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Derik Mittag

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Mesquite Wood
Jul 3^rd, 2018 at 7:54am

Hey folks, believe I made a thread before about mesquite wood and trying to keep grubs out of it. Anyhow, I talked with a family friend about it, he cuts down mesquite trees and uses the wood as firewood, he told me to harvest the wood on a full moon. Supposedly the grubs won't touch it.

So I took out a tree last week, the 28th I think is when it was, haven't seen a single grub on it, nor the long horned beetles. Normally, within 10 minutes of cutting it down, they're crawling all over the wood.

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David Schuelke Full Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 60 Beaumont, California USA Gender: Laguna Revo 18 x 36 2hp	Re: Mesquite Wood Reply #1 - Jul 3^rd, 2018 at 10:41am I turn a lot of mesquite and love it, the cracks and worm holes give me the opportunity to inlay turquoise and I think adds character to the piece,and customers love it.
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Don Stephan WR Addict Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 2,659 Cincinnati, Ohio Ohio USA Gender:	Re: Mesquite Wood Reply #2 - Jul 4^th, 2018 at 11:11am Hope the base between the cut and the ground isn't overlooked. Had no idea the species grew so large.
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Derik Mittag Active Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 142 Gender: Craftsman 12"x42"	Re: Mesquite Wood Reply #3 - Jul 4^th, 2018 at 12:59pm Don Stephan wrote on Jul 4^th, 2018 at 11:11am: Hope the base between the cut and the ground isn't overlooked. Had no idea the species grew so large. Oh no, I'm going to use everything I can out of the tree. Going to cut the stump about one inch above ground. This is a decent sized tree, have some that have probably 24 inch trunks
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Lee Watermann Senior Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 416	Re: Mesquite Wood Reply #4 - Jul 5^th, 2018 at 8:47pm Would love to have some mesquite. A friend sent me some and it was beautiful in my mills.
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Derik Mittag Active Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 142 Gender: Craftsman 12"x42"	Re: Mesquite Wood Reply #5 - Jul 6^th, 2018 at 8:26am David Schuelke wrote on Jul 3^rd, 2018 at 10:41am: I turn a lot of mesquite and love it, the cracks and worm holes give me the opportunity to inlay turquoise and I think adds character to the piece,and customers love it. How do you clean out the worm holes? I'm using an ice pick, and compressed air
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David Schuelke Full Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 60 Beaumont, California USA Gender: Laguna Revo 18 x 36 2hp	Re: Mesquite Wood Reply #6 - Jul 6^th, 2018 at 12:27pm Derik, I got some old dental picks from my dentist in various sizes and configurations and comp. air, works well for me.
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David Hill Senior Member Offline Using all Texas woods but prefer Mesquite Posts: 492 Cuero Texas USA Gender: Nova 1624 Laguna 18/47 Robust American Beauty	Re: Mesquite Wood Reply #7 - Jul 17^th, 2018 at 10:37pm I ise the picks too, but sometimes that gets tedious. Now I ise either a Dremel with flexible extension or my Wecheer with an appropriate bit. Good thing is that they’re interchangeable.
Back to top	Everyday liberating nice things from ordinary chunks of wood---and I like gnarly wood, the outcome is nearly always better than the start. IP Logged

Edgar Sims Full Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 96 peoria Arizona USA Gender: Jet 1642	Re: Mesquite Wood Reply #8 - Jul 23^rd, 2018 at 2:29pm we took down a Mesquite too. Got quite a bit of wood from it. Arborist was good about cutting it into smaller pieces but I have to get a chain for my chainsaw before I can cut it into sizes I can work with my bandsaw. Ed
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Edgar Sims Full Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 96 peoria Arizona USA Gender: Jet 1642	Re: Mesquite Wood Reply #9 - Jul 23^rd, 2018 at 2:30pm Additional picture
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Derik Mittag Active Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 142 Gender: Craftsman 12"x42"	Re: Mesquite Wood Reply #10 - Aug 4^th, 2018 at 12:45pm I'll have to ask my dentist if they have any old picks. Or may just have to buy a set. Pretty good looking mesquite Edgar. I plan on getting a chainsaw mill here soon. I have access to big trunks, 24-38 inches across. You ever debark the mesquite?
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Edgar Sims

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Re: Mesquite Wood
Reply #11 - Aug 4^th, 2018 at 1:18pm

Yes I have debarked Mesquite but only after it has set for some time, 6 months to a year or longer.
I cut 8 bowl blanks form that tree and the rest sets just as is in the pictures. Too hot here to mess with it. Not many Mesquite trees that large in Arizona. Take a bowl to you next appointment with your dental hygienist and offer to trade for picks and such. If you have trouble I have several and would send some along with the small burrs. She must have given me 75/100 or so, far more than I could ever use. Made a pass at my first hollow form with wood from a similar tree. Not great, but fun and learning experience.
Ed

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Derik Mittag Active Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 142 Gender: Craftsman 12"x42"	Re: Mesquite Wood Reply #12 - Aug 4^th, 2018 at 1:30pm Had no idea there was mesquite in Arizona, but it's pretty brutal weather wise where I'm at too. Brilliant idea about taking a bowl or something with me. That's a beautiful hollow form, not a single fault in the finish. Excellent inlay too.
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Ralph Fahringer

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Re: Mesquite Wood
Reply #13 - Aug 4^th, 2018 at 2:31pm

I remember being down in Arizona about 10 miles west of Tucson... back in the early 80's... still desert then.

My buddy's brother had 10 acres out there and we cut up some ironwood logs. An 8" dia. log took the three of us a half hour. 10 minutes each on the hand saw till our arm felt like it was falling off!!!..no chain saw for us!!

Oh, I also remember flipping stuff over looking for Scorpions. Good times!!! Smiley

Let us know when you want to sell some of that Mesquite!!!

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Derik Mittag Active Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 142 Gender: Craftsman 12"x42"	Re: Mesquite Wood Reply #14 - Aug 4^th, 2018 at 2:48pm I have some available. There's a gentleman on here that wants some, what would mesquite go for?
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