Why not wormy mesquite or wormy walnut or wormy whatever?

[John Tisdale]

I'm finishing out a mesquite log I started about 5-yrs ago. It was formed as a 36" vase and thick hollowed down to about 26" - plans were to have a longer internal tool rest built and finish. Rethought and cut it down to 29" and am reshaping/completing the hollowing. Meanwhile the worms have had a blast with my log. I've spent all morning cleaning out "worm-dirt" and plan to fill with black epoxy and complete final turning.

It's a gorgeous log but digging-out and filling a huge number of worm-holes is a significant task. I've turned both traditional and tall vases in the past with a few worm-holes - no problem. But this one is over the top.

Maybe I should call it wormy mesquite or wormy mistletoe burl mesquite. Why not? Wormy chestnut is one of the most sought after woods. Why wouldn't the word "wormy" add an element of mystique and "up the value"? Do we have any marketing guys on the forum?

 

[Darryl Fective]

That large, with many holes, I'd be tempted to leave them empty. (can call then micro voids)

I tried picking that stuff out on an early piece, but discovered high pressure thru a (soft tip) blow gun is way easier and faster. I have a non-regulated hose off my 60 gallon, so it's probably 140 psi.

EDIT: I misread it as black CA. I'm guessing epoxy would be much easier.

 

[Richard Coers]

Market it any way you want, there is no place nor person to say you can't.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

The above bowls came from a west Texas mesquite burl that had been setting for several years before it was brought to me to make something of it. The worms that attack mesquite as I understand do not give up on a piece just because it is dry so getting some thing to give for the burl was quite difficult.
The method I used was to fill the voids with epoxy putty the turn that down till it was part of the surface then under cut about 1/16' and refill with powered turquoise, then finish that off a consistent surface. The bonus for me was a ride in his Stearman biplane.

He came back several years later with a request for replacement grips for his Colt 45 (Italian Knock off) but I barely had enough to make the grips. The right hand grip shown had some worm shit that I soaked with CA and that shows up slightly darker just behind the trigger. If you have some areas with compacted shit that may be an option.

 

[Randy Anderson]

I've sold a number of pieces with a lot of bug hole activity and spent tons of time sitting and digging it all out. I think some of them augment their diet with cement. Only thing I would do is use the word "bug" vs "worm". Maybe just me but when I've said bug holes/activity I've not gotten a negative reaction, in fact it adds to their interest in almost all cases. I guess bugs are less a negative image than worms to me.

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I did turn a few pieces with holes and tunnels, they did sell and for me there is no need to clean all holes and tunnels, especially if many and small.
Large holes are more easily cleaned, poke the openings a bit and then high pressure air will usually removes the rest with maybe a bit more cleaning.

I have tried fill-in the holes/tunnels, more work and not better nicer IMO, so stopped that real quick.


Found this log and it was interesting too see how there were 2 different species of bugs that had been boring in the wood.


More holes look better than just a couple and are liked better I found.


Here another one.

 

[John Tisdale]

Leo,
Your bugs pushed a really great turning over-the-top. I won't be able to stop thinking about the above bowls. Thanks I think.

 

[John Ames]

almost everything I turn is buggy, wormy, rotten... people seem to gravitate to those pieces quite often. The terms I most often use to describe the critter and the residue are "Wood Boring Beetle" and "Frass"

Depending on whom I'm speaking to, they tend to like that better than bugs and turds

 

[Randy Anderson]

Anyone ever used a dental water pic to clean them out? Seems like it might work well but not tried it. Might just turn into a big bug frass muddy mess.

 

[John Ames]

I would be really surprised if there was enough pressure in a waterpik to do much removal …. Interesting thought though. I don’t know of anything that could generate enough water pressure in such a small space… 🤔

Tiny round tipped carbide burrs chucked in a dremel/foredom/air die grinder can do pretty well. They come in long lengths (3” or more) but you cannot run them at high speed when there’s that much hanging out of the collet….

I’ve been toying with the idea of putting a little 90 degree bend in about the last 1/8” of a piece of piano wire chucked in a drill and reaming them out that way… some of those holes are waaaayyyy long!

 

[Steve Nix]

Wormy Art. My wife once told me I should have been a dentist

 

[Dave Landers]

Anyone ever used a dental water pic to clean them out? Seems like it might work well but not tried it. Might just turn into a big bug frass muddy mess.

Haven't done that, does sound messy.
I have had success, in some cases, with air. Take an inflation needle (the thing used to air up a football) and grind off the end so the air comes out the end, and sharpen it a bit. Do some adapters to attach it to your air nozzle. You can use it to dig and blow at the same time. Doesn't always work, but is a useful tool to add to your arsenal.
I also use dental tools and tiny ball-end burs on a dremel flex shaft, and a small drill bit in a pin vice.

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

Anyone ever used a dental water pic to clean them out? Seems like it might work well but not tried it. Might just turn into a big bug frass muddy mess.

I use traditional dental tools for removing dross from worm holes/tracks. I think a set of them is $20 or less on Amazon.