Where can I find Osage Orange?

[MikeH]

After using many woods to turn and build things I've decided my favorite wood is Osage Orange.The color is beautiful when it's first cut or turned, but I'm even more of a fan of the color once the wood had aged a little and been exposed to light.

Has anyone else turned or built anything with Osage Orange?
Does anyone have a source of Osage Orange boards larger than turning blanks?

 

[Mark Gottesman]

I like using it for Knife handles and I would like to try and incorporate it into small stringed instruments. Can't help you with a source for larger boards. Since the tree is usually grown as a living fence and tends to be small and twisted, you may find it a challenge to find "dimensional pieces.

Good luck, it is a beautiful wood and well worth the effort.

 

[MikeH]

I just found and bought 100 Osage Orange seeds on ebay. If anyone is interested in a few let me know and I'll get in touch with you once I receive the seeds.

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Mike, try a Google search for Osage Orange. Looks like there are some sources for lumber, but I didn't see any locally.

 

[Dreuxgrad]

Sorry, this is probably not as big as you need.
The biggest one is osage, which this season had its thorns(watch out). Its finished its second growing season here in Durham.
I picked up a couple of seeds from the Audie Murphy/Cotton museum in Texas
from the parking lot.
Ed

 

[jaustin]

there a few members on http://www.woodbarter.com/ that sells osage orange for a pretty reasonable price.

You can post in the want to buy area for the sizes you would like or look in the for sale area.

 

[ncfromnc]

Asheville Hardware in Asheville has some HUGE slabs of osage orange. They are 30-40" wide slabs 6'-7' tall and taller in 8/4 or 10/4. Expensive. I didn't know the tree got this big!

 

[jcz]

I use it all the time. It makes a great duck call. It is prone to cracks and checks while drying. If you happen to get boards that are not fully dry yet. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[mayszs]

I have a couple kiln dried 6/4 boards that have been in the rafters for about a year and I have yet to figure out what to do with them.
Let me know if you're still looking/interested and I can pull them down, take pictures and measurements.

 

[KenOfCary]

Zack,

I would love to have some 3/4" pieces for segments. Don't need a lot, shorts or narrow strips are excellent if you need to get rid of some. 6/4 could likely be re-sawn to almost 3/4. You're a ways south of here. Do you ever get up towards Raleigh?

 

[MikeH]

there a few members on http://www.woodbarter.com/ that sells osage orange for a pretty reasonable price.

You can post in the want to buy area for the sizes you would like or look in the for sale area.

I just signed up on Woodbarter. Thanks John.

 

[mayszs]

The two pieces I have are 5/4 not 6/4 sorry.
Exact dimensions are 63.5 x 3 1/8 x 1.25 (rough cut)
The second is 66 x 3 5/8 x 1 3/16 (planed)
I bought it for $6.25/BF from a small lumber mill outside Philly. If anyone is up that way I highly recommend stopping by http://www.mycustomlogcutting.com
I'm not trying to make anything off of it, just not loose money in the process. I'm always open to trade and am currently looking for 4/4 Walnut, 4/4-6/4 cherry and 6/4 to 12/4 Hard Maple.
I rarely make it up that way but you may be in luck as I have a meeting there next Tuesday afternoon.

 

[cyclopentadiene]

Try Criagslist Lynchburg Va. There is a person that advertises lumber there that claims to have Osage Orange as one item. They also have magnolia and many other unusual species. Price is good, $3 per bf but have never purchased from this individual. Not sure about the quality as there are no photos. this ad shows up about once every week or two.

 

[KHageman]

Try Richmond Craigslist. There is a vendor who has approximately 600 board feet of Osage Orange listed for 4 to 5 dollars a board foot. He used to have pictures on the listing, but no more. Started out with 700 board feet. Worth checking out.