Maine and Texas

[Baxter Smith]

After spending much of the week doing roughouts of some Holly and Atlantic White Cedar I picked up(don’t have enough green wood waiting to be turned) I went looking for something different! The first piece I picked up was a piece of plum that I had brought back on my last trip to Maine.

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It was the base of a branch I had cut off but had some shake running through it. Didn’t know how well it would hold together but felt like I might as well find out.
Used some CA glue inside and out several times as I turned it down.


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Yellow Plum 7 x 4 x 3/8 with one coat of AO

As I was putting on the AO my son came into the shop with a box that had just arrived in the mail. More Wood!:D

[Baxter Smith]

About a month ago I posted a question about how best to deal with some wild cherry burls I had recently cut, finish turn or rough out. One person offered to test one by storing it in a barrel. I responded with something to the effect of, “you didn’t include your address”. I quickly received the address and since my bluff had been called, sent off the burl. Didn’t hear anything for several days then got a pm about checking a post. There was a picture of a pile of Texas mesquite and a pickup truck with some in the back. Long story short, I traveled 600 miles North from Delaware and picked up a cherry burl, Charlie Knighton traveled over a 1000 miles south from Virginia to pick up some mesquite. I think I got the better end of the deal!!


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Thanks Charlie!!! Charlie said I would love the mesquite. Thought I had better find out. So what arrived at 1:30 looked like this by 5. Had to add some CA to a few checks that started and hopefully that will take care of it.

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He may be right as I am trying to figure out how to take a road trip to that pile! I am really looking forward to finishing this one. Thanks again Charlie!!:D

9 1/4 x 3 1/4 x 7/8 roughed out and bagged in its own shavings.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Baxter those are both beauties but I really like that NE. Has a lot going on with it and the uneven rim just makes it shine. Well done.

[David E Keller]

Great looking stuff. I really like the plum piece. I can't wait to see the mesquite when it's finished.

[John Keeton]

Nice work, Baxter! I do like the NE, too, but that mesquite is going to make a very nice bowl. You really got the grain centered up nicely.

Question. When you "bagged" the roughed out bowl, did you anchorseal it at all? Are you wrapping it in anything, or just using the shavings in a brown paper bag?

[John Tomasello jr]

Baxter that plum NE is outstanding like the look.

[Robert McGowen]

Baxter,

Just F.Y.I., but mesquite is about the only wood that I turn when I am not doing something segmented. I have never done anything but go from log to finished piece in one sitting, including putting the finish on. Mesquite is about the most stable wood we have in the U.S. You will also find out very quickly that it is very hard when dry! Others might chime in, but that has been my experience while turning quite a bit of the stuff. YMMV

[brian watts]

After spending much of the week doing roughouts of some Holly and Atlantic White Cedar I picked up(don’t have enough green wood waiting to be turned) I went looking for something different! The first piece I picked up was a piece of plum that I had brought back on my last trip to Maine.

146482

It was the base of a branch I had cut off but had some shake running through it. Didn’t know how well it would hold together but felt like I might as well find out.
Used some CA glue inside and out several times as I turned it down.


146483146484
146485146486

Yellow Plum 7 x 4 x 3/8 with one coat of AO

As I was putting on the AO my son came into the shop with a box that had just arrived in the mail. More Wood!:D


you all are killing me with all of these nice bowls. the boss wanted me to make her some now..lol . do i need any special tools for turning a bowl? sorry for the newbi question.

[Roland Martin]

Very nice work Baxter, Your grain centering skills are dead on, it makes a tremendous difference in the overall quality of the form. The NE plum is all around an outstanding piece.

[Baxter Smith]

Thanks for the comments!


Question. When you "bagged" the roughed out bowl, did you anchorseal it at all? Are you wrapping it in anything, or just using the shavings in a brown paper bag?
John, I have "bagged" every bowl I have turned that hasn't been dry wood(almost all of them:)). I bagged the plum as well. From what I have read here, anything to slow down the drying will help. Sometimes I have used anchorseal before bagging if I was real paranoid about cracking(some big apple bowls and an oak bowl), sometimes shavings, sometimes just the bag. I don't have any experience to say which is better.
For the mesquite bowl, I was about out of anchorseal,(ordered a 5 gallon bucket yesterday:D)and wanted to save the shavings. I think I had read here something about using the shavings for the grill. After mounting the blank in the lathe and taking a few passes, I remembered that and stopped to clean up the cedar, holly, apple, and plum curlies that I was standing in.:) Thought I should have just pure mesquite! When the bowl is done I will try them out!;)


