Osage Orange preparation

[Chuck Scott]

Hello, I've recently been given permission to harvest a few Osage Orange trees and would like to know what's been the best method for preparation for an easier turning vs. it being completely dry.

I don't turn wood (yet), but the wood turners I've worked with in the past are pretty specific about the osage orange. They'd prefer it not to be totally dry due to it's hardness. Since I've sourced most of my premium wood from a local lumber store, most of their wood is completely dry.

Now that I have access to the osage orange, I'll be able to provide them something a little easier to turn.

I was just curious if there are members that have a vast amount of experience turning osage orange and what preparation suggestions you have for freshly cut osage orange that will be turned to make Indian Clubs.

Thank you

 

[Lamar Wright]

Hi Chuck and welcome to the forum. I've turned several pieces of dry Orange Osage but never any green. Orange Osage is a beautiful wood IMHO. Sorry, can't help on wet Osage. Just a guess, I would turn it like any other green wood. Just turn it oversized until it dry's then finish.

 

[Chuck Scott]

Lamar, thank you for welcoming me to the forum and I'll keep in mind to oversize turn it.

Thank you - chuck

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

In about 1995 I was given a large piece of OO that I made a lamp out of, but I can't remember how dry it was and it didn't crack. The wood didn't have much character and after about 6 months of use in my sisters house it oxidized to a bland color. I Googled and got the shrinkage - Radial: 3.8%, Tangential: 5.6%, Volumetric: 9.2%, T/R Ratio: 1.5. The best resource would be to look up the nearest local AAW clubs to get their opinion.
Unless some one with more experience with it reply's I would cut it into 3 x 3's (to accommodate the club) then like Lamar said turn it over sized and let it dry for about a year keeping a record of the weight. The the weight will change the most in the first weeks and start to taper off and finally stabilize at a constant value.

 

[hockenbery]

I mostly turn Osage when wet into NE bowls or HF Have turned gavels and spheres from Osage that I dried.
Also Did a commission for award plates from dry Osage Orange used to build the Sultana reproduction.
Not much fun...

The trees I have cut had 2 inch thorns. Still hurts when I think about backing into a branch of them. So watch for that.

Have successfully dried 3x3 pieces 3-4 long cut from wet wood on the bandsaw.
Coat the endgrain with wood sealer put on a shelf with stickers for airflow let dry for 18+ months in a room with 50% or less relative humidity check with moisture meter.

ball in a ball 3”D from dry Osage


Hollow form that had a hidden crack -
decided it would be a good teaching aid - not much interesting wood except for the sap ring

hollow form ( probably mulberry) they look a like to me

 

[Doug Freeman]

Ive harvested and turned osage orange. Nothing special is required to prep it or turn it. As with any wood, it is easier to turn wet vs dry.

With a finished dia of 2-5/8”, blanks need to be ~3”. Curious where you are getting 3” material that is actually dry? Takes ~1 year/1” to air dry.

For the clubs you probably want straighter grain, so cut the tree up with that in mind. Depends on the turner and methods just how long the blanks need to be, ~18-19”? Cut the logs to length then cut 3 to 3-1/4” square blanks and seal the ends unless they will be turned immediately.

 

[Mike Brazeau]

Buy an extra chain for your saw and an extra Bandsaw blade. Avoid the pith and seal the ends of the blanks. If you do get a lathe you could start with a spindle roughing gouge and get a feel for interacting with the spinning wood and turn some over sized cylinders as spindle blanks, sealing the ends before drying. I use an old electric frypan and candle wax heated to above the boiling point of water to seal spindle blank ends and sawn bowl blanks. Works well with very few cracking issues. When it somes to final turning have a grinder nearby because you will use it a lot. I have attached a page from a presentation on wood preparation I put together for club demonstrations a few years ago.

 

[robo hippy]

Well, most of the Osage I have seen is not very straight. To make that type of exercise pin (you can juggle with them, but very heavy and will hurt your toes and fingers), best option would be to split the blanks and then turn them round and round over the ends, then seal the ends and down the sides maybe 3 inches, then put it on a shelf and forget about it for several years. The straight grain will allow the pins to survive dropping better than if you have any cross grain in them because they will break following the grain. Osage is a very hard wood, so you can't turn by thinking that you can rough it down in seconds. You have to take smaller bites when turning.

robo hippy

 

[Chuck Scott]

*Hippy and *Freeman,

Yes, straight grain is the goal, as the Indian Clubs do indeed get banged up a fair bit. Mostly due to hitting each other while exercising with them more so than dropping them. So, yes a straight grain species is definitely a plus. We've had great luck and success with cherry and hard maple. The osage orange would be much more unique and definitely a much denser and heavier club.

 

[hockenbery]

It is called bodark in Texas for two reasons.
1. The French called it bois d'arc Wood of the bow from it being used as such by native Americans
2. The best the succeeding colinists could do was bodark.

Trees in Maryland were straight grained. If your trees are growing In the open they will likely be straight grained.

Useless trivia
It was not known east of the Mississippi until Louis and Clark introduced it to science as the Osage apple.
They sent sent cuttings to Jefferson who planted them in Philadelphia and at montecello.
Eventually it was widely planted as living fences because of the thorns.

 

[RichColvin]

I turn it dry as that is how I usually get it (from the firewood pile). I find it turns well.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

@hockenbery when I was a kid in Louisiana, and yes there is a good bit of Bo Doc . At least that was the sound of it. My Uncle had a giant one in his drive. Wish I had it now.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

I had another thought about this if there is difficulty finding large enough trees. If the tree is say about 6" diameter square it to a 4" x 4" x 2' ( bark on the corners is not a problem) then band say down thru the center and pith, mark the pairs and end coat with ankor seal. After about 2 years or kiln drying run the pith sides thru a jointer then glue them back together and depending on how much warpage you would still have better then 3" of stable material. This method would also produce stable blanks from crooked trees.

 

[Jon Minerich]

I just finished up a 10” lidded bowl out of Osage orange. As most said, it is a very hard, dense wood. You must sharpen your tools often and take your time turning it. It polished up and finished very nicely. It can also have some nice grain. Just follow everyone’s instruction as noted above. Attached is a pic. I a making a smaller finial/knob for the top. This one didn’t quite come out to scale.

 

[Timothy White]

The best time to harvest Bois d’arc is in the dead of winter when the sap is down. The sap will gum up a chain saw chains and turning tools. It takes mineral spirits to clean this sap off tools hands gloves ect. Bois d’arc needs to be processed or at least have the bark removed before spring to keep the powder post beetles out of it.

 

[Kevin Weir]

I used to have a few Osage Orange trees on my property that I planted from seed. Finally cut them down after getting numerous flat tires on my lawn tractor from the thorns. The wood is very rot resistant. If the tree you cut is large enough, you might want to consider trimming the whitish sapwood off. It will typically check even if end-coated, at least the pieces I have dried experienced checking. The wood takes a very fine finishing cut. You will enjoy turning it! Good luck.

 

[RichColvin]

It holds cuts well. Here is a knob I made for a lid.