Big UGLY Texas bug question

Big Bug make BIG SPLAT

Molly Winton

>Oh the joys of Longhorn Woodboring Beetles. That's what they are. Completely harmless to humans, but 'heebiegeebies' is a good description of what they give you. Be sure to wear a face shield when turning. When you hit one of these puppies with the gouge they really go splat. I frequently stop the lathe to dig out any partial or yet-to-be-partial critters. At one point I decided to make use of the mature guys. When they crawled out of the holes I grabbed them and gingerly tossed them in a jar of mineral spirits. They died happy. When the bowl was completed I CA glued them into a hole that was recessed enough, so they didn't stick out. Creepy, but cool. The mature bug has a pretty yellow/black striped body with long antennae (hence the Longhorn in their name I assume). They look lethal, but aren't.

Re: Big UGLY Texas bug question

Lee Weed

>Brad,

Here's a tip for you if you haven't figured it out. Always wear a faceshield when turning mesquite, the little critters don't taste very good!! DAMHIKT

Lee

Re: Big UGLY Texas bug question

Bill Hale / The Wood Spinner

>Hey Brad, you ought to run into an AZ. Palo verde borer. I have seen them up to about 6" long and as big as your thumb. Now that makes high speed soup. They are all whight with black cutters. They grow up to become big black hornet looking things.

Bill in Casa Grande, AZ.

Re: Big UGLY Texas bug question

Fog Tanner

>That's just one of the joys of living in Texas and turning Mesquite. We have several varieties of mesquite here, depending on where it is grown. There are a number of ways to kill the little critters, from soaking in paint thinner, boiling, to freezing. I have put blanks into a trash bag and placed a cup of moth balls in with it and sealed the bag. A few days later the critters stopped moving. But, I do know some turners who will turn the bowl close to finished size and then microwave it. One guy finished a bowl down to 1/4" wall thickness and had it setting on his mantle. He noticed some saw dust by the bowl one day. It was larve that had survived the turning/finishing and had gotten large enough to start eating wood. Some will soak the bowl in paint thinner for the same reason.

I've found that a sharp gouge will normally slice the critter fairly quickly and the resulant goo cleans off fairly easily. But, that's a small price to pay for turning mesquite. The only wood we have here that will let you take a green piece of wood (bugs and all) and turn a finished bowl in one go and not have it go oval.

If there is a void that wont turn away, it can be filled with coffee and glue (CA or epoxy) and then turned and finished. It looks like its part of the wood and belongs there.

Re: Big UGLY Texas bug question

Ron in Drums PA

>Check my post in "Bug Question"

These are the same mutant bugs I'm taking about.

Did you sell those buggy bowls?

Carole in VA

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Re: Big UGLY Texas bug question

Don Henthorn

>Wonder how they would be fried?

Re: Big UGLY Texas bug question

Jeff Jilg

>Sounds like you got a small one :-) There are 1 million species of bugs in the world and Texas has 1 million and 1 of them!

If the wood is sitting out for any length of time here it will get borers. One of the first things I do with a load of logs is to cut off the bark. Otherwise those critters will bore a bunch of holes all over the wood. In reality, there are a variety of beetles and some of them are pretty cool looking.

...Jeff

...Austin, TX

I Love It!

David Propst

>Hey Molly,

I love it! If I ever am presented with that design opportunity I am borrowing your idea. I usually never see them until I get a spray on the faceshield.

Reminds me of a couple of years ago at Sophie's BBQ there was some wonderful wormy english walnut that launched gooey critters at both Jen and I during the day. Ahhh, warm turning memories.

Best Regards,

David Propst, RN/NG (Registered Nurse/New Graduate)

Re: Big UGLY Texas bug question

Pete in Holland, MI

>Another good plus for alcohol drying ! ! !

Congratulations, David !

Brad Vietje

>

Re: Did you sell those buggy bowls?

Molly Winton

>Alas, no. When I point them out to folks they go 'ewwwww'. My husband has kept one, and the other two are still with me. I think they creep people out.

ROFL! Why am I not surprised?

Carole in VA

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