Air drying mesquite?

[alex grams]

I am working on some natural edge mesquite, and while air drying seems to work great for normal mesquite, I get small checks in the sapwood on natural edge bowls.

Are there any thoughts on how to avoid this? Or just let it happen and fill the gaps when it is done drying?

Here is a picture of the bowl. C&C welcome. I am still learning a lot, but mesquite is by far my favorite wood to work with.

[charlie knighton]

could be from sanding, english boxwood will check from sanding

i wish i could be expert on mesquite turning, but i do not get turn it very much

[alex grams]

There was no sanding on this part. That picture was fresh turned on the lathe. It took about 3-4 days then the sapwood started checking, but the checks do not extend into the heartwood.

I will take some pictures of the checks later and post them.

[Adrian Anguiano]

My guess is because on a non natural edge bowl usually all the sapwood is usually turned out of the bowl by the time you are done roughing out the shape.

[Dale Gillaspy]

If you turned this green, it looks a little thick to be left with no end grain sealer. That could have been your problem. If you could turn it thinner, or put end grain sealer on it right away, wait for it to dry and go back and re-turn it, you might be OK. I turn a lot of mesquite, and most of what I have splits before it hits the ground.

[alex grams]

Dale. I've heard a lot of people say air drying mesquite is fine. And while I was skeptical, it has worked on a few smaller (non natural edge) bowls. I am sure the sapwood shrinkage is greater than the heartwood. But if I was to air dry a natural edge bowl, are you saying that it needs a minimal wall thickness?

[Alan Trout]

Alex,

With our Texas mesquite you are better off turning it green to finished dimensions. If you turn it thin enough it generally will not crack and warps very little. Leaving it thick and letting it dry it will tend to crack. That is one of the nice things about mesquite it can be turned green to finished dimensions without significant warping.

Alan

[alex grams]

Thanks Alan. I've just only recently gotten a few pieces of mesquite to work with. I want to say this piece was turned to about 1/2", and the only cracking I've seen after about a week has been 3-4 cracks in the sapwood end grain, that basically just extend to the heartwood/sapwood line and then stop.

Would you suggest going down to about 1/4-3/8" thickness?

[Jamie Donaldson]

Thanks Alan. I've just only recently gotten a few pieces of mesquite to work with. I want to say this piece was turned to about 1/2", and the only cracking I've seen after about a week has been 3-4 cracks in the sapwood end grain, that basically just extend to the heartwood/sapwood line and then stop.

Would you suggest going down to about 1/4-3/8" thickness?
That would most likely reduce the sapwood checking, and curing in a brown paper bag for several weeks is another insurance against further cracking.

[byron constantine]

Alex,
I have turned many pieces of mesquite green from start to finish with out any cracking. That is the beauty of mesquite. Byron