re: Lessons learned...or what every new woodworker should know...

It’s all good Chris, I got it ;) I did buy a little extra, then a little more extra…and a little more extra…I now have quite the stockpile of scraps. All is not lost though. The bigger pieces I’ll save. The smaller ones will go into the drum smoker. Ash and cherry are two of my favorite smoking woods.
I think the next time I go to Denoon I’m going to pick up a piece or two of maple and walnut just to have it around. If I keep doing that maybe I’ll come up with something to do with it.

So, what did make with ash, and how did you like working with it? Personally, I like it better than cherry. The ash cuts clean and crisp. The dang cherry wants to splinter and tear out so easily. However, the cherry sands easier and is easier to chisel than the ash (just my personal observations, your mileage may vary).