# Mystery Yellow Wood



## GNiessen (Dec 7, 2011)

The wood came from my father-in-law, who is getting on in years and does not have specifics on where and when the wood was acquired. But it is all about firewood lenght to twice as long and 6-12 inches in diameter. He obviously painted most of the ends with a green paint when he got it (10-15 years ago). And it has been in a shed since, roof, but no walls. It is local to Northern Alabama, a very yellow core, and a thick coarse bark.

I had not seen anything like it, though I am from Michigan/Wisconsin originally. But based on the site HobbitHouse, I think it is Osage Orange.

I will post pictures shortly. I tried to as I made this post, but ran into problems getting the pictures off the camera. So nothing to show right now.

Stay tuned.


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## GNiessen (Dec 7, 2011)

Here are some Photos I uploaded to my photo account.





































The full images can be seen at my SmugMug page.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

The bark doesn't look like Osage Orange, or Bodock, as we call it around here.

I would guess it might be Locust. Often used for fence posts because it weathers very good.


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## Nomad62 (Apr 20, 2010)

I'd say black locust. Very hard, and hard on blades.


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## GNiessen (Dec 7, 2011)

The wood does not seem the right color for Black Locust, based on the images on HobbitHouse site. And the cell pattern seems different as well.

Here is a better shot at the bark :









I also added a shot taken in natural sunlight:









All the photos in higher resolution on my smugmug site: gniessen.smugmug.com


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## SASmith (Mar 22, 2010)

It looks like mulberry to me.


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## Newton (Jun 29, 2008)

Black Locust is my guess.


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## bound (Jan 13, 2011)

Hickory!


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## Pimzedd (Jan 22, 2007)

Willow?


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## SASmith (Mar 22, 2010)

What do you think?


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## KnotWright (Nov 6, 2008)

Sure looks like Bodark / Osage Orange / Horse Apple to me. Hurricane blew one down in my parents yard and I've been cutting it up for inlay and using smaller pieces for hammer and ax handles. VERY tough stuff. Makes good knife handles too!

I'll see if I can snap a picture of some of the pieces I have downstairs for ya.


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## hairy (Sep 23, 2008)

mulberry


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

It is not black locust since black locust only has 1 or two years of a sapwood ring, and this example has at least 7 or 8 years of sapwood growth. It is either osage orange or mulberry. Since the pores are totally occluded with tyloses, I am going with osage orange. They are both in the same family, but osage is denser and heavier.


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## Bearpie (Feb 19, 2010)

Not Hickory!


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## rance (Sep 30, 2009)

That looks like Osage Orange. Especially pic 3 & 4.


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## fussy (Jan 18, 2010)

osage orange. When are you sending us some?

Steve


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## TCCcabinetmaker (Dec 14, 2011)

There's some of this laying around at the shop, I think someone said osage orange (which produces an ineatable orange) not an apple. It is definitavely not Hickory, as Hickory is more white - pink in hugh with brown undertones.

Another posibility is camfer, which is native to Northern, and Southern Alabama, but I'll dig out a stick and varify. There are some really good books on identifying lumbers and their uses. It's just been a long time since I've looked at it.


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## DBoltz (Nov 20, 2011)

My guess would be mulberry. I just sliced some up from a tree in my back yard I cut down last year. Looks similar but still can't say for sure.


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## DMIHOMECENTER (Mar 5, 2011)

If it is camphor, the smell will tell you for sure.


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

It is not mulberry even though the color is similar. The key difference is in the pores. In osage orange, the pores are completely occluded with a crystalline substance called tyloses. This is the same structure that allows white oak to be used for wine and whiskey barrels. Tyloses retard moisture movement. Since red oak does not have tyloses completely occluding the pores, it is not suitable for barrels.

The pores in mulberry may have some tyloses, but they are not totally filled solid like in osage orange. In fact, looking at the end grain of mulberry will show the open pores. In the sample in the pics, the pores are totally filled with tyloses, hence osage orange.


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## GNiessen (Dec 7, 2011)

I think it is Osage Orange, rather then Mulberry because of the bark. The bark is a lighter tan and is a softer fibrous texture then the Mulberry appears. I also think the cell pattern in Mulberry looks more uniform. And it does have 7 years of sap wood, so not Black Locust.

I had not realized that Osage Orange is the same as Horse Apple. I have seen some of those in the area and always wanted to get some. The only thing I knew of Osage Orange was that it was the most rot resistant wood available and made great fence posts (even better then pressure treated). But seeing it now, I can't see using it as a post rather then for a woodworking project. Unfortunately none of the pieces in longer the 20".

And it appears to oxidize to a darker color. Does it maintain its appearance if clear coated?


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

We are all limited in our ability to identify a wood based on pictures on the computer. It is so much easier when you can lift, feel and smell the wood. Nonetheless, I'm quite confident this is osage orange (a.k.a. hedge wood in these parts).

I've worked with osage orange quite a bit and I have some more in my inventory. It's a great wood. Very hard, very heavy and very attractive. At one time, 30+ years ago, this wood was very popular for fence posts in this area. Those fence posts lasted a very long time.

FYI - I have a large piece of osage orange (about 16" in diameter and 6" thick) with a broken band saw blade embedded in it. The blade bound up so tight that my only option was to cut the blade above and below the wood.


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

Here are some shots of some Bodark I've been working with. 
Osage Orange has an interesting history. It was used as fences before barbed wire was invented and was referred to as "Horse high, Hog tight and Bull strong, for it's ability to resist penetration. 
It is the most dense hardwood in North America according to it's Janka rating.
Native Americans used it for long bows for it's strength and resilience. 
All the Bodark I had I hand split with wedges and mauls made from Bodark. It's really tough stuff. I keep a bunch of wedges around for splitting other logs I get from time to time.

A couple of chunks I sold on eBay. There is great figuring inside all the chunks I cut up.









This is a panel I made up when I was trying to decide how to use it for cabinet drawers in my RV:


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## MOJOE (Jun 13, 2009)

definately osage orange…..we have that all over KC…...I have a few bowl blanks waiting for a lathe purchase. Pretty hard, and from what I read, has a high silica content so it will be hell on your tool edges…..


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## GNiessen (Dec 7, 2011)

I chipped some bark off a couple of the logs and can see why they called it Osage Orange and not Yellow. The bark is quite Orange. Here is a photo, though the color is not perfect:


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