Bodark Candy/Nut Bowl

Dave Hoskins

Member
Messages
5,252
Location
Parker County, Texas
We call it bodark down here. Other places call it osage orange, bois d arc, or even horseapple. One of the things I like about this wood is when you first turn it the color is a nice golden color, which as it is exposed to air longer turns into a great looking burnt orange. it was popular with Native Americans along the Mississippi for making bows from. It is an extremely hard wood. For someone turning this wood for the first time my advice is go slow, keep your tools razor sharp, and go slow. This wood due to it's density can crack on you really bad. Sometimes the cracks are deep and don't show up until you are almost finished with the piece. And, it can come apart on you. So just be careful if you want to turn some of this and it will be just as much fun as softer woods. I burned some lines on the top side of this piece just for added appeal. The outside diameter is 9 1/4" with an inside diameter of 5". The height is 2 1/2" and the vessel depth is 1 1/2". I think I am putting this post in the right location this time. I think the one I did earlier was in the wrong location. Sorry about that. Learning the site.
 
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Pics show up for me. Nice looking piece of work, shape goes well with the texture and color of the wood and the embellishment does a nice job of keeping the wide rim from feeling too heavy. Haven't turned any Osage yet, not real common around here but you do see some at old homesteads and the like. Definitely keeping my eye open.
 
That was a good sized Bodark tree... I've only seen one that large around where I lived... my step father had one in his cow lot that was at least 2 maybe 3 feet near the base... I got a few limbs off it in the 4-6 inch size range before he died, and brought it to Tennessee when I moved up here, but have used it all up and can't get back to Texas to get more now.. My dad liked them for fence posts as they were very resistant to rot, but once they dried, it was near impossible to drive a nail or staple into them

I had to google it to see where Parker County... wasn't familiar with it..

I like your bowl... nice form and shape, and pretty color.
 
Very beautiful wood and well turned and finished bowl. That wood reminds me a lot of mulberry, which in my opinion is beautiful wood also. It starts out a nice yellow color, is pretty hard and turns a nice brownish as it ages.
 
Thanks, fellers! This tree came from near Springtown, Texas. Actually, it was two. One was in a sand bog, trunk was about 2' in diameter, and a bear to get. The folks wanted it gone before two big limbs damaged their house. Had to use a 35' boom lift to reach out to get it due to the sand. Even the track loader was having trouble not sinking down. What a man will go through to get good wood. The other was a tree that was about 3' diameter and lightning hit and split it in two. I got one half of it. So, I literally had tons of bodark because it was still green. I still have some but not a lot. Going on the hunt for more very soon as well as pecan and mesquite.
 
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