I used to shoot ash arrows exclusively, when they were still available from Silent Pond shafts and before I had a house fire and lost everything.  After that, without shop facilities, it was easier to just use carbon.

I heated them in the oven to assist in straightening, but also used a hook and the ace straightener.  Once straight and sealed, I never had much trouble keeping them straight.  I used water base MinWax polyacrylic and dipped them about 4 times in a diluted solution after staining.  I still have a few that escaped the fire and they are as good and straight as the day I made them 8 or 9 years ago.

Like Greg I bought some ash from Silent pond and they never gave me a single problem!!!Very hard hitting and tough as a hummer.

I'll second Mystic. I've been getting tapered Ash shafts from Raptor Archery and have had little trouble getting them straight. I like to use a heat gun so I can concentrate the heat at the bend.

I bought a dozen from Allegheny and that gentlemen told me that Ash are extremely tempermental with moisture before sealed.

I started making them as soon as I bought them as I have a lot of moisture in my house and had nowhere to store them that was dry.

They straightened well with heat. I just ran them lightly over open flame. They took stain well and they shoot like a dream. The best arrows I've made thus far.