# Small Mesquite Burl Hollow form



## Nubsnstubs (May 7, 2017)

Warning--- A lot of pictures in this thread. 

I was up near Prescott, Arizona, last week, for 4 days. My goal is to find wood, especially Mesquite burls of any size. Of course, Scrub Oak is the most abundant shrub there and the root systems are all burl. When I see them, I gather them up. Agarita is another large shrub that is found around that area.

It's been my pleasure to find that about 65% of all Mesquites growing in that area will have a burl root. Agarita roots are 100% likely to be burled. Pretty much all oak roots are burled, even the trees that get up over 8" od.

Cotton Wood trees abound in Milk Creek, a creek that was once totally dredged for gold. The trees will have about a 15% likely hood of having burls somewhere on the tree, but some are almost all burl. Some of these trees are near 5' diameter, and have been dead that I know of for the last 10 years that I've been going there.

Here are some pictures of the Cottonwood burls. The logs and limbs that you see range from 14"-24 OD with the main trunks about 4-5' diameter.



 This trunk is over 4' across at the branch at the middle. Big burl to the left.



 This one is about 24" across the burl at mid picture, with the branch about 10' long total.



 This branch is about 12' long and 18" OD mid range and tapers to about 10" out of the picture



 This trunk is about 4' OD and still has bark covering the burl and has 2 branches at least 14"OD covered with burls. .



 More burls under bark.



 Same trunk , different side of the tree with burls exposed. This trunk is about 4' OD.



This is the branch that just about crippled me last year. Notice the crack it has at the main trunk at the right side of the picture. Last year it wasn't cracked, and the whole branch was suspended by the trunk. At over 15' long and too high to safely cut with my chain saw, I thought I would start pushing the branch to get it swaying and it would break. Well, each time it swayed back, I would take a small step back, and push again. Well, one of those push again's, something in my knee popped. It cut the trip short by 3 days. Had to get back to Tucson to see a doc only to get a, "Nuttin's wrong, you're fine", type of diagnosis.

Anyway, this year I didn't take my chainsaw, and found the branch is splitting off the main trunk with one end keeping the log off the ground. Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and I'll be back up there to get the log if it isn't lying on the ground.............. Jerry ((in Tucson)

Reactions: Way Cool 7


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## Nubsnstubs (May 7, 2017)

More Cottonwood burls































 If the wood is lying on the ground, it's pretty poor unless someone is into castings. The bugs get in and have a good ole time. Most of the burls picture are over 14"OD up to 20". More to follow. ............ Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Way Cool 2


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## Nubsnstubs (May 7, 2017)

A few more pictures.



As I was driving out of Milk Creek, a C-130 flew by pretty low at maybe 500 feet above ground level. My favorite airplane.








The above 2 pictures are a Mesquite root ball/burl I saw in Congress, Arizona. It doesn't look like much in the pictures, but in the bottom picture, the trunk is over 12" at the cut. The root ball is over 40"OD and about 40" tall.








My treasure. It's a Mesquite root burl about 16 at the largest point. I don't know where it washed up from, but I'll take it anytime I see one.









The leafy stuff is Agarita limbs I cut from live bushes. I want do a few turnings with the limbs cut as dowel or plugs for effect.Also pictured is an Oak root burl found along side the road as I was leaving and heading back to Tucson.



 There is over 40 Oak burls that will yield about 4-8" pieces if planned right.



 I was given this by a flintknapping friend in Scottsdale I visited with on the way home. It might be Catclaw, but could end up being Mesquite. All said, I think I had a pretty good haul.

You wanta know what's funny about this post. I didn't show the Small mesquite Hollow form. It's coming up next. ...... Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Way Cool 5


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## Nubsnstubs (May 7, 2017)

I tried to find my stills I grabbed off the video. Can't find them just yet, but stay tuned. They will turn up, I hope. ............ Jerry (in Tucson)


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## barry richardson (May 7, 2017)

Looks like lots of good stuff Jerry! I was just gonna ask "wheres the mesquite hollow form" lol


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## Nubsnstubs (May 7, 2017)

Here they are.




This burl was buried in a wind row made by the grader that usually maintains the road. Eventually it found it's way out of it, and then I found it. What's inside is a bunch of pretty wood.




I trimmed it on the bandsaw to see what it really looked like.

.


I'm in the process of mounting it.





It's mounted, and ready to show off what's inside.

Reactions: EyeCandy! 1 | Way Cool 1


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## Nubsnstubs (May 7, 2017)

A clopse up of how the Chuck Plate manages to secure the piece.




Another view of the secured piece.




Unfortunately, the process of getting the form to the stage it's currently in was uneventful, so no exciting pictures to show other than my beading tool kind of looks like a snake going in for the bite. You have to use your imagination. Anyway, I'm cleaning up the bead I just made.




Steady rest is being installed. Piece of cake to do even with the tail stock and banjo in place.




Back to hogging out the hollow form................ Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Way Cool 2


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## Nubsnstubs (May 7, 2017)

More progress





Looks like a concrete mixer inside. This piece was like powdered wood.




I'm reverse turning as I broke my neck back in 2009, and it's much easier to do reverse than to try to look into the form on normal forward rotation. Also using either Easy Wood or AZ Carbide tools for hollowing. Much easier than a bowl gouge.




Ready to sand the inside using my pneumatic sander.




Getting ready to insert my finishing Chuck Plate into my chuck. Since I invented the Chuck Plate, I have a bunch and can use several for different things. The roughing Chuck Plate is in the left bottom corner of the picture, and finishing in the upper right. They are the same other than the finishing Chuck Plate has 8 screws removed so I don't have to drill too many holes in my Jam or Rim chucks. Some might say they are friction plates.




