Ping Mike and or Nailshooter In San Antonio

On 7/10/2013 1:36 PM, [email protected] wrote:
> Leon:
>
> Sorry it was so long getting back to you. I only know one guy that uses a lot of mesquite is a more rustic independent type and he was really hard to find, so I called a local flooring guy that buys here and there for milled stuff for entryways, countertops, etc. His number one pick is mesquitefloors and a quick poll with the furniture guys around here shows them to be pretty well regarded.
>
> The guys at mesquitefloors have a real office front, they grade their own lumber and they have office staff. It is a real business, and they harvest and mill enough logs to keep stock on hand. They are popular with furniture makers as they kiln dry all their product (rare, since mesquite has an extremely low volumetric shrink rate) and if you call, ask for Dee:
>
> http://www.mesquitefloors.com
>
> Locals around San Marcos and even some guys from around here use these guys, and they are much less formal, and bit less expensive. This is two guys working out of a large warehouse cuttng on different ranches and farms as they can. They kiln dry as well, so their price includes that. They are a bit south of Austin, and it is catch as you can with them. Troy is the guy there, and if you leave a message he will call you back. They specialize in spalted pecan (!!) with an EXCELLENT price. Troy is appt only and is just a good old South Texas guy:
>
> http://www.swiftriverpecans.com/index.php/wood/pecan-lumber
>
> An unknown to me and mine, but known to some of the furniture guys in their web of suppliers is in Bastrop. I called Austin at Wampler Lumber in Bastrop (before the fire they used to be a big loblolly and other pine product specialists) and he gave me this name. He has dealt with him a "fair amount" and he likes this guy really well, and told me that he would use him without hesitation.
>
> Brandon Berdoll – Referred by Austin Wampler in Bastrop
> 512 497 5910
>
> I have worked with mesquite a lot for fun and would be glad to share what I have learned over the year when using it if your project gets that far.
>
> Call me (Big K has my #) if you need anything else.
>
> Robert
>


THANK YOU Robert!

I have done a "little" with mesquite. Mostly the finger hole drawer
pulls for the small drawer boxes "like in the middle of our pantry"
except at our other house. I built 10 of those that ran horizontally.

I'll hollar at'cha when the time comes. This table will be for my son.

=20
> I'll hollar at'cha when the time comes. This table will be for my son.

Absolutely my pleasure to help this little bit when I can.

So many of the little mills that were around here have gone broke with the =
economy crash. If they were selling finished furniture made from their mil=
led product, they might have a chance with income from lumber and furniture=
. But the small guys with the large Wood Mizer and a bobcat with fork on i=
t are just about completely gone. Very sad.

But - got one more guy for you, and he might fit your bill if this is to be=
a "legacy piece". More details later, but he is the only guy left around =
that doesn't have a standing "I'll buy everything you cut that is over 1 1/=
2" thick".

I don't have his info with me, but we had a long talk today about sawing an=
d milling lumber, drying techniques, the idiosyncrasies of mesquite, etc. =
Hopefully he will be in San Antonio in the next week or two, and we are thi=
nking we need to have lunch as he will be starting up a new venture here in=
San Antonio. He knows the right guys and says all the right things to make=
me happy, and his main yard isn't quite the drive you would have from Hous=
ton to get to here. Also, he runs his own mill and has BIG pieces of mesqu=
ite. No one has BIG pieces of mesquite. =20

Anyway, the last piece of info will be off to you later in the morning on T=
hu as I am on Kathy's now and don't have his contact info with me.

I have worked with mesquite a fair amount and would be glad to share what I=
have learned about the wood anytime. Call me before you place your order =
(if you want) and I can tell you what I have found about grading of the woo=
d and how to work occlusions and wind shake.

Robert

Steve Turner <[email protected]> wrote:
> On 7/1/2013 8:36 AM, Leon wrote:
>> On 6/30/2013 1:22 PM, Swingman wrote:
>>> On 6/30/2013 11:49 AM, Leon wrote:
>>>> I am looking for enough good mesquite to build a dining room table. Do
>>>> any of you know or have a suggestion as to where to get some in the SA
>>>> area? If coming from Houston I have no problem with going a bit further
>>>> if necessary.
>>>
>>> How about Steve Turner?
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> YES Steve Tunrer too. !!!!!!
>
> You know, sometimes I just hear a little bird calling my name! I don't
> have the time to browse this group very much any more, and it's probably
> been a good month or more since I've popped in here, so it's pretty weird
> that I stumbled in here only a day or two after you guys asked about me...
>
> Leon, you might try these guys:
>
> http://www.mesquitefurnitureoftexas.com/
>
> They are regular attendees of the Mesquite Festival in Fredericksburg.
> They seem to have pretty good sources for obtaining Mesquite logs for
> milling, and my buddies and I have been to their place in Sequin and have
> bought lumber from them. They didn't have an overabundance of lumber
> on-hand at the time we visited, but if you give them some lead time I
> think they can fill the request. If not, they can probably direct you to somebody who can.
>
> The only other place I've dealt with for Mesquite was the mill in
> Smithville, but they got decimated by the wildfires in Bastrop (last year
> was it?) and cashed in their chips. :-(


Thank you Steve, I appreciate the info. I'll check them out. I have a few
chunks of wood that I bought from the Smithville shop a few years back. I
was looking for hem last June when I went to Austin and missed them.

