Bois d'arc stock?

[Dusty_Traveler]

Has anyone ever seen a gunstock made of bois d'arc, or osage orange? I grew up maintaining a couple miles of bodark post fence, so I do realize how tough and heavy this wood is, but I sure do think it could make a neat looking stock

I am no carpenter!!

Would a wood that dense have much shrinkage once its cured?

I'm guessing you would have to work it green or risk ruining your tools? I've seen cured limbs make a chainsaw bar look like a frizzen.

 

[andy52]

finding a piece large enough for a rifle stock might prove problematic. maybe a pistol or half stock. I have made a Hawk haft out of Osage Orange but that's a pretty small piece of wood.

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

finding a piece large enough for a rifle stock might prove problematic. maybe a pistol or half stock. I have made a Hawk haft out of Osage Orange but that's a pretty small piece of wood.

Andy,
They're quite plentiful here on the place. All shapes and sizes.

 

[Bad Karma]

Has anyone ever seen a gunstock made of bois d'arc, or osage orange? I grew up maintaining a couple miles of bodark post fence, so I do realize how tough and heavy this wood is, but I sure do think it could make a neat looking stock

I am no carpenter!!

Would a wood that dense have much shrinkage once its cured?

I'm guessing you would have to work it green or risk ruining your tools? I've seen cured limbs make a chainsaw bar look like a frizzen.

I’ve tillered many many bows from the stuff. You do not work it green, you’ll need very shar tools and patience. Personally, I think bois d’arc is boring wood with not much visible grain (depending upon the orientation) and as it ages turns a kind of muddy brown color. There are far better choices but as they say, you pay your money and yo take your chances…

 

[Rod Man]

I think it would work, where you live down in the bottoms you could find some with straight enough grain and not as many knots and challenges that you see with trees that are exposed to wind. (Twist). It would need to be taken from a large log in my opinion thats been seasoned for a while to get past the checking and such. As far as weight thinking it would be no heavier than say walnut. Working the wood though would probably be a challenge. I’ve built a few Osage bows in my time so I can see that might be a problem. I think a fella on this forum @Eric Krewson who is a master bow builder has discussed this before. Bad Karma has a good point it will turn almost a brick reddish brown then almost a purple over time. Doesn’t mean it could not be used though.

RM

 

[Treestalker]

I made a walking stick out of bo'd'arc one time and it was heavy but made one hell of a dog stick. You could have beat a bear to death with it. It turned the most beautiful reddish color. I could carry it in town and fear no man.

 

[Rod Man]

Some are right up front mistakes and that’s why I kept them. There are a couple that are in line to be sinewed backed. The others I give away to friends and family. The one on the far left is a Cherokee flat hunter at 64”, 50lbs at 26”. I still shoot them from time to time. The smoke pole / living history bug has got my focus for now.

RM

 

[pilot]

That stuff is super dense and heavy. Lasts forever, but heavy.

 

[Rod Man]

I made a walking stick out of bo'd'arc one time and it was heavy but made one hell of a dog stick. You could have beat a bear to death with it. It turned the most beautiful reddish color. I could carry it in town and fear no man.

They would call you Buford Pusser the 2nd!…walk’n tall with an Osage stick! I have a few staves that bugs got to. Can’t really use them for bows May just sit down and whittle one of those down as well. The way things are today may actually have to use it.

RM

 

[Bad Karma]

I made a walking stick out of bo'd'arc one time and it was heavy but made one hell of a dog stick. You could have beat a bear to death with it. It turned the most beautiful reddish color. I could carry it in town and fear no man.

My walking stick is Black Walnut with a rustic looking root ball handle. I’m not sure I can beat a bear to death with it. Possibly a mountain lion, for certain the neighbors Akbash dogs. In those cases though I will probably just pull an 1860 and drill the varmint.

