Monkey Balls

[wouldhe]

I recently did a job for my neighbor where I cut down, split and stacked about two cords of really good looking wood. I live in eastern Ohio and I call the trees Monkey Ball trees because in the fall they get green balls about the size of a softball. Some tell me it is an Ironwood tree others say it is called Osage Orange. I looked at the sites to calculate cord weight and burning qualities but I don't see any of these woods. When cut and split the wood is a pretty green-yellow color and is hard as nails, burns nice. Does anyone know what kind of tree this is? :bang:

 

[Ductape]

If its osage orange..... i want some of it !!!!!! From what i hear.... there is no better firewood !

 

[ray benson]

Here is a nice firewood chart on page 2. Check Osage-orange.
http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live/g1554/build/g1554.pdf

 

[mga]

supposedly excellent wood for making your own bows...if you're into bow hunting.

but, doing a search on this tree, i noticed that almost every place that sells them is "out of stock" until 2008 or later. this tree, even tho you can't eat the so called "hedge apples", is in hot demand for some reason.

 

[sawinredneck]

It has the highest BTUper pound of any wood. The hardest of the hardwoods, it will eat chains and spit chainsaws at you! DO NOTburn itin an open fireplace, it "Pops" and throws buning emberssverywherewhen exposed to an oxeygen rich enviorment. It hasbeen outlawed tosell as firewood in a few counties around here, due to homes being burnt down by foolish homeowners. Also need to clean you're chimeny regularly, the creosote builds up and causes bad fires!!

 

[ray benson]

Air dried wood is good for about 7000 btu of heat per pound of wood regardless of species. Osage orange is heavier than almost all other species so the same sized piece will give more heat.

 

[Peacock]

Also need to clean you're chimeny regularly, the creosote builds up and causes bad fires!!

This doesn't really apply to hedge. My father burns hedge almost exclusively and his chimney is clean as a whistle. It burns so stinking hot that the creosote doesn't build up.

Maybe if you burn hedge after pine or some other junk wood it could be a problem though.

 

[wouldhe]

Osage Orange

Thanks for the replys. Seems that Osage Orange it is. There is plenty of the stuff around here but I better get it green because if it is already dead its like cutting concrete.

 

[ddhlakebound]

This doesn't really apply to hedge. My father burns hedge almost exclusively and his chimney is clean as a whistle. It burns so stinking hot that the creosote doesn't build up.

Maybe if you burn hedge after pine or some other junk wood it could be a problem though.

This is a blanket statement which could be dangerous for someone who believes it.

Each flue draws differently, some more effecient, some less. What may not build up in one flue could build up enough creosote to cause a fire in another.

This also depends upon how well seasoned the osage orange/hedge is. Green hedge produces an obscene amount of creosote, but if its properly split and seasoned well it will produce almost none.

So if someone believed that hedge wouldn't clog up their flue, then started burning lots of it that wasn't quite dry, in a flue which didn't draw quite as well as your fathers, they could have major problems in a short time.

It's also a bit dangerous to burn because it burns so hot that it is capable of igniting a creosote build up more easily. I do agree though, that in a good drawing flue with dry hedge, its top of the line firewood, hot and clean.

Be safe burning though, clean your chimney, check for damage at least every year, no matter what kind of wood you're burning.

 

[ddhlakebound]

supposedly excellent wood for making your own bows...if you're into bow hunting.

but, doing a search on this tree, i noticed that almost every place that sells them is "out of stock" until 2008 or later. this tree, even tho you can't eat the so called "hedge apples", is in hot demand for some reason.

I've had to climb and trim damage in these thorny suckers, and I've had to remove them, limb by thorny limb. They make great firewood, but if theres a bigger market out there for osage orange maybe I need to be learnin about it.....

Got a few links to places out of stock til next year? What are they selling, and for approximately how much?

I'd love to be able to get more than firewood value for it, cause its such a huge pain to work with. Hard on chains, hard on saws, wickedly sharp thorns, and jeez is that stuff heavy.

 

[mga]

I've had to climb and trim damage in these thorny suckers, and I've had to remove them, limb by thorny limb. They make great firewood, but if theres a bigger market out there for osage orange maybe I need to be learnin about it.....

Got a few links to places out of stock til next year? What are they selling, and for approximately how much?

I'd love to be able to get more than firewood value for it, cause its such a huge pain to work with. Hard on chains, hard on saws, wickedly sharp thorns, and jeez is that stuff heavy.

i knew i should have kept the links to that. but, look at the prices these people are selling those balls for....

http://www.osagehedgeballs.com/order.htm

24 balls for $36 plus $17.00 to ship!! and, you can't eat the damn things!

 

[sawinredneck]

i knew i should have kept the links to that. but, look at the prices these people are selling those balls for....

http://www.osagehedgeballs.com/order.htm

24 balls for $36 plus $17.00 to ship!! and, you can't eat the damn things!

HOLY CRAP!!!!!! I think I just found a new home based buisness!!!!!

 

[ray benson]

Shipping cost wasn't that high considering the balls size.

 

[mga]

Shipping cost wasn't that high considering the balls size.

nice pic.....lol

ummm...how much would shipping be on that modern truck? :yoyo:

 

[goof008]

Great pic Ray!!

 

[jags]

Ray, that one must of came from the "rare" osage redwood forest of Northern California.

Great pic.