Wanna see something cool! I make, or used to when I had a place to shoot, homemade Cherokee style osage bows. NOT the ones you see at the antique flea markets for lookin' at, but ones I actually hunt with.

Take osage and clean it all up, then pat it down with liquid draino. The bright yellow hardwood turns a GORGEOUS orange-brown color! Hit it with a light wipe of a wet rag, let it dry, smooth with 1000 grit (0000 wool leaves behind metal particles that can rust or dull your scraper blades if the thing needs re-touched) and give it a finish of high gloss followed by low gloss poly or a handful of shellac coats.

Here's a pic of one I made my son that I just left with high gloss (more protection, and it's shiney!!) that I used several coats of draino on.