I'm sizing my plate or chuck to fit the hollow form. The plug you see in the center at the live center is the same size as the ID of the form. The shoulder of the form fits in the step you see towards the OD of the Rim Chuck. I'm having a slight problem trying to ID this tool or aide I'm making. If any of you have a better name for it, please let me know.




It's fitted. It fits the ID of the neck, and also fits on the shoulder. It's a known fact that when you can spread the load further out on a round something, it will be more stable.




I've tried about 5 times to delete this picture as it's a duplicate of the first picture in this reply. Anyone that may no how to do it right, please delete it for me........... Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Way Cool 3


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## DKMD (May 7, 2017)

Looks like you found some good stuff! I would have struggled leaving all that cottonwood burl behind.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Nubsnstubs (May 7, 2017)

Almost done




Removing the tenon between centers. Nuttin fancy.




Decorated bottom




Ready to install the Tail Stock Steady.




The Tail Stock Steady is being installed into the tail stock.









The two pictures above show me nibbling away at the nub left from the tenon removal stage.




Cleaning up all remnants of the tenon/nub.




Sanding for photographic effect.




Steel wool. I'm very comfortable using sand paper, Scotchbrite and steel wool while the Tail Stock Steady is in place. The tool rest MUST be in place to prevent the sand paper from getting caught by the bottom wheel of the Tail Stock Steady. 




Bottom is complete. .............. Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Like 3 | EyeCandy! 1


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## Nubsnstubs (May 7, 2017)

The last picture. When I finally apply a finish, I'll take some better pictures, and post one or two.. Thanks for looking and for all the Way Cool tags? . I enjoyed the trip, and also almost enjoyed posting this thread.....





Jerry (in Tucson) whew!!!!!!!

Reactions: Great Post 3 | Way Cool 6


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## Tony (May 7, 2017)

Jerry, some great wood and very cool pics! I'd love to spend a day in your shop, I'm totally geeking out on all your faceplates and steady rests, all that stuff! Thanks for sharing. Tony

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Lou Currier (May 7, 2017)

Just think...burls sitting all over the place waiting to be repurposed...nothing like here...darn 

Thanks for sharing.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Nubsnstubs (May 8, 2017)

Tony said:


> Jerry, some great wood and very cool pics! I'd love to spend a day in your shop, I'm totally geeking out on all your faceplates and steady rests, all that stuff! Thanks for sharing. Tony



Tony, you are more than welcome to stop by anytime you're in the neighborhood. I have two requirements though. One requirement is 24 hours notice so i can make it out of "Dodge" in a hurry. Just kidding. The second requirement is bring a truck to help me get rid of some of this stuff. I'm making my property look pretty bad with all the loose wood piles. It's also becoming a fire hazard.



DKMD said:


> Looks like you found some good stuff! I would have struggled leaving all that cottonwood burl behind.



Doc, I've been looking at that wood now for over 10 years, and last year was the first time gathering it. I actually had a permit to collect it.  Curt Fuller is who got me interested in going after Cottonwood. Since this stuff has been dead for a long time, it has no smell other than a dusty wood smell.


Lou Currier said:


> Just think...burls sitting all over the place waiting to be repurposed...nothing like here...darn
> 
> Thanks for sharing.



Lou, here in the desert, I've collected and turned wood that has been dead for almost a hundred years. Things don't degrade here as fast as they do in humid wet climates.
Thanks for the comments....... Jerry (in Tucson)


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## woodman6415 (May 8, 2017)

Great job on the hollow form ... love working with mesquite... my favorite and I have several acres with it ...
Awesome pics of all the dessert wood ... would also like to visit your shop someday... @Tony road trip ?


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## Nubsnstubs (May 8, 2017)

woodman6415 said:


> Great job on the hollow form ... love working with mesquite... my favorite and I have several acres with it ...
> Awesome pics of all the dessert wood ... would also like to visit your shop someday... @Tony road trip ?



Thanks Wendell, invites are always open. My shop isn't much to see, but my stash and some of my tools are somewhat interesting...... 

So, got rock? Pipe Springs looks like it is in The Hill Country that has tons of flint. I've been all over HC, and too many other places to mention, collecting flint. I have a flintknapping friend in San Antonio, and have visited with Allan Trout, also of SA. I like it there, but Arizona is my home. Too old to leave. .............. Jerry (in Tucson)


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## Tony (May 8, 2017)

woodman6415 said:


> Great job on the hollow form ... love working with mesquite... my favorite and I have several acres with it ...
> Awesome pics of all the dessert wood ... would also like to visit your shop someday... @Tony road trip ?



Wendell, when you're ready holler. I'm always game to meet other WBers, especially when they need help getting rid of wood! Tony

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## woodman6415 (May 8, 2017)

Nubsnstubs said:


> Thanks Wendell, invites are always open. My shop isn't much to see, but my stash and some of my tools are somewhat interesting......
> 
> So, got rock? Pipe Springs looks like it is in The Hill Country that has tons of flint. I've been all over HC, and too many other places to mention, collecting flint. I have a flintknapping friend in San Antonio, and have visited with Allan Trout, also of SA. I like it there, but Arizona is my home. Too old to leave. .............. Jerry (in Tucson)


Yes I do have rock ... about 4 acres of hill ... I don't know about flint ... but one of my friends in the turning club is really involved in flintknapping ... the only mesquite I have here I've hauled form my place in San Angelo ... west Texas ... only been here 2 years but love the Hill Country not sure I could live anywhere else now ...


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