My current hobby

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I just wanted to share what I've been doing recently with osage orange/bodark/horse apple. And see if there's any interest here if I make more to sell.

Please forgive the pictures from the old shop and my tablet camera. I am about to make more and most pictures are not of a finished pipe most have about 20 coats of linseed oil minus beeswax to seal them and as far as I know safe.

Spent two years testing and see how they hold up. Which is pretty good and me abusing them. If you are interested lemme know. I'm open to making whatever within the limits of the wood I've dried out for the past two years and tools I have available. Shaping takes 3 hours and I don't even want to guess how much time it takes for 20-100 coats of linseed oil to dry properly. 

I have more to cut and use for something special. Mistletoe deformaties and all that for something different.

I just spent this time practicing and testing. Now I am confident enough to show examples.

Many use this wood untreated but I like using linseed oil to add more strength.

This is the most recent, still wet. And is a example of the slabs I dried out and have enough to make a good amount more from or other things.

Probably takes a month where I'm comfortable with the amount of linseed oil and proper drying. I've also tested osage orange for hammers/sledges/hatchets handles. Tough stuff.. Someday I'll try making a bow, but very difficult to get anything straight if you know the tree I'm talking about. I have 3 very large uncommon ones to use and more from others that want them removed because of the thorns and flats they cause.

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Couple of others I made out of necessity, my first two actually Sorry again for the the quality of the pics I'm just going through what I have saved.

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A recent one out of a scrap piece that has checking. Considering cutting out the checking and test colored epoxy on one's like this. Or copper inlaid with epoxy to see how it holds up. It's some tough wood, checking has not grown on the others in two years.

Another unfinished one on the side from the outside layer of the wood.

Forgive me, I don't normally sell anything and my first attempts from start to finish. And these are not for sale. Just wanted to see if there's any interest before I make better or other things for people. I welcome any feedback