# Mesquite hope chest



## Scotman (Jul 10, 2010)

Hello everyone. I'm a new member. As I get more pictures, I'll share some of my other projects.

The chest has a bookmatched top and every panel is also bookmatched. Cedar bottom and fairly straight forward design. I had the center panel engraved with my niece's name and birthday.

The lumber came from a huge mesquite log I found in Oenaville, TX. It was a little over 32" in diameter! 

Scot


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

That is a beautiful job with that chest. I built one like that out of ash and I must say, the mesquite looks fantastic. The grain pattern and wood tone are very tastefully done. Nice work.


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

ACP said:


> That is a beautiful job with that chest. I must say, the mesquite looks fantastic. The grain pattern and wood tone are very tastefully done. Nice work.


I couldn't say it any better.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

That's a great looking hope chest. I love look of the mequite and the overall design. Nicely done! :thumbsup:


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## Gerry KIERNAN (Apr 20, 2007)

Very nicely done hope chest.

Gerry


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

Oooooo....Love it.
Beautiful job. Beautiful wood. 
I'm jealous of your ability to locate such a log. 
So is TT, I'll bet.:icon_smile:


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Hey Scott you can ignore my question in your intro section I'll just copy/paste it here.

I don't think I've ever seen such a large Mesquite project with so much clear wood. I wouldn't have thought I'd like that much clear Mesquite but that's super. Very nice work. What finish did you apply?


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Gene Howe said:


> . . . I'm jealous of your ability to locate such a log.
> So is TT, I'll bet.:icon_smile:


:yes:


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

TexasTimbers said:


> Hey Scott you can ignore my question in your intro section I'll just copy/paste it here.
> 
> I don't think I've ever seen such a large Mesquite project with so much clear wood. I wouldn't have thought I'd like that much clear Mesquite but that's super. Very nice work. What finish did you apply?


Yeah, I'da used different woods for the panels or sumpin, just to save the mesquite. But it is very, very nice, just the way it is!


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

I know it changes with location but how expensive is mesquite and where does it fall in hardness rating if anyone knows.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Mesquite is the hardest North American hardwood. Janka rating is 2345 -Persimmon which everyone knows is hard as steel is 2300. Osage is 2040, and White Oak is only 1360. So, it be hard. 

What's it sell for? It's all over the map. The online stores are generally pretty high, but you can pick it up fairly reasonable if you can get in with a one-man part time sawyer who cuts mainly for his own use.


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

Thanks TT, I looked on a scale I had but it wasn't there same was true for Lyptus which is the wood I have been getting from the granite yards. Lyptus is 2250 on a new scale I found and they also had the Mesquite at 2345. I'm going to check for prices this week because that is some really good looking wood.


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## Scotman (Jul 10, 2010)

Thanks for all the kind and swift replies. 

Mesquite is expensive if you buy it. But this is a hobby gone all wrong for me. Wrong enough that I bought my own lumber mill several years ago. I have a small woodmizer LT15. I mill all of my own mesquite. And, I'm a wood hoarder. I literally have thousands of board feet of hardwoods. I've got everything including mesquite, oak, maple, mahogany, Brazilian rosewood, cocobolo to....well...just about everything. It's an addiction.  But I don't ever pay retail. Ever.

The finish is a 1lb cut of shellac followed up with several coats of danish oil. A final coat of a good hard wax once everything is cured.

Oh, and TT, my name is Scot...with one T. We were very poor.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Wood hardness scale FYI*

I have some Hondouras Rosewood, or so it was called by the seller. 
It's very heavy and hard, maybe the same as Brazilian Rosewood, I donno? :blink: bill
http://www.woodsthebest.com/wood/jankaWoodHardnessScale.htm


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## Scotman (Jul 10, 2010)

Brazilian Rosewood is not the same as Honduran. Brazilian rosewood is now a very tightly control timber and I think it has been largely unavailable for import since 1971. I bought a warehouse full of lumber a couple of years ago and found about 30 board feet of the stuff in there.

Next time I'm in Temple, I'll snap a picture of my lumber stash. I have had times where I've had between 20 and 30 thousand board feet. LOL No kidding. Right now, just a few thousand. 

Seriously...I have a problem.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*I have a solution...*

When you write your will......oh, never mind, I'll leave my stuff to you.:laughing: My kid doesn't know oak from pine, he won't care.  bill
FYI I bought this Hondouran in the 70's out of a barn out in the country for a $1.00 a pound, 500 pounds. AS it turned out I built my house 2 miles from the barn 5 years later....woah.
It goes without saying of course, great looking chest, oops I said it anyway!


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## ihackwood (Sep 5, 2009)

Scotman said:


> Thanks for all the kind and swift replies.
> 
> Mesquite is expensive if you buy it. But this is a hobby gone all wrong for me. Wrong enough that I bought my own lumber mill several years ago. I have a small woodmizer LT15. I mill all of my own mesquite. And, I'm a wood hoarder. I literally have thousands of board feet of hardwoods. I've got everything including mesquite, oak, maple, mahogany, Brazilian rosewood, cocobolo to....well...just about everything. It's an addiction.  But I don't ever pay retail. Ever.
> 
> ...


 



my name is Scot...with one T. We were very poor.[/quote]

hahaha to funny , i grew up in a trailer and i have two t's


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## binkstir (May 16, 2010)

Man, that thing is amazing! Super work.


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## woody woodturner (Jul 9, 2010)

hey nice job!! the timber is a lot like Australia blackwood dos it have a white sapwood? blackwood is very hardif you drop a piece it rings like a bell lol the book matching is good


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## Streamwinner (Nov 25, 2008)

Beautiful chest. I"ve never worked with Mesquite before, except on my grill. It really is an amazing color, with a very rich glow.



Scotman said:


> And, I'm a wood hoarder. I literally have thousands of board feet of hardwoods. I've got everything including mesquite, oak, maple, mahogany, Brazilian rosewood, cocobolo to....well...just about everything.


Can I be your friend? :smile:


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## Scotman (Jul 10, 2010)

Woody, mesquite only has about a 1/2 inch of sapwood, regardless of the diameter of the log. And the sapwood is a bright yellow. I generally cut away all of the sapwood because it is very prone to beetle infestation.


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

I got a price on mesquite here $9.00 and some change a bf. To steep for me at the moment.


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## Scotman (Jul 10, 2010)

I agree. I couldn't woodwork with mesquite at all if I had to buy it.


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## woody woodturner (Jul 9, 2010)

there are no friends when it comes to woooooooooood:no::no:


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## woody woodturner (Jul 9, 2010)

it sounds similar to aust blackwood lovely colour and the sapwood is a creamy yellow ill get a piece and take a pic


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## MandM (Jan 21, 2013)

*Plans for your Mesquite Hope Chest*

Hi Scot.

I wanted to know if you had the project plans for your Mesquite Hope Chest. I noticed you posted pictures back in 2010 but I didn't see the plans for it. Would it be possible to get your plans? The chest is a very nice looking chest and I wanted to make one just like yours.


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