Turn, Turn, Texas Wood

After a couple of weeks that have been crazy busy, (Dang it, I’m retired and still busy!) I got back into my shop and decided to get busy on some of the mesquite stock I had brought back from Texas. I am just getting started on what I plan to be a table lamp with an exaggerated amphora shape. With that in mind, I am also noodling about additional design details.

As I mentioned in a previous blog post (Messing with Mesquite), the last time I turned something from this very dense wood I used carbide cutters to shape the bowl. This time out I am using almost exclusively high-speed steel tools, HSS, and I have to say that so far they are performing to a much higher standard.

The gouges and scrapers do need to be sharpened regularly as I cut, but that is to be expected. And to be fair, even though this mesquite is tough as whale leather, the tools are not dulling especially fast. So, in this very limited experiment (two turned items), HSS is the clear winner. The tools are cutting fast and leaving a smooth finish.

This chunk of mesquite is so large and so heavy that it is a real challenge for my mid-sized lathe.

This log had multiple insect hole bored into it, but they stayed near the outside of the bole. As I turn this piece and it continues to dry out, there are cracks forming in the wood. I am confident that the piece will stay together, but I will need to decide whether to just leave the cracks as they are exposed or perhaps fill them with some black epoxy. I’ll decide when I get there.

Some pretty large insects bored several holes in the log, but they were all near the outside of the bole.

I’m hoping to have this completed in the next few days, but life is uncertain. Keep your eyes peeled for my next blog post. It will likely be the completed lamp.