When my four sons were little, we used to cut firewood and sell it. I helped them make a brochure to advertise and one part of it had all PA hardwoods ranked by btus. Osage Orange was at the top. It took on mythic proportions in our home, and I was asked time and again if we were cutting Osage Orange. In PA, I've never actually seen one in the wild. My son, now almost 22, remembered Osage Orange and sent me this picture from the church he attends at college. A person from the congregation is a wood worker and found an Osage Orange tree that had been hit by lightning. He made the church a baptismal font from part of it, topped by a rock they also found. Really beautiful work.
Wow! That is a very nice piece. I particularly like the design of the legs and the metal work. I hope that church doesn't have any firewood hoarder parishioners......
Being a woodworker myself, I can tell you that Osage is some beautiful wood when its finished. The trouble is its hard on tools, blades and the guy working it. Never had sparks fly out of my planer before! From a firewood standpoint, Osage means one thing - massive BTU's! It should be used with caution in a catalytic wood stove - it can really increase the temp, real fast. I save it for the dead of winter for the OWB. Good thing our woods is filled it - nasty stuff to deal with but, man once its ready CSS, it's some great stuff.
Ha! That piece is made from a tree in my yard. What a coincidence to find it on this site. The main trunk is still here. Almost 5ft in diameter. I hope to get a table top slab out of it.
Gorgeous! Of course I like it... Being a Deacon. Nothing quite looks like OO. Have a couple of v. Small OO on my property. Burned a little last year in my airtight fireplace. VERY hot & lots of fireworks if you crack open the glass door.
I cut a few hedge branches today that were all knarled...I know it is osage given the hedge apples...a 4 inch branch was tough for my 441. You will find it along farmer's fields in the midwest. My grandpa had hedgeapple trees near his creek. They may be gone by now. Mu uncle cleaned that area up amd burned in a bonfire quite possibly that valuable wood.
This hedge was along a field on the edge of my brother's property. Should you get some, mix a small amount into your stove My brother damaged his burn tubes with too much in his stove.
Yep, its excellent wood especially when you mix it with a easier lighting wood. But I've burnt pure hedge full load, and never had any damage. It sounds like he wasn't air tight on his stove or left the air open too long. It doesn't take long for the BTU's to get rolling.
I bet that thing doesn't get moved much...got to be all kinds of heavy. I want to know what he used to cut those arches out with.
