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A Spectacular Log

John Tisdale

John Tisdale

Joined
Apr 11, 2014
Messages
459
Likes
458
Location
Dallas, TX
Occasionally all of us run into that special log - if I've been successful, attached is a piece of mistletoe-burl mesquite from east of the King Ranch in Texas. A log like this can loosen your teeth - to keep it from coming apart, a few hundred feet of filament tape was used during the hollowing which was done with a hand-held tool - I've never had any success with a captive hollowing system.
Mesquite is the hardest wood in N. America - also one of the heaviest. This log weighed over 250-lbs when first mounted - average wall-thickness is about 3/8" - still weighs over 20-lbs.
 

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I thought east of the King Ranch was the Gulf of Mexico! Evidently there is some land in-between with mesquite growing in abundance. Nice- just wish I could rotate the picture 90 deg. CCW. 😕
 
To see the photo upright, save the photo to your computer and then open it and rotate it.

I would have liked to see a photo of the log you started with. For that matter, an 'in process' photo would have been interesting.

Charlie
 
I had a heck of a time standing my 27" monitor on end to view the picture. 🙄

Very nice, BTW.

I have a challenging piece of mesquite waiting to be turned. The challenge will be keeping it in one piece. I bought it at SWAT from Unique Mesquite -- first time that I have ever paid money for mesquite, but I had to have it because of the spectacular appearance. It is a cross section slab a little more than two feet in diameter.
 
Hoss ...................
 
Copied the photo. Still sideways plus if I zoom in, it is distorted. I'll just look at it while lying on my right side.
 
Comment to Bill

Bill,
You mentioned you bought a 24" mesquite log - I'm assuming it's mistletoe-burl. You also referred to it as a "slab" - is it correct to also assume you plan a low-profile bowl or a platter?
Regardless, would be happy to give you the benefit of the rather large number of really stupid mistakes I've made with this material. I've done several lower profile hollow forms, all over 18" in diameter - I've done three "talls" like this one. I've only had one explode - was like a grenade. Luckily I was hollowing about 4' away in the 5-o'clock position or it could have done some damage.
Fill your ring-shakes starting with low-viscosity dark epoxy early on and keep the rpms down - I never get over 400 with this stuff and usually around 300. The only gouge that I've found that holds an edge is Dave Swietzer's D-Way - M42 makes a difference, especially if your log gets a bit on the dry (hard) side.
Again, be happy to share. And buy a big roll of filament tape.
John
 
What an excellently executed turning, John.......😀

If I tilt my head some, I can see that big smile........and, you deserve to have a big smile with that one! 😎

ko
 
John Tisdale said:
Bill,
You mentioned you bought a 24" mesquite log - I'm assuming it's mistletoe-burl. You also referred to it as a "slab" - is it correct to also assume you plan a low-profile bowl or a platter?
Regardless, would be happy to give you the benefit of the rather large number of really stupid mistakes I've made with this material. I've done several lower profile hollow forms, all over 18" in diameter - I've done three "talls" like this one. I've only had one explode - was like a grenade. Luckily I was hollowing about 4' away in the 5-o'clock position or it could have done some damage.
Fill your ring-shakes starting with low-viscosity dark epoxy early on and keep the rpms down - I never get over 400 with this stuff and usually around 300. The only gouge that I've found that holds an edge is Dave Swietzer's D-Way - M42 makes a difference, especially if your log gets a bit on the dry (hard) side.
Again, be happy to share. And buy a big roll of filament tape.
John
Click to expand...

Well, let's see ... if the log is about two feet in diameter and about five inches long, technically it's still a log. 🙄 But, a crosscut slab is more like it. It is sort of lobed and if I'm not careful, I can imagine that these lobes could separate from one another. Another member of my club showed me a picture of a similar piece that he tried to turn and it managed to separate into about six or seven pie shaped wedges.

Thanks for the tip on the dark epoxy. I always try to stay ahead of the game on dealing with flaws in mesquite. It might be mistletoe burl ... I don't know. Right now I can't tell anything because I Anchorsealed it as soon as I got it home so it is now pitch black. It was freshly cut, but sitting in the back of a SUV in the Texas summer sun for a couple days may have dried it out. A shallow overgrown saucer is what I have in mind. Hopefully, I can retain the bark. The pith is rotted out so I need to fill it with either epoxy or Inlace dyed dark brown.

You've given me a good enough excuse to get a D-Way gouge. I've been thinking about getting one for a while anyway.
 
Don, thanks! That is an awesome piece of wood and an outstanding turning. Just think, people use mesquite on a barbecue grill!
 
That's gorgeous~!!!
Great lines.

I'd like to see process pics.
I'd like to know how you held the wood while turning.
 
How wood was held

At no time is the log cantilevered - it's either got the live-center in place or a 80-lb steady rest with a bottom wheel to take the weight.

Initially the log was held between centers with a 1.5" four-spur jumbo drive, available at Packard or Craft Supply. As the shaping was underway and the design constraints imposed by the log were known, I cut a dovetail tenon for a large Vicmarc chuck. For what it's worth, I rarely use a chuck but, when and only when I have to use a steady-rest, the chuck is easier.

I put it in the chuck and slid the steady rest out of the way to get the outside completely done - with live-center in place. When outside done, at least initially, I positioned the steady rest and snugged the wheels - only then could I remove the tailstock.

The hollowing process on mesquite is challenging and on a tall mesquite is brutal - this one is 27" tall. Relying on either a chuck or faceplate is nuts - you must have a serious steady-rest.

However, the beauty of mistletoe-burl is it is "self bailing" - once the negative space areas are opened, the chips fly - no evacuating shavings during hollowing - a great piece for a lazy turner.
 
That IS a really seriously tall hollow form at 27 inches tall. My boring bar has an advertised maximum depth of 24 inches which is greater than any suitable piece of mesquite that I have come across. So far my tallest one is 16½" tall.
 
Bill Boehme said:
....... I bought it at SWAT from Unique Mesquite -- first time that I have ever paid money for mesquite, but I had to have it because of the spectacular appearance. It is a cross section slab a little more than two feet in diameter.
Click to expand...

Have you seen a piece of mesquite from Unique Mesquite that's not spectacular, Bill? I have not bought anything from him because 1) I don't want to pay that much for water, 2) I don't want to put 95% of that beautiful wood in the trash.
 
Andy Chen said:
Have you seen a piece of mesquite from Unique Mesquite that's not spectacular, Bill? I have not bought anything from him because 1) I don't want to pay that much for water, 2) I don't want to put 95% of that beautiful wood in the trash.
Click to expand...

Andy,

You're right ... I suppose that he would have to call his business "Ordinary Mesquite" if it wasn't spectacular. 😀

1) Charging by the pound (or, paying for water, as you say) is a "different" business paradigm, but not any more arbitrary than going to James Johnson to buy a rough turned and fully air dried piece of wood. I couldn't figure out his pricing scheme other than the ones that I liked were more than what I was willing to pay.

2) You could use the mesquite shavings for mulch ... mesquite will last until late this century before it completely decays. Or, there's plenty of Aggies that would pay for it if you bagged it and sold it as barbecue smoker wood.

Or, could there be one more reason:

3) Hip pain from buying a large and heavy (and expensive) chunk of wood. I experienced some of that pain, but some of my "friends" we're there to talk me through the pain.

You really do need to limber up that Oneway and I'll be there next year to help you select just the right piece of mesquite.🙄
 
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