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Osage orange

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2018 9:35 pm
by Bob Howell
Cut a third of my Osage orange up today. Backs and fret board blank.
Must find or trade for sides. Any one have slab suitable for sides. I have 7 backs here and wood for 10 or more, but no sides.
Trade

Re: Osage orange

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2018 11:34 pm
by Bob Gramann
Look for a private message.

Re: Osage orange

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2018 2:36 pm
by Bob Howell
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I got this log section, 27" at big end and 24 at small end. 22" long, a real monster. Base section, so lots of stress wood, with curl showing in sides I have cut so far. Cut it up last June and then these sides . Wood is already fairly dry with no free moisture. I think it will be ready by summer to use. Sides are 1/8-1/4" now. I used a blade designed to cut out green bowl blanks. 3/8", 3 tpi and .032 thick. I'm 72 and don't think I will use more than 2-3 sets in my lifetime. I have other wood like birdseye and curly maple.

Also I have great cherry I could use for sides paired with this osage. No one seems to do this but I think it would look great!!

Re: Osage orange

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2018 3:41 pm
by Bob Francis
I think the colors would look great!

Re: Osage orange

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2018 8:33 pm
by Ed Minch
Here is what the OO looks like a month old and a year down the line. I think the color might not look so good with cherry - ymmv

Ed

Re: Osage orange

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2018 6:38 pm
by Bob Howell
That looks like cherry to me,but l am color blind in those shades. So I have a real problem there

Re: Osage orange

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2018 6:44 pm
by Bob Gramann
I promise you that aged Osage and aged cherry do not share the same color though both are beautiful.

Re: Osage orange

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2018 8:33 pm
by Bryan Bear
Agreed^^^^^^

Re: Osage orange

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2018 9:52 pm
by Bob Howell
I love aged cherry and was hopping it would look good with aged osage but you seem to be saying both are beautiful but would not look good together. Is that it.

I see everyone matching sides and backs and find that limiting. But I know certain woods might not look good paired over time. Being slightly color blind in reds and brown strikes right where most woods fall and exasperates me.

Guess I must play it safe and pair woods as traditionally do.

For a real walk on the wild side; I have just discovered blood wood. I am wondering if I could pair it about 20% with osage for the fret board. Parlor for for a young girl. They love dramatic colors. But would it age well?

Now I am making perfling and back stripes of bloodwood maple and black veneer, but I am looking for ways to increase uses.

Re: Osage orange

Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2018 9:00 pm
by Bob Howell
How does Osage bend. How thick should it be taken down to for bending.

Re: Osage orange

Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2018 9:37 pm
by Bob Gramann
I make my Osage sides around .080” plus or minus .004”. It bends very nicely, sometimes dry, sometimes spritzing it helps. One of its names is “bois d’arc” pronounced “bodark” because it was used to make bows (like in “bow and arrow”) where bending is a useful property.

Re: Osage orange

Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2018 9:48 pm
by Ed Minch
OO is also called "poor man's Brazilian Rosewood" because of similarities in density and surface hardness. It sure sounds rich on the guitar and uke I have built with it - more staccato than a mahogany uke for sure.

Ed