The finished piece is ~ 6” x 2”.
I knew that Honey Mesquite was one of the hardest of the North American woods so I was surprised by the ease with which it cut. And this wood took the cleanest cuts I have seen yet, even better than Claro Walnut and that is high praise coming from me. The bowl required next to no sanding at any stage. It was remarkable indeed.
I thought I detected a floral fragrance when cutting this blank, and if so, it would tend to make Prosopis juliflora and more likely candidate than Honey Mesquite. However, I am reluctant to base identification on smell alone and P. juliflora is rarely seen in commercial settings in the United States. Fortunately for me, with the exception of the odor, the general and working characteristics of the two Prosopis species are otherwise essentially identical.
The Honey Mesquite took a finish easily with no streaks or splotches.
Whatever this species actually is, I would be delighted to work with it again and I highly recommend the lighter colored Mesquites to any wood turner.
All cuts were made using the Easy Wood Tool system on my Robust American Beauty lathe. Forward chucking was in a Nova Chuck, while reverse chucking was done using a Nova Chuck with Cole Jaws. Sanding was with Gold and Green Wave sanding discs from Packard Woodworks. Final finish is Shellawax.
As always, I wish all my readers a great experience in whatever your wood working interests happen to be and to those who like working with lathes especially, do a good turn today!