Another Green Hedge post

[Hunter Lewis]

Found a good source of green hedge here in MO. I've read various opinions on the best drying process for hedge.. I have only removed 1, 6in diameter log from my source to try and get a grip on the process before I ruin all of my resources. Can someone with some experience share some up to date tips? Kiln dry? Microwave? Dna?
What method do you prefer to avoid checking as much as possible. I'm not opposed to taking it somewhere to have it done the right way either.
Thanks !

[Hunter Lewis]

And when an admin sees this is probably in the incorrect place, could you please move it if necessary... Sorry, I'm new.

[FDR]

In call making we talk about green hedge as a reaction of the soil and the wood that produces a green color over time. An example would be a fence post that was dug up after being  used for 50 years.
I believe what you are referring to is fresh wood i.e. "green" unseasoned.  What I do is cut the call blanks a little oversize like 2X2" and immediately wax the ends. Now put the blanks away and forget about them for up to two years. As for cracks hope for the best!

[Hunter Lewis]

Hey thanks for the reply Fred! I guess I should have been more specific. It is mineralized green hedge. The normal Am. Osage is easy to find around here but I came across an old brush pile buried in my great grandfathers creek. Most of it is hedge and a lot has been buried in mud and water for over three decades. I pulled one small log out yesterday and cut it to 1.75in X 8 inch blanks. It's beautiful; however, I want to get good at stablizing it before I remove more of it

[FDR]

By stabilizing do you mean chemical stabilizing?  That requires a moisture content of less than %10.
 If you mean just pulling it out of the creek and getting it to dry out I would treat it just like fresh cut wood.  Wash off the dirt, cut your blanks to size and wax the ends. Let it dry out in the shop. 
 If you are in a hurry to turn some you might try this.  Soak the blank in denatured alcohol for 24 hrs. By soak I mean cover the blank. Remove the blank, let it dry and place it in a paper bag. What happens during the soak is that the moisture mixes with the alcohol and will evaporate faster. I usually keep the blank in the paper bag 3 months or more. Weigh the blank when you place it in the bag and then weigh it when you take it out. When the weight stabilizes the moisture content is the same as the moisture content in your shop air.
I  keep my call blanks in a cabinet with a low heat source (a light bulb) to further reduce the moisture content. It works the same as using a low heater in your gun safe to prevent rust.

Fred

[Hunter Lewis]

Okay, I'm going to try both methods. I'm not in too big of a hurry, I want it to be done right. Thanks for the advice Fred! Much appreciated

[stumpjumper]

Simply cut blanks over sized...wax ends up to a 1/4" up the sides....place is a cardboard box full of shredded newspaper.  Change the newspaper out monthly.  Slow and steady with no cracks or checks

Stump

[Hunter Lewis]

Thanks for the tip Stump! I've got a couple good blanks cut and sealed, I'll toss them in a box today. I also recorded the weight to follow water loss.

[Ozark Wood]

Hey thanks for the reply Fred! I guess I should have been more specific. It is mineralized green hedge. The normal Am. Osage is easy to find around here but I came across an old brush pile buried in my great grandfathers creek. Most of it is hedge and a lot has been buried in mud and water for over three decades. I pulled one small log out yesterday and cut it to 1.75in X 8 inch blanks. It's beautiful; however, I want to get good at stablizing it before I remove more of it

I hope you mean 'dry' when you say 'stabilized'. Osage Orange, by whatever name, does not take stabilzation well at all, and it does not need it.
However, drying for use is another subject. OO that has soaked, or is fresh cut can be counted on to split if worked. Drying is necessary. I am still working on a couple truck loads that were cut several years ago. I simply painted the ends with Anchor Seal and put in dry storage. To use I simply pick out a piece and start cutting. Ends must be sealed. Milling round pieces to square can speed up the drying process, as with any wood. I don't know if OO ever really dries completely. I have a mallet I turned 15 years ago and I believe it is harder every year.

[BigB]

Read this thread.

http://thogamecallsforums.com/index.php/topic,17237.msg130289.html#msg130289


I've cut up a fair share of hedge posts over the past several years. I have tried most techniques to dry them. The best advice I can give is to cut them up in the late spring/early summer, when the humidity is high and the temperature isn't blistering hot. You don't want to open them up and shock the wood to high heat and very dry climates. Cut them up, seal the ends within 20 minutes, and stack them somewhere to let em uncork themselves. Don't get disappointed when you loose some to cracks/splits. You aren't going to end up with 100% success on all of the blanks. Some cracks won't appear for maybe 6-8 months after you cut them up.

Brian

[Hunter Lewis]

With the cold front that kicked in here last saturday, I wanted to let everyone know that I went and pulled a bigger log out. I got connected with Aaron Wingert who helped me cut all the logs up into blanks. I know its been awhile since I started this thread but I wanted to conclude it with a big thanks to Aaron for helping me out and also sharing some knowledge. Also wanted to say thanks to you guys for all of your replies!

Hunter