On 7/11/2013 12:10 AM, [email protected] wrote:
>
>> I'll hollar at'cha when the time comes. This table will be for my son.
>
> Absolutely my pleasure to help this little bit when I can.
>
> So many of the little mills that were around here have gone broke with the economy crash. If they were selling finished furniture made from their milled product, they might have a chance with income from lumber and furniture. But the small guys with the large Wood Mizer and a bobcat with fork on it are just about completely gone. Very sad.
>
> But - got one more guy for you, and he might fit your bill if this is to be a "legacy piece". More details later, but he is the only guy left around that doesn't have a standing "I'll buy everything you cut that is over 1 1/2" thick".
>
> I don't have his info with me, but we had a long talk today about sawing and milling lumber, drying techniques, the idiosyncrasies of mesquite, etc. Hopefully he will be in San Antonio in the next week or two, and we are thinking we need to have lunch as he will be starting up a new venture here in San Antonio. He knows the right guys and says all the right things to make me happy, and his main yard isn't quite the drive you would have from Houston to get to here. Also, he runs his own mill and has BIG pieces of mesquite. No one has BIG pieces of mesquite.
>
> Anyway, the last piece of info will be off to you later in the morning on Thu as I am on Kathy's now and don't have his contact info with me.
>
> I have worked with mesquite a fair amount and would be glad to share what I have learned about the wood anytime. Call me before you place your order (if you want) and I can tell you what I have found about grading of the wood and how to work occlusions and wind shake.
>
> Robert
>
>
>


Thanks again Robert!

Leon, check your email.

Robert

On 6/30/2013 1:22 PM, Swingman wrote:
> On 6/30/2013 11:49 AM, Leon wrote:
>> I am looking for enough good mesquite to build a dining room table. Do
>> any of you know or have a suggestion as to where to get some in the SA
>> area? If coming from Houston I have no problem with going a bit further
>> if necessary.
>
> How about Steve Turner?
>



YES Steve Tunrer too. !!!!!!

On Sunday, June 30, 2013 11:49:00 AM UTC-5, Leon wrote:
> I am looking for enough good mesquite to build a dining room table. Do
>
> any of you know or have a suggestion as to where to get some in the SA
>
> area? If coming from Houston I have no problem with going a bit further
>
> if necessary.

"chaniarts" <[email protected]> wrote
>
> http://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/mat/3885677532.html
>
Damn, I wonder how much 15,000 board feet of mesquite would cost. And some
nice big boards too. Excuse me while I clean up the drool in front of my
computer.

On Sun, 30 Jun 2013 11:49:00 -0500, Leon <lcb11211@swbelldotnet>
wrote:

>I am looking for enough good mesquite to build a dining room table. Do
>any of you know or have a suggestion as to where to get some in the SA
>area? If coming from Houston I have no problem with going a bit further
>if necessary.

Here I always figured it was available down your way. Over the years
I've accumalted about 100 BF of what they were calling brown mesquite
in the NW. Loved it's appearance and just kept buying it when
available. Of course thats kind of like the pile of old Burma Teak I
have from being apprenticed to the boat builder when it was only $5 a
board food. I better do something with it before I get to old to get
it out of the attic.

Mike M

Try these folks up in Huntsville.
http://www.mgsawmill.com/


On Sun, 30 Jun 2013 11:49:00 -0500, Leon <lcb11211@swbelldotnet> wrote:

>I am looking for enough good mesquite to build a dining room table. Do
>any of you know or have a suggestion as to where to get some in the SA
>area? If coming from Houston I have no problem with going a bit further
>if necessary.

On 6/30/2013 11:49 AM, Leon wrote:
> I am looking for enough good mesquite to build a dining room table. Do
> any of you know or have a suggestion as to where to get some in the SA
> area? If coming from Houston I have no problem with going a bit further
> if necessary.

How about Steve Turner?

