WOW #15 Osage Orange

[RSB-Refugee]

Osage orange, is the common name for Maclura pomifera,of the Family Moraceae. It is indigenous to Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. It has been naturalized throughout the eastern and north western US. It gets its name from the Osage indians, that lived in the region that the tree originated from. Osage orange was used by the Osage indians in the making of archery bows. Osage orange was planted by farmers to make a hedge row. With its shrubby and very thorny attributes, it made an excellent natural fence. It was used in the 1800's as railroad ties, it wore much better than oak. People believe that the fruit of the female trees naturally repel insects. Many people place them in their basements to keep crickets and spiders out of the house. The bark of the tree has an orange cast and was used during WWI for khaki dye.

The sapwood of Osage Orange is narrow and light yellow, while the heartwood is golden to bright orange, which darkens upon exposure. The heartwood can also contain red streaks. It has no characteristic odor or taste. The wood is very hard, heavy, tough, resilient and takes a high luster. It is ring porous and commonly confused with black locust. Osage Orange is considered one of the most durable woods in North America. Osage Orange is difficult to work due to its hardness.

If anyone has any more information, or some photographs of cue with osage orange in them, please share them.

Thanks,
Tracy

 

[dzcues]

If anyone has any more information, or some photographs of cue with osage orange in them, please share them.

No pictures of Osage Orange in a cue but a gentleman named Pat Walsh, who makes custom duck calls, made me a duck call from that wood. It was culled from the trunk of a friend's tree, which was struck by lightening.

http://www.dzcues.com/images/duck call.jpg

 

[Koop]

Thanks for getting them back on track Tracy.
I told you I enjoy these threads

Koop

 

[SpiderWeb]

osage orange

O/O & lace sheoak.

 

[RSB-Refugee]

No pictures of Osage Orange in a cue but a gentleman named Pat Walsh, who makes custom duck calls, made me a duck call from that wood. It was culled from the trunk of a friend's tree, which was struck by lightening.

http://www.dzcues.com/images/duck call.jpg

Nice pic, Bob. Are those black rings burnt in.

Tracy

 

[Tommy-D]

> Most people around my area refer to it as Bo-Doc,and the trees are also common in Tennessee,there are 3 less than 100 yards from my house,with another dozen or so in town. They have some kind of strange ball-like growth that falls from them. Tommy D.

 

[RSB-Refugee]

O/O & lace sheoak.

Very nice, Bill. Now I am going to have to look-up sheoak.

Thanks,
Tracy

By the way, do you core it?

 

[RSB-Refugee]

They have some kind of strange ball-like growth that falls from them. Tommy D.

That is the fruit, that I mentioned repels insects. It only grows on the female trees. Where I was raised in Ohio, we called them hedge apples and the tree was refered to as a hedge apple tree.

Tracy

 

[BLACKHEARTCUES]

That is the fruit, that I mentioned repels insects. It only grows on the female trees. Where I was raised in Ohio, we called them hedge apples and the tree was refered to as a hedge apple tree.

Tracy

I made a cue from Hedge, when I 1st started. It turned dark brown after a while. It will dull your lathe tools in a heartbeat...JER

 

[RSB-Refugee]

I made a cue from Hedge, when I 1st started. It turned dark brown after a while. It will dull your lathe tools in a heartbeat...JER

Thanks, Jerry. It is little bits of experience like this, along with the photos, that make these threads more enjoyable.

Tracy

 

[cueman]

Osage Orange also known as Bois D Arc, Bo Doc, Osage, and Hedge. I bought a bunch of Hedge logs when I lived in Missouri. (Yes it grows there also) Most use them for fence posts. The wood is super hard once dry. I had them sawn and kiln dried. They wound up with a lot of cracks in them so I just kept them around to slab up for inlay slabs. I recently got some that were dried in a way that they did not crack but they were all warped. After seeing how Osage it is prone to splitting I felt it would not be wise to use for structural parts on cues. Others have gotten by with it so I am not saying it should not be used but I have chosen not to. I have used Yellow Heart successfully and it is almost as pretty as Osage. Osage does turn dark provided it does not have UV protection in the finish and yellow heart seems to keep its color better and is real stable so I will stick with yellow heart for forearms. I have had one cuemaker swear that Osage hits better than any other wood. If you tap it it does seem to ring a little so I guess it might could go into the tone wood category also.
Chris
www.cuesmith.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com

 

[SpiderWeb]

Very nice, Bill. Now I am going to have to look-up sheoak.

Thanks,
Tracy

By the way, do you core it?

It is cored and it does crack very bad. I went through lots of wood just to get this piece. There is a man in Missouri that uses this wood a lot and he told he how to keep it from cracking, so time will tell. when it cracks it goes from one end to the other no matter how long the piece. Thanks

 

[BUGSY]

maybeeee.........posssssssibly.............post how to keep from .....splitting...lol

 

[RSB-Refugee]

maybeeee.........posssssssibly.............post how to keep from .....splitting...lol

maybeeee.........posssssssibly.............learn how to quote people, so we know who you are refering to...lol

Tracy

 

[Penrose Cues]

Personally, I hate Osage Orange as cue wood. It's one of the most unstable hardwood species I know of. Warpage and splitting are very normal and do occure in 99% of the pieces of this wood.

Besides that, even when it's "dry", has the intensity to let some sap flow, wich makes finishing it almost impossible.

What was mentioned by BLACKHEARTCUES is also true. Better not turn this wood with carbide tools. SS is much better for this as it can be sharpened much better than the carbide.

Tom Penrose

 

[RSB-Refugee]

Personally, I hate Osage Orange as cue wood. It's one of the most unstable hardwood species I know of. Warpage and splitting are very normal and do occure in 99% of the pieces of this wood.

I would hate to take a chance on having a cue with such an unstable wood in it. At the same time though, I do like the look of the one Bill Webb posted. How do you feel about its use as inlay material?

Tracy

 

[Penrose Cues]

You can use anything as inlay material as long as it's kept small. For bigger slabs, I think you'ld be better of with more stable materials.

But that' just my personal opinion. I might be completely wrong...

Tom Penrose

 

[cuesmith]

You can use anything as inlay material as long as it's kept small. For bigger slabs, I think you'ld be better of with more stable materials.

But that' just my personal opinion. I might be completely wrong...

Tom Penrose

I've built several cues from Osage Orange and have never had a problem! I have some very clear osage that I've air dried in my shop for about 10 years. Naturally there was some splitting and probably more rejected turning squares than normal, but it also makes a great handle IMHO! The stuff I've used was very straight grained and rather plain except for it's bright yellow color. It Looks kinda good with ebony points and accents. I made a cue last year for a kid from Georgia Tech who wanted yellow and black colors and used Osage & Ebony. He loved it!

just more hot air!


Sherm