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Mesquite ???

E

Erwin Nistler

Joined
May 10, 2004
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Location
minnesota
Are there 2 kinds of mesquite trees.
The mesquite I have had previousley was a deep mahogany like color. Recently I got a 8 inch diameter piece. I split it through the pith and it is rather light colored all the way through. I got it from a local south texan who would know a mesquite tree when he sees one. No; He is not available to ask. :confused:
 
The mesquite from the Coachella Valley of California seems to be darker and more streaked than the Arizona and Texas mesquite. But is it a different species? I don't know. I couldn't find any references to suggest they are different. Perhaps different soil and growing conditions account for the color differences. As far as workability, polish-ability, etc. they are pretty much exactly the same to me. In my opinion, mesquite is fantastic wood for turning.

BH
 
I don't think it is a diferrent species. I have gotten Mesquite from Mexico that is very light. I would suggest that soil conditions. and evironmentals have more to do with the colors than anything else. Great wood though.
 
Mesquite

CAn anyone reccomend a source to purchase pickup load quantities from? Butt ends, whatever. Preferably east texas or Dallas area. Coming from Louisiana to purchase.
 
Well, I don't live down there but, if they're like any other area of the country, there is a simple way to get pickup loads.

Pull up Yahoo and go to the yellow pages. Enter location as the area of Texas you're going to. Enter the search subject as mulch and firewood. Under the results, you should see some that appear to be tree services also. Call those up.

The thing is, there are lots of little tree services out there that don't have access to large shredders or their own tree lots to dump and store logs. Companies have sprung up to take advantage of this. They charge for logs to be dropped off, store up huge piles of them (the local yard near me has several 20'x300' piles), and process them to resell as mulch and firewood. Chances are, if you call a few of these, you'll find one that will let you load up your truck for little to nothing. If you take them a few nice, round, wooden things, the chances of free wood go up noticably.

Good luck
Dietrich
 
For Mesquite try this guy;
Keith Holm
Phone # 956-425-5065
South Dilsworth road
Harlingen TX

I haven't talked to him recently but he mills some large logs and has a chemecial treatment box to kill the worms.

Tell him a friend from Minnesota gave you his name. He will treat you fair.
 
Mesquite

RADawson,

Most of the mesquite that I have seen in East Texas is rather small, more like brush. I believe that you would need to go west of Fort Worth to get any sizeable mesquite. There is a big fire wood operation about 100 miles west of Fort Worth where they take big mesquite logs and split it up into kindling sticks. You can tell them that you are a woodturner and want to get some of the large pieces before it is sent down the conveyor to be split into sticks. They get enough woodturners there that they know what you want and will direct you to a huge pile where you select what you want and they will load it for you.

Bill
 
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