Horse Apple

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SDB777

SDB777

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Next up! How many names can a species be given before it gets confusing? Easy.....a LOT!!

This is a chunk of stuff I have very little of, so it isn't offered on the website, and I'm keeping what little I have left. It goes by the name 'Maclura pomifera' always...but can be called "Osage orange, hedge apple, horse apple, bois d'arc, bodark, or bodock".


This stuff is hard! After sanding to 600grit, I felt it would be a waste of time to do much else with it. So I applied some BLO, waited awhile and then EEE and waxed....ready to drive nails now!



Sr. Gent chrome:




As always, comments and critiques are most welcome!



Scott (an orange hammer....neat) B
 
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I have a few blanks of this stuff, and I do like to turn it. Mine is a much lighter yellow than yours, with golden grain lines. I have not seen any as dark as yours, but the pen is striking.

I have never tried to drive nails with it though!
 
I love this stuff, especially when you can find a piece with a small knot in it.

Looks great. As stated, a little darker than what I am used to, but still purty stuff.

Jake
 
VERY nice pen. But I'd be concerned about the name. Horse apple sounds a lot like another "fruit" also associated with horses around here, the legendary "road apple." Don't think I'd want a pen made of that . . . :-) Russ
 
Russknan said:
VERY nice pen. But I'd be concerned about the name. Horse apple sounds a lot like another "fruit" also associated with horses around here, the legendary "road apple." Don't think I'd want a pen made of that . . . :-) Russ
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Never know, it might look awesome if stabilized:eek:





Scott (don't eat the road apples) B
 
Nice work. Be aware that bois d'arc will get darker as the wood is exposed to sunlight. We have a lot of it around here. Can't think of another wood that's as hard to turn as this!
 
A very nice pen. I really like that wood. I have a small diameter (7")tree cut up into 12-15" logs and anchorsealed. Made a couple pens from some of it.
 

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jimm1 said:
I have a couple huge logs of this stuff. 1 is 8" diameter and 1 is 10" diameter. they are both about 4' long. my problem is getting it milled. A local guy keeps putting me off.
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If you were closer, I could throw it on the mill now!

The small log I had of this timber was about 22"{butt end} tapering to 16"{small end near a crotch}....and it was right at 7-1/2 foot in length. I cut it into 1" and 2-1/2" thickness and stickered it outside under a bunch of other timber.

Needless to say, most of it cracked during drying and I wasn't left with all that much to make blanks out of....that's why I'm hiding what little I have remaining.

Oh yeah, it's not that fun to mill. The yellow dust coming off the band gets into everything(nose, eyes, ears and such). And it stains too!







Scott (yellow boogers are funny) B
 
ironman123 said:
A very nice pen. I really like that wood. I have a small diameter (7")tree cut up into 12-15" logs and anchorsealed. Made a couple pens from some of it.
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I've never seen osage with those big of growth rings. Not sure the bark is right either, it's usually has flakes. Sure that is osage? Mulberry is easily confused with it, and it has those size of growth rings. Just wondering, I'm sure you know what you have.
 
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Scott, beautiful pen. Even though I have been frustrated time and time again with Osage Orange, it remains one of my favorite woods to turn because the results are spectacular. My everyday pen is an El Grande ballpoint with Osage Orange I was lucky to obtain from Louis Bryant.

Matthew
 
dtswebb said:
Scott, beautiful pen. Even though I have been frustrated time and time again with Osage Orange, it remains one of my favorite woods to turn because the results are spectacular. My everyday pen is an El Grande ballpoint with Osage Orange I was lucky to obtain from Louis Bryant.

Matthew
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What's happening...is it during the turn or ??
I find it to be somewhat troublesome to drill, but that's cause the drill bit probably needed some 'touch up' to get the edge back on it. It is a hard timber, and the flute of the drill bit do get 'loaded'(just back out and clean them to keep the blank from 'popping').
Turning crosscut requires a light touch and scary sharp tools to keep from 'catching' the grain and peeling everything away. But sanding is pretty straight forward....I start with 400grit and then sometimes use 800grit before applying BLO(grain popper), and then finish on this was EEE and wax.





Scott (I'll find some more soon.....I hope) B
 
Scott,

I believe the Osage Orange does not like being heated. When I drill too fast, or work with a used carbide cutter, or sand too aggressively, I seem to wind up with a crack. The wood I got from Louis also seemed to be more forgiving after sitting for a year.

When I take my time and don't push, I get a good result.

Matthew
 
I've had a few cracks, but it was from using dull tooling. Scary sharp is the only way to go with this stuff, and it's hard enough to come off the blank in 'ribbons'(just like acrylics).


Although, when I use friction polish, the blank gets quite warm/hot? Hmmm, maybe cause its a semi-liquid polish.....






Scott (keep that coffee comin') B
 
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