on the lookout for ash……nope.
Got so used to hard maple just quit looking! Decided I liked it better……likely because that’s what I had!! And no where to air dry.

“it is probably the strongest of hardwoods, but def not the prettiest”

Yep ask Louisville Slugger!
 
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I would use hickory for Model T wood spoke wheels. Ash is the common framing wood but hickory is the best for spokes.

I went to school with a fellow that is a hardwood broker. He has made a very good living from the hardwood trade. These trees are getting more valuable every year. Folks that raise them take good care of their assets but it tends to be a multi-generational trade for families involved.
 
Oldbluoval said:
“I predominately use Ash in my shop, and we never really had any issue finding the Ash tree, ...it was more about getting the tree cut and to the sawmill. “


Regretfully I’m at the mercy of a big yard near Atlanta! Can’t find sawmills or suppliers locally. Used to work with a fellow that had a portable sawmill and put him on the lookout for ash……nope.
Got so used to hard maple just quit looking! Decided I liked it better……likely because that’s what I had!! And no where to air dry.

“it is probably the strongest of hardwoods, but def not the prettiest”

Yep ask Louisville Slugger!
Click to expand...


Bill, I have another 750 board foot of Ash on order now that I will air dry down to about 15% over the summer. I probably have about 250 ft that is dried now if you need some of that to get you out of a bind.
 
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