Osage orange

[sbwertz]

I finally got around to cutting up a piece of osage orange I got last summer. No one told me it would make my whole workshop smell like an Orange Julius franchise!

Really pretty wood, but the smell was a pleasant surprise.

Is there anything special I need to know about turning it?

 

[MarkHix]

the dryer it gets, the harder it gets. some say it is bad to split, I am about 70/30 on that, I have had a few peices that split. The bright yellow color fades to a nice brown over time and you cannot stop it. It is one of my favorites.

 

[jimm1]

Sharon, Osage is a great turn. I too am in the middle of cutting some up. Its been drying out for some time now. I have such a big piece, I need to bring it the Amish Country to have it milled. Try turning some crosscut. What a beautiful turn.

 

[Holz Mechaniker]

Something to add, I enjoy turning Osage. Hated making Bows out it.

If you can get some of the "Fruit" put it in an old Nylon and hang it in your basement... You will not have spiders. or so the old wives tale goes.

 

[Rick P]

Tight ringed and dense it preforms well in both tension and compression making it an excellent choice for longbows......never turned it though.

 

[rizaydog]

It does smell great. I love to turn that and olivewood.

 

[keithlong]

I have turned a bunch of it and I love it. The crosscut grain is just beautiful.

 

[sbwertz]

This piece was only about 3 1/2 inches in diameter, so crossgrain wasn't really an option. Heartwood was only about 3". Beautiful color, this is rather old so it is a deep orange-brown. I'll post some pictures later. (I'm watching quals for the Nationwide race right now! Mark Martin is racing in Nationwide today. Go Mark!)

 

[widows son]

Harder than Pecan or Hickory when dry IMHO. I make tool handles with it. Lots of bug tracks in the cambium in the last tree but the dark brown heart wood that finished nicely.

 

[ohiococonut]

I got a piece of Osage as a gimmie from some blanks I bought. I wondered why it was bright yellow with the name Orange?
It's funny how some blanks have their own distinctive smell. I really like turning BOW too but I'm not fond of the green olive smell, and as much as I like Buckeye Burl........well, it just smells like horse manure

 

[Dalecamino]

I'm watching quals too! :biggrin: Sharon, I made this pen for my barber who is a 1st Cavalry veteran. The pen did turn brown within a couple of months after I gave it to him. Not only did it turn brown but, the CA came loose in places and the pen just plain looked UGLY:redface: I couldn't believe it was the same pen. Just wanted you to know what happened to MY pen. Doesn't mean it will happen to you. Go ahead and, try it out.