# Mequite natural edge bowl



## dubdrvrkev (Jan 17, 2007)

This is my first successful NE bowl. It's about 9"x5". All of my knuckles made it through unharmed so that was an accomplishment.


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## alamocdc (Jan 17, 2007)

That is quite nice, Kev! I have some Mesquite waiting on me to break my mustard in.[]


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## johncrane (Jan 18, 2007)

l like it too Kev! and what finish did you use.[]


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## jeffj13 (Jan 18, 2007)

Kevin,

Gorgeous bowl, very nice form.  But I don't see the natural edge.  Where is the bark?

jeff


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## Dario (Jan 18, 2007)

Its a beauty Kevin!

Jeff, not all natural edge have the bark.   []


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## TellicoTurning (Jan 18, 2007)

Kevin,
That wood is why I wanted to start turning in the first place.. I saw a NE Mesquite bowl down in Texas on one of my tours that I feel in love with... gave me the urge to get into wood turning... hooked ever since... I've only done one NE myself.. it was a Walnut with the bark still on the edge... turned out okay, but I didn't get the bottom like I wanted it and was trying to sand it better... went right through the bottom.. didn't realize how thin I had cut the bottom... I saved all my knuckles too.

REALLY a good job here... Probably my most favorite wood.


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## jclark58 (Jan 18, 2007)

Very Nice Kevin, make sure you bring it on Saturday.

Once I get my lathe up and running again (hopefully Tuesday night) I'm going to try and core a piece like this.  Wish me luck.

Jason


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## dubdrvrkev (Jan 18, 2007)

Thanks everyone.
J.C., I used Watco Danish oil with a few coats of shellac over that followed be a trip to the buffing wheel.

Jeff, The bark is now in many pieces all over the shop floor, although some of it may have made it to the trash. Not all NE pieces have the bark, my next few won't either, but this time it will be intentional not a "design oppertunity".

Jason, Mike cored that BEB piece I got from you. I oriented it so it was pretty flat on top though. The blank liberated itself from the chuck once but after a re-chuck all went well.


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## jclark58 (Jan 18, 2007)

Kevin,  I've been leaving the faceplate attached to the top of the blank, then before coring I'll bring up the tailstock to provide support from both ends.  No more pieces thrown from the lathe.  Also, with the faceplate still attached the core that was just removed is easily flipped so the piece can be trued and a tenon formed to start all over again.

Jason


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## pete00 (Jan 18, 2007)

great looking wood, nice job


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## wudnhed (Jan 18, 2007)

Beautiful!


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## TellicoTurning (Jan 19, 2007)

Kevin,
If you want to keep the bark on a NE, I read some where and have talked to a couple of turners at local shows... you almost always need to run some CA or other thin glue around the edge under the bark... I did that with mine and the bark stayed fine.. I just cut the bottom out with the sander trying to fix a problem with the bottom.

How did you do the bottom... did you reverse chuck with a jam chuck... Still trying to get that part worked out successfully.


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## dubdrvrkev (Jan 19, 2007)

Chuck,
I lost a huge piece of bark at the very beginning. It was pretty loose to begin with. I had grand plans of texturing and burning the edge, but hey I'm lazy. 
I had this on a glue block due to the bowl liberating itself from the tenon which was my fault for having it right next to the pith. Anyway I just parted it down to about 3/4" then used a pull saw and cut the rest. Then I used a chisel to clean up the remainder of tenon and power sanded it smooth. Easy like pie. 
I am in process of building a vacuum chuck for just this type bowl.


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## alamocdc (Jan 20, 2007)

Kev (and others), a local turner told me that wood harvested in winter will be more apt to keep the bark than wood harvested in summer. He said it has to do with the vascular fluids withdrawing in the winter. I don't know if it gets cold enough where you are in AZ for that to be true, but it's held true for the Maple I've harvested up here. FWIW


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## TellicoTurning (Jan 20, 2007)

Billy,
I've heard that also and probably true.. I have a piece of walnut that my former son-in-law cut early winter about 4 years ago... he split the log into two blanks.. I tried one and messed up the bottom, the other I still have to try again... but the bark has held well .. so far .. 

75 deg is cold weather in AZ.. the year I lived in Tucson when the weather got to 75 everyone in my apt complex started getting out their parkas... I was still in T and Shorts.  They all said I would aclimate..


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