Processing hedge

Justin Presson

Well-Known Member
Hey guys
Got a quick question i know has been asnwered somewhere but to lazy this morning to search.
I have a couple dead hedge trees in the back yard that im cutting down. My question is whats the best way to process it for handle material.
How small should i cut it down to and all that stuff.
Thanks
JP

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
 
Justin, depending on how long they have been dead, they may be harder than you are bargaining for.
By no way am I an expert, but here is how I handled the Osage Orange I have processed. Most everything I have used has been offcuts, forks and knots from cutting firewood. I toss it all in a pile as I'm cutting and normally go back the next year and load up what I want to process(hoping that allowing it to season minimizes the cracking and warping. I don't currently have a proper band saw, so I chainsaw a flat spot on the rounds so I can start cutting it up with the table saw. I try to cut blocks 1 1/2"x1 1/2"x5" and scales I do my best to book match at 5/16"x1 1/2"x5".
You can get some gorgeous stuff.
e3qeqdz.jpg


Good luck and give me a call if you like.
Chris
 
By "hedge", if you mean Bodark or Osage Orange its a great wood. I've made all kinds of stuff out of it, cooking pan handles, wood mallets, wood pens, knife scales, etc. I've used pieces of it that have been dead for a long time and they still looked great. It is super hard to cut, but sharp tools work it fine. Turns on a lathe great. For flat projects, I cut it an angle to expose more grain. It will sand to shine easily, but will also burn if you sit in one spot too long. It starts out orange, but darkens to a rich brown with age and exposure to sunlight. Its one of my favorite local woods, really local for me, I've got a little grove of them right outside my shop!
 
Yes Hedge, Osage, Bodark...in my parts i grew up calling it Hedge
Thanks for the input, so i can let it season in cut up logs size?
I dont remeber what is better to prevent warping and i assume it would be best to bring the ones i want inside or leave them outside?

Chris that handle looks great!

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
 
As firewood, I call it hedge as well as that is more local, but for the knives I tend to call it Osage Orange.
Justin, there was a LOT of waste in how I did it. But then again I have access to about 40 acres of the stuff growing like a weed. One can hardly tell I've been cutting firewood on the property for over 5 years now.
If you have room to bring it indoors I would. I would however paint or seal all of the cuts. I believe the smaller pieces will season quicker and larger pieces may take years to season but have less waste.

Chris
 
I've cut logs and sealed the ends and I've left them unsealed too. I can't tell a big difference either way. You do need to get the bark off though, bugs and worms will burrow in the bark and sapwood. I chainsawed it into 6x6 or 8x8 planks and keep them inside. Here's one I haven't used yet, broom for scale. Also a wood carvers mallet from hedge too, works great, tough as nails.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    155.1 KB · Views: 33
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    157 KB · Views: 30
i bought a huge block of osage orange but I haven't used it yet. beautiful stuff.

I also bought a block of heavily figured camphor. Have any of you used camphor? it's gorgeous, just not sure anyone wants a knife that smells like mosquito repellent!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
i bought a huge block of osage orange but I haven't used it yet. beautiful stuff.

I also bought a block of heavily figured camphor. Have any of you used camphor? it's gorgeous, just not sure anyone wants a knife that smells like mosquito repellent!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have some camphor that is drying now. It was super wet. After stabilizing I doubt it will smell much if at all


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You're probably right about the smell once it's dry. Does camphor need to be stabilized?

I wouldn't put it on a knife without stabilizing it, it is quite soft and porous.Although I stabilize almost everything I use


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Man I'm jealous of y'all having Bois D Arc/osage out there, all we have around here is madrone,oak,alder,myrtle/pepper wood/bay laurel and maple. Well occasionally we come accross a dead yew wood snag. None of it has the colors of osage though.
If any one wants to share some excess I will gladly take some.
Around here it is a new and different thing and have had lots of interest in having a knife handle made from it.
So I can't offer any advice other than the basics when dealing with wood to dry from green, keep sun exposure to minimal/nonexistant. Here is one of the handles from a piece I got from Anthony.
ab3e3d974183e207c47a1fb1ff90b53f.jpg
 
Last edited:
Thanks Justin, I have a local nusiance bush that is a hardwood curing and will return the favor to share. Hawthorne is a bish that left unchecked becomes a tree with a 2.5' dia trunk. I got half of a root burl and a mess of 2-5" dia trunk/limbs that should be dried enough to start processing by this fall. Here is a pic of last years find from a fire survivor.

15c27b946aadf62e8fca6708c4cbf677.jpg
 
Back
Top