need more osage orange....

[Jaeger]

By the way: Generally Bois D'arc or Osage Orange is a really bright yellow right after you cut it, but then changes or oxidizes to a brown color after a while. If you LIKE that yellow color for your project, then seal it fairly soon with a type of clear varnish or something. I've done this and it stayed yellow. If you don't seal it, then....pfffttt....gone.

 

[Jaeger]

Think about it: you could make yerself a YELLER gun.....

 

[Rifleman1776]

I have done tests with OO and exposure to light, air, etc. It is the UV that is the culprit. Kept in dark the color stays. If I can locate the pics I'll post.
On a wood working forum I belong to a lot of people have tried a lot of things, rivaling patch lube formulas :shocked2: , to try to prevent the color change. Nothing works. Some reports say high quality marine varnishes with UV retardants work best. But they only slow the process a little, not a lot.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Think about it: you could make yerself a YELLER gun.....

It would be a pretty heavy yeller gun.

 

[Jaeger]

Come to think of it, Rifleman, the yellow-handled knife I made has never been in UV light much. That's probably why it's still yellow. It's all science.

 

[yeoldcraftsman]

Kaintuck, what sizes are you looking for? If you plan on using for tips I have some 1x1x12 dried pieces available.
Gary

 

[Rifleman1776]

Come to think of it, Rifleman, the yellow-handled knife I made has never been in UV light much. That's probably why it's still yellow. It's all science.

Yep. I have a shop pencil I made for myself. It stays in the pencil slot of my shop apron except for when in actual use. The very top that sticks out is darkening but the rest is yellow. A little darker than when I made it but still yeller.

 

[kaintuck]

thank you everyone...i got some sent to me.....enuff for a while...... :stir:

mom has one that needs cutting....but she's in KY~ so......SOMEtime~SOMEday i'll get the chain saw out.........

 

[Jaeger]

Jes' don't rush into anything.... :grin:

 

[fleener]

are you really 98 year old??? if so, how old is your mom???

Fleener

 

[wmaser]

You can't swing a cat on my property without hitting an Osage Orange tree. Folks around here call them "Monkey Ball trees". I make longbows out of them. Let me know if you want some. I'll send you a log.

 

[kaintuck]

She's a young woman....ALWAYS will be :grin:

But my sister is older than, and always will be!!! :stir:

I found that OO splits nice, and works on the lathe nice.....but shore is hard on the shoulders when sawing! :shocked2:

 

[Eric Krewson]

I make bows, have made lots of bows, just finished #145. Every so often I have to clean out my accumulated osage scraps so I can continue walking through my shop. I always have a tinge of regret when I touch a match to a pile of this beautiful wood but it has to be done.

When I was much younger I went on a tear cutting osage and have more stockpiled than I will use in two lifetimes, and no, I won't sell any. I am a wood hoarder/pack rat type, can't turn it loose.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I am a wood hoarder/pack rat type, can't turn it loose.

One of my Frankisms is: There is no such thing as scrap wood.

 

[omarick1948]

I can't believe that there is this many posts over the stuff! .... Nobody have a day job anymore?..... :rotf:

 

[BillinOregon]

Eric, Wild Bill 2, would love to see some of your longbows. We have some wonderful bow wood native to Oregon here -- thinking Pacific Yew and vine maple in particular -- but osage ranks up there with the greats.

 

[fleener]

my kids call the fruit, monkey brains.

fleener