# Microwave and Mesqite



## Wingshooter (Dec 24, 2009)

I steam bent the fork on the second one I made. It bent about 5/8 as you can see in the picture. It was straght as a string. Not a rousing sucsess but at least I don't have to use it for fire wood. Now all I have to do is get it finished.
The second picture is the last mesquite fork. I dried it and went from 133.9g to 98.7g it lost 35.2g of water. I finnished and buffed it out and man do I like this palamino color the pictures don't do them justice. I will be on the hunt for more of this wood.


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## smitty (Dec 17, 2009)

very, very nice work. Next time I'm going through mesquite areas, I'm gonna grab some. Sure like your slingshots.


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## Wingshooter (Dec 24, 2009)

Thanks Smitty this stuff is great. I didn't think we had any good slingshot wood here in the desert. Man was I ever wrong.


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## NightKnight (Dec 16, 2009)

Looks good! Now for a dumb question, how do you steam bend wood?


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## Wingshooter (Dec 24, 2009)

In my case it was a gallon coffee can full of water sitting on the burner on my grill. I put a piece of chicken wire over the top of the can to lay the slingshot on. I then made a tent of aluminum foil and sealed around the top of the can. I had a small hole for the steam to escape. I steamed the slinshot for 1 1/2 hours I think now it should have been two hours. I made a jig to hold the slingshot after it was done. It was set up with a clamp to pull the handle to the line I wanted. You can steam bend most hard woods but stuff like redwood will not bend. I used to make all wood bows no glass just wood abd had to learn how to bend wood. Some woods bend a lot better than others.


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## Flatband (Dec 18, 2009)

I keep hearing about Mesquite and how good it is for frames. I have to get me a board and carve one up. It's hard and finishes well so that sounds good to me! Flatband


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## statikpunk (Dec 24, 2009)

hey wingshooter is that first fork a Juniper fork?? it looks like it. I live in nevada just like you and I have made many forks out of juniper, its really pretty if you can expose the red inner wood.

oops ! I just saw your older posts i see they are both mesquite. the first one looks just like juniper though. the second one is really beautiful.


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## smitty (Dec 17, 2009)

Laugh if you want to , but how do you know if it is a juniper tree? We are supposed to have them here where I live too.


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## Wingshooter (Dec 24, 2009)

statikpunk said:


> Laugh if you want to , but how do you know if it is a juniper tree? We are supposed to have them here where I live too.


I don't use a finish on them but I do use a polishing compound. One is white and one is red. The red one gives the wood the slightly reddish palomino look. Now I am on the look out for some thinner limbed forks I want to do a sling like Ruffas Hussy and tie the bands with the clove hitch to the forks. **** ain't it fun.


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## statikpunk (Dec 24, 2009)

i just thought it looked like a juniper limb with the flakey bark peeled off, they kinda just look like big sage brush
here is a pic of one of my juniper slingshot, this was my very first slingshot to sport theraband coincidentally 
i think they look very similar


ooooo wow i jsut realized thats an embarrassing picture, the bands are super raged, and the catty is hideous. just so no one loses respect for me here is what i changed it to


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## longshot (Jan 14, 2010)

Wingshooter said:


> In my case it was a gallon coffee can full of water sitting on the burner on my grill. I put a piece of chicken wire over the top of the can to lay the slingshot on. I then made a tent of aluminum foil and sealed around the top of the can. I had a small hole for the steam to escape. I steamed the slinshot for 1 1/2 hours I think now it should have been two hours. I made a jig to hold the slingshot after it was done. It was set up with a clamp to pull the handle to the line I wanted. You can steam bend most hard woods but stuff like redwood will not bend. I used to make all wood bows no glass just wood abd had to learn how to bend wood. Some woods bend a lot better than others.


How long do you leave it in the jig. If it is anything liek standard woodworking then it was a while.


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## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

There are three varieties of Mesquite here and I have cut quite a few in this area green and just peeled the bark off before finishing (always leave them bare). I have never had a green Mesquite fork check on me with out any curing. I usually get the Green heart mesquite. We also have Purple Heart and Red Heart Mesquite, but I don't have much experience with those. Tex


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## Wingshooter (Dec 24, 2009)

Tex-Shooter said:


> There are three varieties of Mesquite here and I have cut quite a few in this area green and just peeled the bark off before finishing (always leave them bare). I have never had a green Mesquite fork check on me with out any curing. I usually get the Green heart mesquite. We also have Purple Heart and Red Heart Mesquite, but I don't have much experience with those. Tex


Our Mesquite here in the mojave desert is the Screwbean Mesquite. The thorns are vicious 2 inchs long and they have an attitude. It makes a nice looking slingshot. I have even turned a few pens with it.


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## Thwupp-p-p (Jan 17, 2010)

Wingshooter said:


> ...Our Mesquite here in the mojave desert is the Screwbean Mesquite. The thorns are vicious 2 inchs long and they have an attitude. It makes a nice looking slingshot...


That is one _awesome_-looking fork you have there, Wingshooter!


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