---
title: "Ash — density, melting point and properties"
description: "Ash has a density of 675 kg/m³ (600–720). Melting point, strength, conductivity, what it is used for, and whether it floats, rusts or is magnetic."
url: https://atoneplace.net/material/ash/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Ash

**Density of ash: 675 kg/m³ (600–720)**

0.68 g/cm³ · 42.1 lb/ft³

The shock tool handle wood: it is springy and its long fibres resist splitting under repeated impact better than any denser timber, which is why hickory and ash handles outlasted every attempt to replace them with steel. It bends well with steam and machines cleanly. Emerald ash borer has devastated North American stocks and ash dieback has done the same in Europe, so supply is now the limiting factor rather than the wood's properties.

## Properties

- **Density:** 675 kg/m³ (600–720) — 0.68 g/cm³
- **Young's modulus:** 12 GPa
- **Floats in water:** Yes
- **Magnetic:** No

## What it is used for

- Axe, hammer and spade handles
- Baseball bats and hurleys
- Bentwood furniture
- Car and aircraft frames (historically)

## How it compares

*Water is 1,000 kg/m³. Anything with a shorter bar than water floats in it.*

- air: 1.2 kg/m³
- expanded polystyrene foam: 20 kg/m³
- rigid polyurethane foam: 40 kg/m³
- ash: 675 kg/m³
- Water — the float line: 1,000 kg/m³
- tungsten: 19,250 kg/m³
- gold: 19,300 kg/m³
- platinum: 21,450 kg/m³

*Water is 1,000 kg/m³. Anything below that floats.*

| Material | Density | Relative to water |
| --- | --- | --- |
| rigid polyurethane foam | 40 kg/m³ | 0.04× |
| expanded polystyrene foam | 20 kg/m³ | 0.02× |
| air | 1.2 kg/m³ | 0.00× |
| ash ← | 675 kg/m³ | 0.68× |
| platinum | 21,450 kg/m³ | 21.45× |
| gold | 19,300 kg/m³ | 19.30× |
| tungsten | 19,250 kg/m³ | 19.25× |

## Does it rust?

Ash contains no iron, so it cannot rust. Whether it degrades depends on the material, not on oxidation.

## Is it magnetic?

Ash is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.

## Common questions

### What is the density of ash?

675 kg/m³ (600–720), or 0.68 g/cm³.

### Does ash float?

Yes. At 675 kg/m³ it is less dense than water's 1,000.

### Is ash magnetic?

Ash is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.

## Related pages

- [Does ash float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/ash/)
- [Pine](https://atoneplace.net/material/pine/)
- [Plywood](https://atoneplace.net/material/plywood/)
- [MDF](https://atoneplace.net/material/mdf/)
- [White oak](https://atoneplace.net/material/white-oak/)
- [Red oak](https://atoneplace.net/material/red-oak/)
- [Balsa](https://atoneplace.net/material/balsa/)
- [Spruce](https://atoneplace.net/material/spruce/)
- [Western red cedar](https://atoneplace.net/material/cedar/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)