Best way to process an Osage Orange tree for $

Nutball

TreeHouser
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Mt. Juliet, TN
I have a big Osage Orange tree with a very good trunk. I should be able to get about a 6-7ft long 18" diameter clean and straight trunk which could make some nice furniture. I figure the best way to get the most money out of it would be to use a band saw to cut several 1/4" thick boards, so they can be put over a frame to make a table, chest, dresser, or whatever. I don't know any good processing and drying methods for the best outcome, and I don't know who would have the equipment near me to do it. I have an offer of $50 for the log, but I think I could get $500-2000 if I use it wisely. It would be a shame to make firewood out of such a good log. I've already cut up a good straight twin trunk black walnut for firewood thinking it was too small to be worth anything, and it looked diseased. I just remembered osage naturally has splits inside which may or may not have rot.
 
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I think they like younger limbs using the wood just inside the white sapwood, but you could get maybe 50 bows out of it.
 
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I mean I might get that if I take the time to build some nice furniture. I think I could build a support structure underneath out of pine or oak, and lay 1/4" osage boards on top to get the most out of the log.
 
I sell a lot of osage trees to a bowyer that lives by me. I usually can get anywhere from 100-500 per tree with out doing anything to them but cutting the down, he likes the bigger trees with wide growth rings for his higher poundage bows and will usually pay even more for those logs. Don't forget that the upper logs have the same use, it is way more profitable to hand split the logs into staves, then you can sell them for as high as 75 bucks/stave. Just depends on how much work you want to put into them. It is definitely worth more than walnut per board foot but also has a smaller market. It's the only tree I will search for and pay cash for anytime I can
 
Quarter inch thick is way too thin to mill a wood like that, about any wood really. If it twists or cups when drying, as it likely will somewhat or a lot, you'll be left with nothing. Real thin boards over a frame is not a good general consideration for furniture construction either, unless some specific application with a purppose to build that way is in mind. Slabs that you can likely get some thickness dimension out of when seasoned, is a safe and practical bet.

Osage can make a useful turning wood as well, if you have chunks.

Thicker is a good way to go when you don't have a specific use in mind for the material when milling, but it can end up being wasteful when you get to using it and need thinner wood. Such is life ...
 
My neighbor has been cutting cants for storage, since neither he or I know what we will individually do with our wood that we split for the milling.
 
Osage Orange is very valuable. A 7' long, straight 4" limb can bring in as much as 400 dollars.

Also, Osage Orange is listed at the very top of the firewood heat value charts. One full cord of Osage Orange is worth about 250 dollars.

Joel
 
A guy not far from me builds bows with it, and he sawed some up for a floor in the utility room of his cabin. It has a nice, unique look to it.
 
If you can get $50 to $100 bucks for that log I would take the cash and forget about furniture and bow staves and firewood. I think you'll be ahead in the long run myself .
 
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