I recently had a nice osage tree blow down a mile or so from the house I was able to harvest from:
I also had a friend from work say he could cut down some mesquite for me from family land south of Abilene when he went dove hunting. I wasn't going to hold my breath, but it was a nice offer. Next thing I know he comes in Monday and says he has some in the back of his truck for me, About 10 pieces from 10-13" diameter, 2' in length cut up. Needless to say, I was more than happy.
The question then becomes about how to deal with the growth ring shake/cracks you can see in the pictures. Any input on how to work around those? I know mesquite has a lot of cracks and is very stable, but should I do anything special about those cracks when turning? I don't think they would be a strength/integrity issue unless I was trying to turn the bowls very very thin, but Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
-Alex