 

[Treestalker]

My walking stick is Black Walnut with a rustic looking root ball handle. I’m not sure I can beat a bear to death with it. Possibly a mountain lion, for certain the neighbors Akbash dogs. In those cases though I will probably just pull an 1860 and drill the varmint.

"Poetic Licence" on Beating a Bear to death, LOL

 

[1950DAVE]

Black Walnut 38lb/cubic foot, Osage Orange 54lb/ cubic foot, Curly Maple 45lb/ cubic foot

 

[Rod Man]

So, heavy. Or build a small.36 or 40 with a 36” barrel. The forend would be strong….just thinking out loud here.

Chunk gun?

Besides the weight, as I mentioned earlier working the wood I believe to be the biggest challenge. As I have never built a rifle stock. Lots more going on than a bow so I have no idea how that works.

RM

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

So, heavy. Or build a small.36 or 40 with a 36” barrel. The forend would be strong….just thinking out loud here.

Chunk gun?

Besides the weight, as I mentioned earlier working the wood I believe to be the biggest challenge. As I have never built a rifle stock. Lots more going on than a bow so I have no idea how that works.

RM

I had also thought it would make a good stock for a chunk gun...stable as all get out.

The short rifle would be a good idea too. A little spindly one like a soddy daisy with a 34 or 36" barrel would have a smaller/lighter stock. Smaller blank size. It would make a quality club too, once you ran out of ball.

 

[Cvkotvkse]

My biggest concern would be from the structure of the wood itself... Layers of wood so dense that many pieces won't even float, alternating with early growth tong layers that have all the integrity and strength of Styrofoam. Expose an end of one of those layers, subject the piece to bending stress, and it has a high potential for delaminating rather forcefully... When making bows, we are carefulNOT to cut across those rings, and use only one layer of the dense wood for the back of the bow.
I don't see how one could shape a stock without LOTS of ring violation, with the most vulnerable area being the wrist. I'm thinking you could safely do a Brown Bess or similar thick stock out of it, but I sure wouldn't try it for an SMR or a slender-wristed Pennsylvania gun.
Just my thoughts at the moment...

 

[Dave James]

Two of my favorite canes, I had made out of Osage and iron wood, shape more along the lines of a beefed up walking stick, they will break bone

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

My biggest concern would be from the structure of the wood itself... Layers of wood so dense that many pieces won't even float, alternating with early growth tong layers that have all the integrity and strength of Styrofoam. Expose an end of one of those layers, subject the piece to bending stress, and it has a high potential for delaminating rather forcefully... When making bows, we are carefulNOT to cut across those rings, and use only one layer of the dense wood for the back of the bow.
I don't see how one could shape a stock without LOTS of ring violation, with the most vulnerable area being the wrist. I'm thinking you could safely do a Brown Bess or similar thick stock out of it, but I sure wouldn't try it for an SMR or a slender-wristed Pennsylvania gun.
Just my thoughts at the moment...

We want to hear them!

 

[LME]

I’ve tillered many many bows from the stuff. You do not work it green, you’ll need very shar tools and patience. Personally, I think bois d’arc is boring wood with not much visible grain (depending upon the orientation) and as it ages turns a kind of muddy brown color. There are far better choices but as they say, you pay your money and yo take your chances…

The bows I made out of Osage Orange were some of the best self bows a person could want! It is a hard wood with no character but it excells as a bow wood. As far as it being the best wood for a bow, I can;t tell. I have not used every wood there is in my bow making. The only wood that I think comes close to the quality of O. Orange is Ipe .

 

[Flintandsteel]

Great bow wood. As far as I’m concerned, the best.
NOT gunstock wood!

 

[SOLANCO]

My walking stick is Black Walnut with a rustic looking root ball handle. I’m not sure I can beat a bear to death with it. Possibly a mountain lion, for certain the neighbors Akbash dogs. In those cases though I will probably just pull an 1860 and drill the varmint.

Mine is Irish black thorn with a ball handle and the stubby bases of many thorns.