Mesquite NE From Tom Jones III

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Well first off, I sure hope I spelled Mesquite right, not in my "Wood Encyclopedia" :eek:

I got this nice chunk of Mesquite from Tom Jones III in our blank exchange a while back, well I finally got around to finishing it.

It is about 6" wide and 3 1/2" tall. This stuff turns so nice and easy compared to the Keyaki I'm used to. Tom tells me it is considered a weed where he comes from, man, to have such problems! :D

Well I hope I did it right, only my second NE ya know.....

Please give it to me with both barrels, if you don't like it or if the form is off, please tell me, I have no other source of feed back around here.

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more pics.............

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Last two pics....

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Sorry the pics are not so great, I was trying to eliminate the glare I always get, I guess I should make one of them photo shooting box things......:rolleyes:

The piece was finished with sanding sealer, then friction polish, sanded to #800, then friction polish again, finally buffed out with the stick wax.

Cheers!

[Harvey M. Taylor]

Hi Stu,
Yes, you spelled it right. We even have a city adjoining Dallas with that name. Here are a few things you might like to know about our mesquite.It is the most stable wood known. You can harvest, turn and finish it the same day with no ill effects, warping or twisting. It is predominately a weed or bush, but if it survives, it makes a big, sprawling tree. Hard to tell the age, since the grain is so swirly. Our club,www.wntx.org recently harvested 20,000 lbs one weekend, the next weekend we got about 40,000 lbs. I got a section almost 30 in. across. It can be turned with the pith in as in your ne bowl. When finished turning, put on some neoprene gloves, squirt some ca glue in the crack around the pith, and sprinkle the turning dust in and rub it in. Almost indistinguishable after finishing. If you care to, visit our website and click on the gallery. Lots of turnings made of mesquite.
Enjoy, Max, the M in my name.

[Henry C. Gernhardt, III]

Stu, you've done a wonderful job with that peice of mesquite. I wish my skills were up to the level yours are at. What I am about to point out is something that I would not be able to avoid myself.

In the attached image, the arrow points to what appears to be a bit of an abrupt transition in curvature. Even that out, and you have a perfect form.

You're doing great, keep it up!

[Keith Burns]

Stu, you have done a very nice job on this piece. I don't know what it is with NE's but I do the same thing you have done and thats making the foot to big. I think it is because when you look at it from the "narrow end" it looks fine, but in the other view it needs to be narrower. Overall it is a very nice piece.:) :) :)

Now what time does the beer start flowing?:D

[Bernie Weishapl]

Stu that is a beautiful piece. I agree with Keith that I made a couple of NE's and the foot was to big. I have two more drying so hopefully will get it right on those two before I start on the big cherry one. Other than that Stu you did good.

[George Conklin]

Hi Stu,
I have never turned a NE and don't know what they are supposed to look like. That said, I like how your bowl turned out.

BTW, that was supposed to be a compliment:rolleyes: .

If you're not happy with it, send it to me:D .

[Tom Sherman]

Stu I have not turned a NE yet either but I do like your bowl very much, I have a few pieces around here not Mesquite but I have been thinking of doing one myself hope it comes out as nice as yours.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Thanks for the comments guys, and the critiques.

Looking at the piece now, in the daylight, I think I see what you mean, but, I also think my lousy pics are partly at fault, let me take some better ones and see if it still looks bottom heavy. Holding it in my hand, it does not look bottom heavy to me, but, that may just be me. This is exactly why I value the honest feedback I get here.

Film at eleven :D

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Better pics...........

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three more to follow

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

How does it look in better light?

[George Conklin]

Nope. Nothin's changed. I still like it!:D


Sorry Stu. I know you're looking for honest critiques. I just don't see anything wrong with it.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Thanks George, thta is good enough for me............ I like it too! :D

[Tom Jones III]

Looks like a good bowl. Good job keeping the bark on. It the sap wood bright yellow? It looks like maybe the DNA stained it a little. Typically the sap wood is not so bright, neon yellow but so far from this one tree it has been quite a shocking yellow.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Looks like a good bowl. Good job keeping the bark on. It the sap wood bright yellow? It looks like maybe the DNA stained it a little. Typically the sap wood is not so bright, neon yellow but so far from this one tree it has been quite a shocking yellow.

Yeah, the sapwood is rather bright, my DNA bath is now dark brown, so if anything the DNA would have darkened the wood.

Thanks again Tom!! :D

[Mark Pruitt]

Beautiful bowl Stu! Again I'm a newbie so what the heck do I know, but I think the one thing I would have done different would have been to make a smaller bottom--more round less flat. I noticed the area near the top where the profile straightens out. This weekend I roughed out three NE's (two bowls and a vase) and in determining the desired profile I bumped into the issue of "exactly where is the top.":p I did basically the same thing I see in your NE--I straightened the profile at the lowest edge. Tons of fun.:D