Baxter,

Just F.Y.I., but mesquite is about the only wood that I turn when I am not doing something segmented. I have never done anything but go from log to finished piece in one sitting, including putting the finish on. Mesquite is about the most stable wood we have in the U.S. You will also find out very quickly that it is very hard when dry! Others might chime in, but that has been my experience while turning quite a bit of the stuff. YMMV
Thanks for the F.Y.I. Robert. Charlie asked me if I had ever turned mesquite. I told him I had never even held a piece!:) It turned very nicely and was pretty easy to get an almost silky finish if I had tried very hard. It didn't seem real wet, but it didn't seem dry either. I lost about and inch from the top due to checking and a couple of other places started while I was turning(or they were already there and started to open). I could put it back on the lathe but honestly am not quite sure about how I want to do the rim now. I had thought about trying to do an overhang then cut it away except for where the sapwood is but didn't end up with much sapwood at the rim. I will be interested to hear what other mesquite veterans advise!

you all are killing me with all of these nice bowls. the boss wanted me to make her some now..lol . do i need any special tools for turning a bowl? sorry for the newbi question.
Brian, I am a newbi as well. Just not with a capitol N anymore perhaps.
A bowl gouge and a faceplate would probably be the minimum. After that, the skys the limit!:);) Having someone with experience work with you would be a huge help but this site and a video could get you started.

[Jim Slovik]

Baxter,
I love the natural edge bowl. When I look at the beginning shape and the end product, I have to say......good eye and excellent job. That is as nice a natural edge bowl as I have ever seen.
Jim

[Curt Fuller]

Man, that NE plum bowl is beautiful. That really has some nice color and the orientation you chose made for a real rollercoaster edge. I like the mesquite bowl too.

[Jon McElwain]

Every time I see a NE like that I can only imagine the abuse the turner takes with all the bark flying off. Thank goodness for plexi glass, face shields, and leather gloves! Good looking work, I really appreciate the jagged NE from a turners perspective.

[charlie knighton]

very nice plum, the mesquite i turn to finish thickness, it is very stable

[Steve Schlumpf]

Very nice work on both bowls Baxter! The Plum really stands out - both in form and color!

[Baxter Smith]

Baxter,
I love the natural edge bowl. When I look at the beginning shape and the end product, I have to say......good eye and excellent job. That is as nice a natural edge bowl as I have ever seen.
Jim
Thanks Jim. I debated even bothering with the piece because of the shake but thought it would be worth a shot. :)

very nice plum, the mesquite i turn to finish thickness, it is very stable
Thanks again for the mesquite Charlie! It was a great experience to try the stuff. All wood is different but that seemed like it had a great combination of turnable qualities. Since you make it 2 for 2 on turning it to finish I guess I will have to put it back on the lathe soon. Let me know if you need some more cherry burl before you run out of the mesquite.:);)
Thanks again for some neat wood!


Man, that NE plum bowl is beautiful. That really has some nice color and the orientation you chose made for a real rollercoaster edge. I like the mesquite bowl too.
Thanks Curt. I only have turned some limbs from one plum tree but I can see why people like it. The colors never fail to impress!


Every time I see a NE like that I can only imagine the abuse the turner takes with all the bark flying off. Thank goodness for plexi glass, face shields, and leather gloves! Good looking work, I really appreciate the jagged NE from a turners perspective.
Thanks John. Never thought about gloves but this wasn't bad. Did wear a face shield though!


Very nice work on both bowls Baxter! The Plum really stands out - both in form and color!
Thanks Steve! Never met a piece of plum I didn't like.;)

[charlie knighton]

Let me know if you need some more cherry burl before you run out of the mesquite


Baxter, i think you will have to wake up in the middle of the night and try to find an excuse to travel to Texas for 3 years like i did, you may have started others to do the mind travel experience before the reality. when i was in business part of marketing was creating the want. you have roughed out some mesquite, next you will finish turning the mesquite, shortly afterward you will want more. i'm sorry you have entered a new level of the vortex. :eek: :D

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I love that Plum Baxter, nice, hope you used some CA at the bark's cambium area to keep it on, the old shake you will just have to wait and see what it's going to do, my guess is that it will be OK, being heartwood above and below the shake, still it is a finicky wood.
I suppose the Mesquite will color better with some finish on it, as I don't care much for the way it looks now, the color that is :o :)

[Toney Robertson]

Baxter,

The NE is really an outstanding piece. I really like the undulations.

Great job on the bark.

Toney