Turning Dried Mesquite

Dan Mosley

Member
Messages
1,169
Location
Palm Springs, Ca
Been working non-stop until today and tought I would have the whole day free to turn some wood but, I ended up with only half of it due to errands etc...
Pic-1 & 2 - 9 1/2" round and 7" high - Mesquite hollow form turned today. This wood has been sitting sealed for almost a yr and it was like turning and hollowing a pc of concrete. On the outside I had to keep sharpening my tools until i got it rounded - then i could increase the speed and the cuts got easier. Hollowing was tough from start to finish. I started with my index tool and rough hollowed it then switched over to the Monster hollowing system. I have some colbalt cutting tips but sharpened them a couple times during the hollowing. This was some tuff dang wood to cut. I am leaving the very top with the bark on and in real life it looks great compared to the picture so im hoping to keep it intact....No need for a drying protocol....waiting to sand now when I have more time.
The one thing that made it somewhat easier was to spray the inside with some WD-40 and let it soak in and then start hollowing agian. It did make the cuts a bit easier.......

Pic -3 & 4 are small vessels turned - one on the left is black walnut and the other two im not sure exactly what kind of wood it is. They were all turned and sanded and put to soak in oil/varnish/ms solution for 2 days - now out and inside drying in the open. Not sure exactly how ill finish them yet but i noticed that with the darker woods ill need to cut back on my soak time as it will darken them more than I want.

Pic 5 - next large pc for another vessel with anchor seal on it
Pic 6 - Black Walnut and misc wood sitting in the hummmmm pile waiting for a idea to pop up
Pic 7-8 are of two large pc of mesquite sitting out that need to be cut down and sealed - sitting outside in So Calif heat has ruined alot of what I had but the pc's that I could store in the garage i cut into turning blanks and sealed - so far so good.....hoping to get alot of good blanks out of the two left outside
 

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Rob - I do not think it has a aroma at all really but I really like the color of the wood for turning - its my favorite.....

Frank - Im sure your right that it does have some grit as you turn it down from its growth....but even so with it dry you will take a real pounding - when it was first given to me and wet it turned with nice shavings comming off.....the upside is that I do not have to do anything to dry it........its dry ......move straight to the finishing

Thanks to all for your comments................
 
I am not much on posting on the forum but I smiled when I read your comment about turning dried Mesquite and had to post. :D

Yep, it is like turning concrete. Personally I never turn dried Mesquite unless I have to. Ninety-nine percent of the mesquite I turn is green. The greener the better. I will cut a tree down in the morning and turn a bowl that afternoon. I will even finish it while on the lathe the same day.

Member of the Texas Mesquite Association

http://www.texasmesquiteassn.org/

http://www.terrystexasmesquite.com/
 
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