Osage Orange crotch bowl *disturbing image*

[Curt Fuller]

I've had my eye on a row of Osage Orange trees that grow in a park near here. The other day I saw the park maintenance guys working on them with a chainsaw so I stopped to see if they were cutting anything very big. They weren't but they cut off this little 8" nub of a limb and gave it to me. It's got to be the hardest wood I've turned. I was going to try to use the whole piece but I got a catch out towards the end of the branch that pulled my hand into the piece and wacked me pretty good. I tried a few more times but it was like sticking a gouge into a propeller so I cut a couple inches off and salvaged what was left. But it sure is pretty wood. It's only about 6" from end to end.

[George Conklin]

Ouch!!! Sorry you got hurt, Curt. I love the way the offending bowl turned out though.

Hope you don't need stitches:) .

[Raymond Overman]

Ouch Curt. Sorry that it bit you man. Get some neosporin and a bandage and milk it for all it's worth and you'll be back to 100% in no time.

I have to agree that osage is tough stuff but it's beautiful if you can finally get it turned. The problem I've had with it was it coming apart at the rings. Almost like ring shake but I know it's solid. It's kind of like it's brittle.

Good luck with the healing.

[Paul Engle]

Curt , dats REALLY GNARLY, you really gotta watch the wings ...phew , I set a work lite behind the wings lets me see em....other wise the ER wood be my bestis friend....Nice job on the OO, it really looks nice:D

[Bernie Weishapl]

Dadgumit, man that had to have hurt. Osage Orange is very hard and I won't turn any knarly stuff just because. Glad you weren't hurt worse. Bowl did turn out pretty nice.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Curt....OUCH!..........The only OO I've turned wasn't that big but I sure did like the finished pens and bottle stoppers! Nicely done on the bowl!

[Christopher Hunter]

I should have taken a picture of my first blood soaked turning -
We would have been blood brothers ..
and did your wife almost faint????
Mine almost told me I couldn't turn anymore...
--
On the positive side the ouchie was well worth it 'cause that piece is very very nice
--Chris

[Tom Sherman]

Curt that finger whacker turned out pretty nice sorry about the fingers.

[Bill Boehme]

OUCH!

Them propellers are dangerous. Something that helps is a good strong light overhead and a solid dark background (dark blue is good) behind the turning will help a lot to make the wings more visible. And never stick your fingers beyond the rest.

[Barry Stratton]

That sure came out nice in spite of the bloodletting. I've had a devil of a time trying to get osage finished turned, maybe I'll have to try your "bleed on it" trick. Will chicken blood work? :D

Heal fast!

[Jonathon Spafford]

Beautiful bowl... that has gorgeous grain. You did a great job on turning that! Sorry 'bout the hand. At least osage is a little more forgiving than a table saw ;)

[Jim Becker]

Ouch! And nice save on a neat piece!

[Keith Burns]

Nice piece Curt. Glad you won ! Looks more like bloodwood than osage orange to me:D

[Terry Quiram]

Very interesting piece. I like it a lot.

[John Miliunas]

Yikes! That hand's gotta' hurt! :( OTOH (pun intended) you turned out a beautiful looking piece there, Curt! :) Hope you heal quickly! :) :cool:

[Joe Melton]

Man, I hate it when that happens. Makes the tools all slippery.
Joe

[Jonathon Spafford]

Very interesting piece. I like it a lot.

Hey, is that the turning or the hand??? :rolleyes: :D

[Tony Kent]

Hello
Ouch!!! I am so glad it wasn't worse though. Considering the injury the turning came out very nice.
Hang in there and take care for now,
Tony

[Gary DeWitt]

Curt, when they say artists have to "suffer" I don't think that's what they had in mind.
A really beautiful bowl, and I hope you didn't break any knuckles in the process. If that was mine, it would never leave my shop. A little reminder, and it cost waaaayyy to much to give away or sell.
Be carefull out there...

[Mark Cothren]

A very neat piece, Curt! Sorry you were assaulted by it.

[Kurt Rosenzweig]

AWWW come on Curt! Rub a little mustard and CA on it and get back to work!:D

[Dennis Peacock]

Wow....That bowl will cost someone a hand, blood, and a few dollars. :rolleyes:
Sorry about your injury Curt!!! Those HURT!!!! Been there and didn't like it. :o

Nice bowl though. :cool:

[Mike Ramsey]

I have a lot of Osage & I've turned a lot.....but it's gonna set there
quite a bit longer until I'm hard up for something to turn.....It's so hard
that I swear I've seen sparks coming off the end of my gouge......It's
beautiful when it's finished.

[mike fuson]

It kinda makes you have second thoughts about sticking that chisel back in there after that doesn't it. Its a good looking piece sorry you had to bleed for it, but better you than me! :D

[Dario Octaviano]

OUCH!!!:eek: :eek: :eek:

I turned a few natural edge and this is what scares me...in a way, thank you for the reminder to be more extra careful.

Nice piece, good thing it is not very big.

[Hilel Salomon]

Beautiful work and sorry about your hand. I've turned a few osage orange blanks but they're nothing like some of the exotics I've been contending with in terms of hardness. On one small piece, it took me four sharpenings with four different tools to get it. I'll try to post it, as I forgot what wood it was I bought.The truth is that I'm probably as lousy a sharpener as I am a turner. I do like osage orange though and have been getting it on ebay and at my local dealer's. Is there some kind of osmosis though internet which will give me your talent as well as those of some of you other turners?

[Rik Rickerson]

Glad you weren't seriously hurt. Keep that beautiful bowl near the lathe as a reminder of this experience.

[Ernie Nyvall]

Looks like you're a blood and guts sort of turner Curt. Nice job... I like the bowl too.:p

Hope your hand is better... looks like it might hurt a little while.

[Curt Fuller]

Thanks everyone. I like playing around with some of these jagged natural edge type pieces but you never know what you'll end up with. The color in this wood made it worth trying to save. The hand is fine too, just a reminder that the wood will always win in a game of knuckles.

[Jim Underwood]

Whimper...

Been there done that. Never fun to get whacked is it?:(


But a nice looking turning. You've done it justice despite the whacking and the save!

I've got a bit of Osage I'm dying to get to...

[Bill Grumbine]

Ouch Curt! I know the feeling though, having been sawn or whacked by rough edges too. I hope your hand recovers quickly, and don't give up on those types of turnings. Just remember the rule - no body parts past the tool rest!

Bill