# A new wood for me... Bois d'Arc



## cuerodoc (Jan 27, 2012)

One of my friends gifted me some small sections of Osage Orange/Horseapple -other names- a while back. Felt this piece had sat long enough so I cut some blanks. Interesting color to the wood-- quite yellow& makes shavings that color too. Don't know if its just this tree or the species, but LOTS of character to the wood. Needed some inlay help, biggest one mostly just epoxy, the turquoise settled out-a minor oopsy.
Finish is BLO/shellac/DNA. 8.5 x 3 in.
Dave H


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

Nice turning. That kind of "character" is very common in osage orange. For color change, see my site.


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## ghost5 (Aug 19, 2012)

Yep they are that color, nice bowl. Grow like weeds here and are in the mulberry family. If you flame the wood it gives it a beautiful effect. It is a very common to see this wood used for duck, goose and deer calls and bowyers love it for self bows.


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## bigcouger (Jan 4, 2012)

Beautiful Bowl :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## guglipm63 (Feb 27, 2013)

nice, I'm still waiting to get ahold of some myself to try and make some turnings


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## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

Nice! As Paul said, it will darken over time, the small bowl I made 2 years ago started out bright yellow and is now a rich "chestnut brown". Even the underside of the foot (which never sees direct sunlight) is darker than when it was freshly cut, though it is still orange rather than dark brown.


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## Bonanza35 (Jan 20, 2011)

ghost5 said:


> If you flame the wood it gives it a beautiful effect.


Funny that you mentioned that. I was going to try that today but ran out of time. Osage has such wonderful chatoyance that I figured it might look cool torched and buffed. 

I love working with it. It cuts so cleanly and will polish to a good gloss even without finish on it. It's unusual color makes it one of those woods people seem to love or not care for at all. I'm in the first group.


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## ghost5 (Aug 19, 2012)

Bonanza35 said:


> Funny that you mentioned that. I was going to try that today but ran out of time. Osage has such wonderful chatoyance that I figured it might look cool torched and buffed.
> 
> I love working with it. It cuts so cleanly and will polish to a good gloss even without finish on it. It's unusual color makes it one of those woods people seem to love or not care for at all. I'm in the first group.


Here people hate it because it grows everywhere and is such a hard wood the cutters don't want to put their saw to it. It does turn great and takes a good finish. I will be cutting some soon for calls. I love it myself.


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## keith long (Jan 25, 2013)

I have made several pens out of it. Would love to have a chunk to make a bowl out of.


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## ghost5 (Aug 19, 2012)

Guys not to hijack Doc's thread just want to let you know I will have some wood to sell soon. If you want some of this species let me know and what size so I can see about getting it for you.


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## Woodwart (Dec 11, 2012)

ghost5 said:


> Yep they are that color, nice bowl. Grow like weeds here and are in the mulberry family. If you flame the wood it gives it a beautiful effect. It is a very common to see this wood used for duck, goose and deer calls and bowyers love it for self bows.


Interesting, as 'bois d'arc' means 'bow wood.'


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

Woodwart said:


> Interesting, as 'bois d'arc' means 'bow wood.'


So, you think maybe the French settlers to that area were onto something?


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## ghost5 (Aug 19, 2012)

phinds said:


> So, you think maybe the French settlers to that area were onto something?


Nope the French were simply giving it a name for what they saw. The Native People were using this wood for bows, it was a favorite, so the French gave it a name that made sense. Still does in fact. Here people call it Bow Dock.


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

ghost5 said:


> Nope the French were simply giving it a name for what they saw. The Native People were using this wood for bows, it was a favorite, so the French gave it a name that made sense. Still does in fact. Here people call it Bow Dock.


Uh ... ya think maybe that's what I meant?


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## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

I thought they named it in honor of Jeanne d'Arc.


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## ghost5 (Aug 19, 2012)

duncsuss said:


> I thought they named it in honor of Jeanne d'Arc.



Yeah but my version sounded better :laughing::laughing:


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## cuerodoc (Jan 27, 2012)

Interesting debate, as I recall "Bois" is French for tree and "d'Arc" does refer to Joan of Arc. The rest is history, believe she was secured to this kind of tree when she was "burnt".
I'm a wealth of semi useful facts.
Dave H


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## EastexToolJunky (Mar 25, 2013)

The wood is tough and makes excellent tool handles. It's a bit chippy when it's dry, but if your tools are sharp it will polish nicely. 









All of the yellow stoppers are fresh turned. 










Here's a bowl next to an axe handle that was just finished. The bowl is about a year old.


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