No. 33 - Osage Orange HF

[James Combs]

I was at a friends rental property a few days ago helping remove some wood from a wood pile that new renters didn't want.;) Great deal I could keep anything I wanted.:p I found a few pieces that I though might be cherry based on the redish color of a split piece.:cool: Got the wood home and decided to turn something from my new "Cherry" wood. Cut into it to form a bowl blank and wow... my new cherry was as yellow as a lemon. Must be "Osage Cherry":D. Here is what I turned from a smaller piece of it.

Stats:
Material = Osage Orange... or is it Cherry:rolleyes:
Diameter = 5" at edge of rim
Height = 3"
Wall Thickness = Average's 1/4"
Finish = 1 coat of Thin CA as a sealer then several coats of WOP

Observations - Turned easily, almost like green wood. Had quite a bit of "nap" after turning requiring a lot of sanding.

C&C Appreciate.

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[Roger Chandler]

JD,

That is an unusual form.........a lot of creativity here with some nice wood. The color in the pictures does look a bit more brown than the couple of pieces of OO that I have turned, but color variations have a lot to do with the soil it grew in. The concave top is not something that one sees everyday, and it makes for a nice form...........of course a nice finish you have done really pops the grain as well.

[John Keeton]

JD, it seems a little brown for fresh cut osage - mulberry perhaps???? Don't know, but you have done a nice job with a very interesting form. You could cut some grooves around the rim and use it for a cigar ashtray!! Sounds odd to use wood, but apparently they are very popular.

[James Combs]

JD,

That is an unusual form.........a lot of creativity here with some nice wood. The color in the pictures does look a bit more brown than the couple of pieces of OO that I have turned, but color variations have a lot to do with the soil it grew in. The concave top is not something that one sees everyday, and it makes for a nice form...........of course a nice finish you have done really pops the grain as well.

Roger it started out to have a finial and pedestal but I lost my inspiration for it at about the 90% mark. I have a lot more of it and will be trying for a finial/pedestal HF again.



JD, it seems a little brown for fresh cut osage - mulberry perhaps???? Don't know, but you have done a nice job with a very interesting form. You could cut some grooves around the rim and use it for a cigar ashtray!! Sounds odd to use wood, but apparently they are very popular.

John/Roger, I am not sure why it appears so brown in the photos, it is as yellow as can be in real life. I think I will double check my white balance setting on my camera.

John, an "ashtray"! Sounds like a fire hazard to me.:eek:

[John Keeton]

John, an "ashtray"! Sounds like a fire hazard to me.:eek:
Me, too!!! But, you would not believe how much demand there is out there for wooden ashtrays for the "cigar bars." I have had a couple of folks ask me to production turn them. I am not into production turning, but it sounded like a niche to be filled.

[Michelle Rich]

wow, that osage cherry is a super pretty wood!!! :-) Great save

[David Reed]

Nice execution of the ogee form JD. Your work showcases this wood (whatever it is) nicely. The top is unconventional and my first thought was negative, but I think it is growing on me. I like it

[Jim Burr]

I've made a couple out of Ash and olive for a couple of Cigar houses in town. Cigars don't have the chemicals that cig's do to keep them urning. Cigars will stop burning in a couple minutes. Use a double fork (inner and outter) so the stoggies "cherry" stays level and not touching the wood and it works well.

[Gary Max]

I am going with ----Honey Locust

[curtis rosche]

that looks like mullberry to me

[Mark Hubl]

Nice osacherrberry JD. Interesting wood. The fresh mulberry I have turned has been very yellow. Different form, it definetly has a difficulty factor getting up under the rim and into that top corner. Looks good.

[Steve Schlumpf]

No idea on the wood but that sure is an interesting form!

[Roger Chandler]

orangehoneymulcherrylocustberryosage wood! :confused: Okay, that is one I haven't turned as of yet! :rolleyes::D:D

[John Hart]

Cool piece!!! I like the form. (I'll second the mulberry....it turns brown when exposed to air...but yellow underneath)

[Cody Colston]

That's an interesting piece, well crafted.

I'm leaning towards Mulberry, too, but it's hard to tell without seeing the true color. Fresh
Bois d' Arc is bright yellow while Mulberry is a paler yellow. Both are very hard woods and I think related. Both will also darken but Mulberry is quicker to turn a russet red from oxidation and UV exposure.

[Baxter Smith]

Very pretty wood whatever it is James and the form shows it off well!

[James Combs]

That's an interesting piece, well crafted.

I'm leaning towards Mulberry, too, but it's hard to tell without seeing the true color. Fresh
Bois d' Arc is bright yellow while Mulberry is a paler yellow. Both are very hard woods and I think related. Both will also darken but Mulberry is quicker to turn a russet red from oxidation and UV exposure.

You know, it could very well be mulberry. I have turned "known" Osage before and this does have a little different grain then what I had turned before. Also a key point you mentioned is the "russet red" coloring after UV exposure. The piece I got this from had been split for firewood and the exposed inner wood was a very pretty russet red color, that is the reason I initially thought it might be wild cherry.