A husband and wife team from Texas contacted our woodturning club, and they are going to be here next month, selling primarily honey mesquite.  I'm looking for advice as it pertains to a new turner such as myself.  From what I gather, they will be selling both dried and green natural bark log sections and prepared blanks.  Is this wood hard to turn?  Any advice other than keep my tools sharp?  What kind of finishing looks good on honey mesquite, or just mesquite in general?  If I get some green wood, any advice on a drying schedule?  Any other advice would be appreciated.  @Gene Howe, I know you are not normally a turner, but you also work with mesquite a lot, so any advice you have would be appreciated too.  Thanks.

I have lived in Texas mesquite country most all my adult life and never heard of HONEY mesquite...I guess they are trying to glamorize the crapping stuff....!   The word honey reminds me of something nice and kind and sweet but when ranchers and farmers spend all their life time trying to get rid of it, the word honey is probably never mentioned.

   I just hope they don't take some of the boarers from Texas to where you live...Around here the boarers can hear the chain saws start up and immediately go to it and as soon as the tree hits the ground  they are on it. 

   I hate to try and work with it for there is too much waste involved....and is usually priced up there or higher than walnut....

  Sorry I didn't realize you were hunting out Gene so forget what I said.......

  I had six of these 2 foot long logs sitting outside the shop since last fall and was fixin to bring them in and put one in the lathe. Now I think I will use them to roast marsh mellows but the smell of those critters burning might keep a person from enjoying anything....

  I will say what I have made over the years using mesquite the finish of my choice is to use 100% tung oil applied in three or four different applications...Boarers evidently do care for that taste!!

Tom, Honey mesquite is indeed a species of mesquite. It's a beautiful wood. Of course, IMO, all mesquite is beautiful. Honey carves easily with sharp tools. So, it should turn just fine. I have supplied a few local turners with pen blanks of Honey. 

They seemed to like it. 

Most of what I can obtain readily is the Velvet Mesquite. It grows a bit bigger than Honey. 

As to drying mesquite, I'd slice it into the thicknesses you think you'd want and let it dry under cover out doors. Keep it above the bare ground. Use concrete blocks. Then sticker with 2X2s.  At least, that's how I do it.

If left in the log, it likes to check or split. 

Honey is more prone to borers, but all mesquite has them. Especially, that found growing near water. I just think of the holes as design opportunities. Epoxy and crushed stone fills them nicely. 

Have fun with it. I do.

 

 

Thanks Gene.  I appreciate it.

Well, I bought a couple of bowl blanks from the lady from Texas.  No evidence of any borer activity at all.  The blanks are still green, but she said that mesquite is stable enough that I don't need to worry about rough turning, and then drying.  I can turn to finished size.  So now, my question is if I have finished turning a bowl, but it is still green, then I assume I still have to let it dry before applying a finish?  If so, is the process still the same?  Do I bag it with shavings, and weigh it periodically until it quits changing, or is there another method for mesquite?  Sorry to sound ignorant, but I have never worked with mesquite or green wood, let alone green mesquite.

2 hours ago, PostalTom said:

Well, I bought a couple of bowl blanks from the lady from Texas.  No evidence of any borer activity at all.  The blanks are still green, but she said that mesquite is stable enough that I don't need to worry about rough turning, and then drying.  I can turn to finished size.  So now, my question is if I have finished turning a bowl, but it is still green, then I assume I still have to let it dry before applying a finish?  If so, is the process still the same?  Do I bag it with shavings, and weigh it periodically until it quits changing, or is there another method for mesquite?  Sorry to sound ignorant, but I have never worked with mesquite or green wood, let alone green mesquite.

Everyone has their favorite method but this is what I do when turning to finish green. I will put the bowl in a paper bag with some shavings for a couple weeks. After that I put it on a shelf until I'm ready to sand and remove the tenon. I think a lot of guys drying them in the microwave now but I've never tried that.

 

Steve

I bag like Steve does, but I think from what I heard mesquite is different. Some of the guys at AAW forum just turn and sit it on the shelf. Just to be safe I would bag it without shavings and allow 4-6 weeks before finish sand and apply finish of your choice.

12 hours ago, Gerald said:

I bag like Steve does, but I think from what I heard mesquite is different. Some of the guys at AAW forum just turn and sit it on the shelf. Just to be safe I would bag it without shavings and allow 4-6 weeks before finish sand and apply finish of your choice.

I doubt it would move a heckuva lot.