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Thread: Osage Orange Wood - Good stuff?

  1. #1

    Osage Orange Wood - Good stuff?

    My sister is having her Osage cut down, bout 30ft tall, 4ft at the base. I'm having a few logs set aside. I wanted more and called a guy who quoted my $500 to slab them. Problem is it's in the backyard so he'd have to use a chainsaw mill and not w Woodmizer band saw setup.

    Then I looked into kiln drying and that was $4 a board foot. So easily $1,000+

    Think they're gonna leave me couple 6ft pieces but that about it.

    Anyone work with Osage wood? Wish I had the time and space to keep it all.

  2. #2
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    $4 a bft to dry it!?!? Assuming you have a fair amount, you should be closer to $0.50 a bdft to kiln dry it. A few things, one, ive only worked with Osage in shorter lengths. I think its one of those woods, like sycamore, that are difficult to dry and they are more prone to warp. It is an unusual wood to see in board form, which i think is a product of the latter. Can you set aside an area to sticker them and air dry the boards? Its slower, but its also free. If you want to use the rest of the wood, i would see if you have a turner's club locally that want green bowl blanks. I think it is more popular as turning blanks than it is in furniture making. The stuff is very hard and very dense. It's an unusual yellow shade too. I mostly know it for its density and hardness. I think its one of the hardest north american domestics.

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    By logs, I assume you mean some branches too? Here are the negatives; Osage can have a serious ring shake issue on the interior and many cracks radiating from the center. Yard trees have a very good chance of having metal inside of it. Everything from lag bolts to eye bolts. Lumber from branches is called reaction wood. It's caused by irregular stresses from the way a branch grows. There are more cells on the bottom of the branch than the top, and it warps and is loaded with internal stresses. I sure wouldn't make any deals to spend $1,000 on this until it's dropped and you see you bad it looks inside. As far as workability, it can be very brittle and chip easily going through a thickness planer. It is nearly unmatched for density and hardness. The color fades pretty quickly with direct sunlight exposure. Unparalleled for rot resistance. It burns almost as hot as coal, so would be really good for firewood. Except for the extreme sparking that can occur from the bark!

  4. #4
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    I have a friend who builds longbows that uses osage for limb laminations.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
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    So Cal
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    I’ve found Osage Orange to be very challenging. It has soft layers between hard layers of grain.
    The wood I used for these canes was pretty stable and I liked that. I also like to use hand tools whenever possible reading the grain was pretty tricky. So not much with that.
    Here’s the canes made.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Aj

  6. #6
    The Indians used Osage for bows, but without lamination. The guys of today who make the old type adhere to old
    way throughout .
    Last edited by Mel Fulks; 09-30-2019 at 5:40 PM.

  7. #7
    Andrew, those canes are so handsome that anyone accosting an owner would be proud to be beaten senseless with either.
    It doesn't get any better than that !

  8. #8
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mel Fulks View Post
    The Indians used Osage for bows, but without lamination. The guys of today who make the old type adhere to old
    way throughout .
    That's a common statement, but in actuality, Osage Orange had a very narrow native range until Europeans came to American and planted huge numbers of trees as a hedge row to contain animals before barbed wire became common. So technically you are correct, but it was a very small percent of Native Americans that had access to it.
    https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/mis...a/pomifera.htm
    https://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/1995/11/enduring-osage-orange
    Last edited by Richard Coers; 09-30-2019 at 8:13 PM.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
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    Woodstock, VA
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    Patrick,
    Yes, it's a little difficult to work but I love it. I would definitely have it cut. Air dried it'll be relatively inexpensive.
    If you decide to pass on it and you're anywhere close to VA let me know! I'd be happy to take that log off your hands.
    I made all the bench dogs for my bench from Osage.
    We will need pics!

  10. #10
    Thanks Richard. Just read it. Only found one error. That's the part that said it was used for barriers until barbed wire .
    Actually it is still used ,and at least into 1960's US government sold a pamphlet detailing how to make an Osage barrier.
    Last edited by Mel Fulks; 09-30-2019 at 9:31 PM. Reason: spelling

  11. #11
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    Woodstock, VA
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    Patrick,
    I tried to send you a message, if you do mill the Osage and would be interested in trading for some Pecan, let me know!
    Jeff

  12. #12
    Well sorry guys. Sister was too impatient and I didn't have time to get a mill guy called. I got about a 6ft by 20" log set aside.

    Here are a bunch of cut offs FREE if anyone is in the bay area. They're coming tomorrow to throw it in the chipper.


  13. #13
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    That's a cryin shame! Chipper? At least put it in a stove.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Mel Fulks View Post
    Andrew, those canes are so handsome that anyone accosting an owner would be proud to be beaten senseless with either.
    It doesn't get any better than that !
    Now that's the kind of elder abuse I like! :^)

  15. #15
    I like turning it. Makes good outside wood.

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