Turning Defensively

[Robert McGowen]

There have been several posts from people turning mesquite. A lot of the mesquite has borer holes in it. I turned a bowl today (pictures after the finish is applied) and there were several through and through holes in the bowl and lots of borer tracks in the sap wood. I pulled a couple of live ones out before turning, as I could see a pile of sawdust coming from a couple of holes. I got the bowl completely finished turning and was sanding the bottom of the bowl. When I stopped the lathe and blew out the dust, there were two more holes in the bowl than were there when I started sanding! I thought you might like to see how we turn mesquite Texas style! It was easy an inch long!

[michael gallagher]

I have some mesquite that was cut about two months ago, all sealed up the day after it was cut. You should see the little sawdust piles on my wood rack from all of those pesky things that are allegedly sealed up in the wood!

[Richard Madison]

Dandy pictures Robert!

[Joe Melton]

I brought several mesquite boards and cutoffs back from central Texas a couple of weeks ago, and found small piles of sapwood sawdust in the back of my pickup. The guy who gave me the wood said it was caused by powderpost beetles. The few I saw looked like medium sized ants to me, with a globular head The eat only the sapwood. It is another species of beetle that goes for the heartwood.
Joe

[Steve Schlumpf]

Hey - the little guy did some great 'artful' work for you! Are you going to keep him as a pet or put him back to work on another blank?

[Ben Gastfriend]

I had one of those in some oak that I was turning, and as you may know, my shop is a closet in our finished basement, and it flew across the room and splat right onto mother's coffee table. She wasn't happy about that.

[Martin Braun]

If you sit real still at night in the garage, you can sometimes hear them munching !

I think in some cultures, they are a gastronomic delicacy!

[Jeff Hounshell]

So, what did you do with the little bugger once he was discovered?

[Jim Underwood]

Looks like the little bugger either sprung a leak, or he got doused with something. :rolleyes:

[Robert McGowen]

He accidentally sprung a leak during removal with a dental pick. The chickens loved him to death! :D

[Jim Becker]

MMM-mmm good! LOL