Replies

1. 
   hammer1 | Aug 19, 2011 09:14pm | #1

   Sure looks like it, should be rather heavy. You can put a few shavings in water and the water should turn yellow.

1. 
   PhillipB | Aug 22, 2011 01:18pm | #3

   Sorry for the late reply, but I thought I was set to receive posts.  Guess knot. :-))

   I also just received an 'Access Denied' message.   Anyway, ...

   I did as you suggested and soaked a handful of jointer shavings in water for a few days.  Does the image look the 'yellow' you had envisioned?

   
1. 
   hammer1 | Aug 23, 2011 06:35pm | #4

   I don't know of another species that has a yellow dye that will leach out in water like osage orange. If a few shavings turned that water yellow, I'd bet it was osage orange. In about 5 yrs. it will turn chocolate brown, then you'll know for sure.

2. 
   joinerswork | Aug 21, 2011 08:12pm | #2

   That looks more like yellow locust than osage orange to me, if the color is true in the picture.

   I have made a plane out of osage orange, and it seems to be pretty stable.  the piece of firewood I worked it out of was  pretty well seasoned, and the stock was quartersawn, well, quarter-split to be precise.

   Ray

3. 
   joinerswork | Aug 24, 2011 09:51am | #5

   Phillip,

   Colorwise, locust is more a pale yellow- green in color, while osage orange is more yellow to orange.  Osage orange burns hot, like locust, but while locust burns down quietly into a bed of hot long-lasting coals, osage orange constantly pops and throws sparks and embers like crazy.  It's impossible to safely burn it in a fireplace, and opening a stove door is the same as setting off a fireworks display.

   I don't know anything about how stable locust might be for a plane, I have an old, shop-made smoother that I think is locust, but it is a relic, not a user, I've never tried to recondition it to try it out. It is plenty hard enough to wear well, I'd think.

   Ray