On Sat, 3 Apr 2010 15:35:53 -0700 (PDT), the infamous " snipped-for-privacy@aol.com" scrawled the following:
Um, Naily, you're still mixed up. "Taste" (touchy/feely judgment), not "taste buds" (thingies in your mouth), OK?
-- It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. -- Charles Darwin
Thanks, Dad. But that is a well traveled and well used colloquialism around here. The juxtaposition was to make the writing a bit more light after the serious tone of my post.
Robert
On Sat, 3 Apr 2010 23:43:05 -0700 (PDT), the infamous " snipped-for-privacy@aol.com" scrawled the following:
I sit corrected. (Too lazy to stand.)
Happy Easter, all!
-- It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. -- Charles Darwin
On Sun, 4 Apr 2010 01:27:24 +0000 (UTC), the infamous Larry Blanchard scrawled the following:
2 points!-- It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. -- Charles Darwin
Of course I knew all that, and I respect your stance. My confused disbelief lies with the customer's request, not with you (or your buddy's) willingness to accommodate it.
You surmise correctly. :-)
I know. :-)
As always Robert, I enjoy reading your stories. Perhaps I was just trolling a bit so I'd have something good to read. :-)
Well I'm glad my little digs didn't trigger any wadded panties. I was just havin' a little fun with the situation. :-)
The Chinaberries kinda remind me of Mesquite in that they grow like weeds around these parts. I've never worked with it before, and I had no idea what it looked like (and kinda assumed it would be trashy and uninteresting), but I recently saw a bowl that somebody had turned from Chinaberry and I'm again becoming mildly interested. Any more thoughts and insight?
You are right of course; not all Mesquites are created equal, and you would do well to use lumber cut from the same tree or from trees grown in the same general vicinity if you want a good color match for all the pieces. But in my opinion it's ALL beautiful, and no artificial coloring is required (or desired!).
Fredricksburg, and I've been to their facilities in Seguin. I think my buddy even bought some lumber from them during our visit. One of these days I'll drive my Tundra back down there and see what I can find to haul back.
I seem to remember them saying that most of their furniture is sprayed with conversion lacquer; do they use the same stuff you recommended to me? :
Yep, that all makes sense. It just seems odd to me that anyone would seek out something made of Mesquite then ask to have it colored. It's one of those woods that you don't see very often in mainstream situations because it's expensive and hard to find in large quantities of good clear lumber. So to know that you want something made from it almost certainly means that you've _seen_ it in the real world and said to yourself "DAMN, that stuff is gorgeous!". Why anyone would want to COLOR it after having that religious experience is beyond my comprehension...
I don't like it. Not one bit. As a fellow Texan, you know that mesquite is one of the only furniture grade woods that grow well in our state. There are others, but mesquite is my favorite. I don't like putting anything on it but a bit of oil then top coat, or just clear coat (my favorite) and let it age itself.
AHA!! I knew it. It was a shot fired from the peanut gallery..... ;^)
Nah.... never took it wrong. I was thinking about it, though...
*LMAO*I have lived two lifetimes of disappointment with some of the things I don't like but have to accept. Buying tools made somewhere other than the USA (this really ground my teeth for years), the fact the USA has trouble making a good pocket knife (this isn't a joke...) and the fact that good cigars doubled and tripled in price in the 80s. Also, the fact that trucks are now really odd shaped cars.
Then of course, there are those folks that insist on staining curly Maple to look like walnut, staining mahogany to look like walnut (think entry doors), staining white/red oak or birch with "golden oak/ piss", etc. Worse, toner in the finish. Pet peeve of mine.
again becoming mildly interested. > Any more thoughts and insight?
I have seen some really pretty bowls turned from it too, but not from my lathe. My personal experience is too much tear out, and it splits like crazy. I have a couple of small logs that will be split soon to go into the fireplace next year. It is really pretty when finished well, but too much work.
I don't think so, but it might be. I thought they were shooting some of that newer high performance stuff from SW, but that might not be the case.
The real beauty to that stuff to me is the ability to shoot it on, go get a cup of coffee and return a couple of calls, then shoot another coat. In the summer, a coat every 20 - 30 minutes until you get the desired thickness.
And as hard as it dries, I like it on everything. I use other products, but when a kitchen comes up or a group of doors, I call Dave.
I'm with you all the way.
It is an entirely pleasurable wood to work with for me. I even like some of the wind shake defects, and I fill them in with epoxy colored with copier/laser printer toner.
Now if you want to know what some real fun is, mount it on the lathe. Wow. Almost no tear out, stable enough that turning it green is perfect (no fun to turn when cured - too hard) for hollowing.
I have made bowls, oil lamps, gavels, mallets, Christmas ornaments, desk clocks, etc. out of it on the lathe and it is by far and away my favorite wood to turn and finish.
Robert
Ah. Then unless somebody plops some free Chinaberry off at my doorstep I probably won't bother looking for any.
Yes, I recently turned several mallets from Mesquite and it was great fun; the stuff is just flat-out gorgeous. All the wood I used was fully dried and the hardness didn't really bother me; in fact, when using hand tools I've found cured Mesquite much easier to work with than Sugar Maple, even though it's almost twice as hard. I've never turned any green Mesquite; I may have to try that.
You got that right!!!! I always enjoy reading your posts on finishing! Rich
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