mimosa vase

[flyrod444]

The power company cut a small mimosa tree down in their right of way a while back. It turns pretty good and dries very quick. This vase is only 5" tall, but gives one and idea of what the wood looks like. I will be looking for a larger tree in the future.
Jack

 

[RandyJ]

Beautiful vase, Jack. How long did you let it dry before turning? I've got a few mimosas around....

 

[DaveO]

That's about the best use for Mimosa I ever seen. Dang weeds :wmad:
Is the wood pretty soft, as I would expect from such a fast growing plant??

Dave

 

[flyrod444]

Thanks for the compliment everyone. The small tree had been cut about one month and had checked badly on the cut end. I had to cut almost a foot off to get out of the check. I turned it green at this point down to 1/4" thick and set it back to dry. I was very surprised to find it dry at 6 day's. I then turned it down to 1/8" thick to true it up a bit. I think it turns better dry than it does wet. It didn't want to cut smooth on the inside when wet, but smoothed up easy on the inside when dry. Dave, it is soft in the sap wood, but some what more solid in the heart wood. They say that it can have more color than this vase.
Jack

 

[TracyP]

Good looking vase. I like the light colored wood. You did a great job

 

[sapwood]

Another piece of art, Jack :icon_thum

When I was young (before the earth cooled ) mimosas were a part of the beauty of the mountains. But since, living in the piedmont I gotta agree with DaveO . . . they spread like weeds and are impossible to kill :eusa_thin

Roger

 

[erasmussen]

Really nice work, you need to get some larger pieces now:icon_thum

 

[DavidF]

Beautiful shape, great looking wood, nice job

 

[Kenith]

I have a number of mimosas in the yard that I want to take down. Once I cut it, how would you go about drying it before turning?


thanks,

Ken

 

[flyrod444]

Ken,
I like to rough turn my bowls green and then dry them in a brown paper bag until dry and then return to true them up. Most woods take months to dry. The mimosa dried in less than a week. It is important not to start with a piece of wood that has any small checks or cracks because they will get larger as it dries. Burls are the only blanks I will do that already have checks or cracks in to start. A lot of thin CA glue in these spots help keep the cracks from growing a lot.
Jack

 

[FuzzWuzz16]

Very nice, Jack! I've not seen mimosa wood before. That is KEWL! :icon_chee

Jim

 

[Kenith]

Thanks, I have never turned a bowl and am going to get a chuck for my lathe this weekend. I think they have one still on sale at Woodworkers just off Glenwood Ave. Still can't get over the beautiful color in the vase you made.

Ken

 

[Splinter]

Very nice work. I like the color of the wood.

 

[Glennbear]

Nice work Jack, mimosas are definitely prolific, Now if we could only get Oak or Maple to grow that fast or dry as quickly............:gar-La;

 

[woodArtz]

Once again, beautiful work. I love how you always find the coolest wood to work! I would never have thought Mimosa would look so awesome. Great Job!!! :eusa_danc