Bodart, Orange Osage, How much?

[chuckm]

I came across a supply of Orange Osage, still in log form, he invested 1000$ several year's ago, and has never used it all. He probably knows it's value. Still I can't afford its true price but I though I would offer 200$ for all I could get , and see if he interested in unloading some are all.

[paladin]

Depending on the physical dimensions, and where it was cut from....a decent stave for a bow can bring upwards of 200 bucks...smaller pieces, approx. 2 x 4 x 24 can bring 20-25 dollars if it's clear grain. I used it for block shells, belaying pins and such, and laminations for stem and backbone and frames..... Good air dried, seasoned Bois d'Arc is good stuff, laminates well, almost rot proof. Fence posts my granddad put down 60 years ago still stand.

[TerryLL]

Got my hands on several chunks of osage some years ago and promptly turned it all into weaving shuttles. Some of the prettiest, hardest, and smoothest shuttles I ever cranked out. Was only able to save one for myself as they were hot sellers. That fabulous color has faded over the years, but it's still incredibly smooth.

[Hughman]

Jeez, I'd love to get some Bodark. Maybe I need to do a road trip! :)

[Stiletto]

In my experience the unknown quality of what is inside a log makes the price of timber in that form quite a bit less than sawn wood. Go for it!

[Three Cedars]

Better check for wood borers first and checking , it doesn't sound good if it has sat in the round for several years.

[Bob Smalser]

Bodarc, Orange Osage, How much?

$400 a ton is a typical starting point....more if it has some clear, straight sawlogs 6' or longer and less if it's all curved and suitable only for frames, shuttle and bobbin blanks.

And if there are pinholes in any of the heartwood, pass it by entirely.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/18169354/285438315.jpg

[chuckm]

Well, it's been standing on E-Texas-ground a long time. It's a freinds neighbor who brought it in from a North-Central Texas ranch for a 1000$. It's checked and gnarly. Still would have to have a local portable mill-wright cut. So he'll see if I can buy 50$ worth, for a couple three best logs and give his son n law who owns the local portable mill 150$ or so. that's not too bad. what do you thing? I'm coming along rather nicely with my Keel version Grey Seal. I was thinking and admiring what Bob Abers did with his Osage with his building Susan. Trim work... I wish I had a portable phone and took a pic. I'm old school/cheap.

[SeaB]

If its checked and gnarly, you won't get much decent wood out of it, unless the logs are very large [ie 13-14" under the bark at the small end or larger] even then gnarled wood has many uneven stresses in it and is not stable. If its been around for several years in the Texas heat, in my opinion after years of buying logs to have sawed, its only worth what firewood goes for in your area assuming that its sound[no rot, or other serious defects like gnarly, checked, insect damage etc.]
It should only be sawed on a band saw mill, as stessed, gnarly wood is very dangerous to saw on the older style, circular saw mill.
If you want wood that is good enough to use on a boat, buy standing wood or wood just cut and lying roadside. Get it sawed promptly, get it stacked, stickered and covered properly. With some luck you might get wood useful for a boat.
How cheap will it be if you only get to use 5% of it? Best of luck! Phil

[Bob Smalser]

I was thinking and admiring what Bob Abers did with his Osage with his building Susan. Trim work... I wish I had a portable phone and took a pic. I'm old school/cheap.

You can't produce a straight board from a crooked log, period. I've seen few Osage sawlogs that would produce trim. It's used to produce frames from natural crooks, and you need a pile of it to match the crooks to your patterns without grain runout. Add small logs with lots of checking and other degrade to that equation, and you may be wasting your money.

It's also quite heavy, and used above the waterline where lighter-weight woods will work isn't the best practice.

[chuckm]

Thanks guy's, I'll save my money. But i'm always on the "look" for boat wood. I did come across some decent long leaf pine from a reclamation of a old Ante- Bellum veranda designed 1920's home. It was being "This old House" redone into a Law Practice office. There were some nail's, but over-all quite good. The portable mill wright , son n law of my freind did have some Black Gum. He had recently cut. It was knot free and quite a pretty wood. Looked like Walnut. I know Sweet Gum is native to this area, Can't say I've heard or seen of a Black Gum. Maybe I should ask about this stash. What do you know about Black Gum?

[SeaB]

Look around for some black locust, see other thread for extensive list of properties and of similar locust trees. If your really interested in exploring native woods for boat building, get a good pocket reference on western or southwestern trees. Learn to identify standing trees and you will likely begin to find plenty of good boat wood. Phil