Ultra Dry Mesquite - like turning a rock

[Brian Kent]

Here is some mesquite that spent many years in the Arizona desert. It turns and polishes like a soft stone.

I'm glad I took these photos. I need to re-sand the rim.

[Dok Yager]

Nice Brian! I have a bunch of mesquite from some downed tress and can`t wait to get to it...

[Brian Kent]

That is great, Dok. Please let us know what it is like to turn when green.

[David Walser]

Brian -- That hard-as-rock mesquite is the kind we ship out of the state. The mesquite we keep and turn here turns like butter! Even when dry. Honest. I wouldn't lie about something like that, would I?

[Brian Kent]

It probably hardens when it crosses over to California. Something in the air.

[Sid Matheny]

Gooks very good Brain! All the hot air in Arizona may be the problem of the posts above. LOL

[Thomas Canfield]

I picked up some fresh cut Mesquite tree sections Tuesday and Wednesday from trees removed from a local yard. Today I prepared some of the wood and turned a 10" crotch bowl and started a hollow form about 12" H x 4"D similar to one above. The wood was extremely wet to point of having liquid come off when doing a shear cut on outside and the wood from scraper in hollow form would pack and hold together - no dust for sure. Big surprise. It is going to take a long wait to finish, but it looks like the remaining will hold for some time. Green much different than the usual dry hard wood.

[David Hill]

Brian-
Great looking turnings!!
I turn lots of Mesquite. (I have stacks along my driveway)
When it's dry it makes lots of dust with the chisels/carbides and not much curly. I usually don't wait for it to dry before turning it--it just doesn't move--as opposed to other woods I use.

[robert baccus]

6 months in the rain barrel will change dry mesquites attitude.

[Alan Gan]

Nice turnings Brian. I have to say though your Mesquite has a very different grain pattern than I am used to with Mesquite. There are a couple different species here in Tucson, maybe that is it. You are right though, dry Mesquite is miserable to turn, green turns great.

[Brian Kent]

I am finding some grain samples like this one when I look up "Honey Mesquite".