Mesquite, bois d' arc and more

[charlese]

Do enlighten us re the 'green chain'. Please!

Paul told you good! To add just a little - the boards come down an endless chain at right angles to the movement of the chain also the runway platform where the pullers work. Yes, the lumber is green and weighs in good. It is quickly learned how to pull your board off enough to gain mechanical advantage (like a teeter totter) so you could pull the remaining length off the chain and into the stack you need to fill. Pulling inertia and length of board meant a lot. It is hard to lift the whole board(s).

The pullers platform (sometimes one on both sides of the chain) runs the length of the chain with enough pullers to handle the sizes being made. Some pullers look for grades (crayon marked by a grader) as well size. Depends on the type and species of boards.

This was a high paying job for college students in their spare time.

[billnpatti]

Gene, You've got my attention when you stated that you fill cracks and checks with powdered turquoise, silver and other stones. I would like to try doing this. What can you tell me about it?:o

[billnpatti]

Just had to go back to my old college dendrology texts, to see if I could find anything additional on Osage orange. One book says the wood will yield a yellow dye when extracted with hot water, the other says the yellow dye is extracted from the roots.

Anyway, my memory of the wood being used for mallets was faulty!

You can take this to the bank, yellow dye can be made from bois d' arc wood. I have made only one large project from bois d' arc and my wife forbids me from ever working with bois d' arc ever again. The saw dust from my clothes caused everything in the washing machine to turn yellow. It took a couple washings to get the yellow out of the clothes. If the roots make a stronger dye, I'm glad I didn't try to make anything out of bois d' arc roots or I might not still be married.

[Gene Howe]

Gene, You've got my attention when you stated that you fill cracks and checks with powdered turquoise, silver and other stones. I would like to try doing this. What can you tell me about it?:o

There are many ways to accomplish it. I am a fan of SIMPLE. If I could find it locally, I would buy the Turquoise already powdered. But, such is not the case. So, I grind and sift it myself. Turquoise is not a real hard stone. My "mortar and pestle" is a 8" length of 2" drill rod, a 4" length of 8" well casing, and a 10" dia. piece of 1/4" flat steel. The casing sets loose on the round plate and I crush the stone inside the casing with the drill rod.
I use an exceptionally fine metal screen to sift with. So fine that only powder the consistency of flour will get through. Then it's pound, sift, pound, sift....etc. till enough is collected. Some voids are large enough to use chunks. that saves a lot of pounding.
Next is the epoxy. I use a product called "Clear Cast" or, System 3 works as well. Very small voids can be filled with powder and a good CA glue.
If the void is through and through, tape off the bottom. Mix and pour to fill the void about 1/2 - 2/3 full. Depending on the size of the chunks, if you use chunks. I usually color this layer. I use acrylic artist paint. A little dab'll do ya.
Let the epoxy cure.
Next step is to lay in the chunks then pour in more epoxy. If chunks, I color this layer also.
If using powdered stone, you can put it in on the first layer of epoxy and pour in more epoxy, or mix it with the epoxy, then pour. If using powdered, I don't color either layer.

I use an RO sander, 60 grit up through 120 to smooth the inlay. Then hand sand up through 300. Finish is usually poly or marine varnish.

I get brass filings from hardware stores that make keys. Sprinkle a little in/on the final pour. Looks like gold! Haven't done it, but you could use the filings in place of the powdered stone for a different look.

My silver is dental silver that comes in little capsules with mercury as a binding agent. You have to have a dental appliance called a jitterbug to hold and agitate the capsule. AND, USE RUBBER OR HEAVY LATEX GLOVES!
Each capsule will yield enough silver to fill a 2" long, 1/8" X 1/8" groove. I apply thick CA glue to the groove/void and push in the silver with a flat dental probe. If you like to play, you can use a Dremel, or similar, to incise veins in the cured powdered stone/epoxy.

Hope this helps. Have fun!

[charlese]

You can take this to the bank, yellow dye can be made from bois d' arc wood. I have made only one large project from bois d' arc and my wife forbids me from ever working with bois d' arc ever again. The saw dust from my clothes caused everything in the washing machine to turn yellow. It took a couple washings to get the yellow out of the clothes. If the roots make a stronger dye, I'm glad I didn't try to make anything out of bois d' arc roots or I might not still be married.

Holy Cow! Whoda known? That's really strong dye! Here's hoping things at your house are going better these days.

Moral-- remove sawdust from clothes prior to washing!

[beeg]

Moral-- remove sawdust from clothes prior to washing!

I wash em by themselves, but it sounds like with Osage orange ya better run the washer through an empty cycle.

[pennview]

Originally posted by Gene Howe
There are many ways to accomplish it. I am a fan of SIMPLE. If I could find it locally, I would buy the Turquoise already powdered. But, such is not the case. So, I grind and sift it myself. Turquoise is not a real hard stone. My "mortar and pestle" is a 8" length of 2" drill rod, a 4" length of 8" well casing, and a 10" dia. piece of 1/4" flat steel. The casing sets loose on the round plate and I crush the stone inside the casing with the drill rod.

Another way to pulverize soft stones like Turquoise is to use one of those small coffee bean grinders. You can sometimes pick one of these up at a flee market for next to nothing.