--
eWoodShop: www.eWoodShop.com
Wood Shop: www.e-WoodShop.net
https://plus.google.com/114902129577517371552/posts
http://www.custommade.com/by/ewoodshop/
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)

On 7/1/2013 2:48 PM, [email protected] wrote:
> On Monday, July 1, 2013 1:17:33 PM UTC-5, Swingman wrote:
>
>> Wobet sez it jus two espensive to comment? ;)
>
> I have no idea where my damn reply went. What I said (and this reinforces it!) is that the best way to get in touch with me is via email.
>
> Loved the bathroom, Karl. Your design work has a real clean look to it that really appeals to me, and of course the execution is always great, too.
>
> I just finished up a bathroom, but it was not nearly as elegant. I rebuilt a large bathroom from the ground up, new walls, new plumbing (pipes, drains (including jack hammering up the floor for drain position) and new plumbing fixtures (tub, drains, faucets, etc.), tile, flooring, all new electrical wiring for GFIs, new lighting, sheet rock, cabinets (store bought), paint, doors and hardware in 13 days. The owner actually took a shower and did his evening ablutions at the end of day 13.
>
> It was a battle, but in the end it was OK as I got my price based on that kind of turn around.
>
> In the end, it was nowhere near as satisfying as turning out something like you did at the old homestead.
>
> Hey Leon... I can find out where to get the mesquite. Although there aren't many left there are still a few that make furniture up here that use mesquite. I helped a guy build a mesquite conference table a few years ago and he got the material somewhere in Seguin, which is a about 2 1/2 hours from you guys in Houston. There is a lot of mesquite for sale around here, but most of it is shorts and hard to use stuff. As you know, mesquite suffers badly from windshake, and you usually have to buy a lot more than you need to get the clear stuff you want.
>
> I will hit you up here or at your email addy as soon as I catch up with my table making buddy.
>
> Robert
>


Sequin would be great! I would appreciate any thing you throw my way.

On 7/1/2013 1:17 PM, Swingman wrote:
> On 7/1/2013 12:56 PM, [email protected] wrote:
>> On Sunday, June 30, 2013 11:49:00 AM UTC-5, Leon wrote:
>>> I am looking for enough good mesquite to build a dining room table. Do
>>>
>>> any of you know or have a suggestion as to where to get some in the SA
>>>
>>> area? If coming from Houston I have no problem with going a bit further
>>>
>>> if necessary.
>>
>
> Wobet sez it jus two espensive to comment? ;)
>


Charn'n fer advice.

Leon:

Sorry it was so long getting back to you. I only know one guy that uses a =
lot of mesquite is a more rustic independent type and he was really hard to=
find, so I called a local flooring guy that buys here and there for milled=
stuff for entryways, countertops, etc. His number one pick is mesquitefloo=
rs and a quick poll with the furniture guys around here shows them to be pr=
etty well regarded.=20

The guys at mesquitefloors have a real office front, they grade their own l=
umber and they have office staff. It is a real business, and they harvest =
and mill enough logs to keep stock on hand. They are popular with furnitur=
e makers as they kiln dry all their product (rare, since mesquite has an ex=
tremely low volumetric shrink rate) and if you call, ask for Dee:

http://www.mesquitefloors.com

Locals around San Marcos and even some guys from around here use these guys=
, and they are much less formal, and bit less expensive. This is two guys =
working out of a large warehouse cuttng on different ranches and farms as t=
hey can. They kiln dry as well, so their price includes that. They are a =
bit south of Austin, and it is catch as you can with them. Troy is the guy =
there, and if you leave a message he will call you back. They specialize i=
n spalted pecan (!!) with an EXCELLENT price. Troy is appt only and is jus=
t a good old South Texas guy:

http://www.swiftriverpecans.com/index.php/wood/pecan-lumber

An unknown to me and mine, but known to some of the furniture guys in their=
web of suppliers is in Bastrop. I called Austin at Wampler Lumber in Bast=
rop (before the fire they used to be a big loblolly and other pine product =
specialists) and he gave me this name. He has dealt with him a "fair amoun=
t" and he likes this guy really well, and told me that he would use him wit=
hout hesitation.

Brandon Berdoll =96 Referred by Austin Wampler in Bastrop
512 497 5910

I have worked with mesquite a lot for fun and would be glad to share what I=
have learned over the year when using it if your project gets that far.

Call me (Big K has my #) if you need anything else.

Robert

On Monday, July 1, 2013 1:17:33 PM UTC-5, Swingman wrote:
=20
> Wobet sez it jus two espensive to comment? ;)

I have no idea where my damn reply went. What I said (and this reinforces =
it!) is that the best way to get in touch with me is via email. =20

Loved the bathroom, Karl. Your design work has a real clean look to it tha=
t really appeals to me, and of course the execution is always great, too.

I just finished up a bathroom, but it was not nearly as elegant. I rebuilt=
a large bathroom from the ground up, new walls, new plumbing (pipes, drain=
s (including jack hammering up the floor for drain position) and new plumbi=
ng fixtures (tub, drains, faucets, etc.), tile, flooring, all new electrica=
l wiring for GFIs, new lighting, sheet rock, cabinets (store bought), paint=
, doors and hardware in 13 days. The owner actually took a shower and did =
his evening ablutions at the end of day 13.

It was a battle, but in the end it was OK as I got my price based on that k=
ind of turn around.

In the end, it was nowhere near as satisfying as turning out something like=
you did at the old homestead.

Hey Leon... I can find out where to get the mesquite. Although there aren=
't many left there are still a few that make furniture up here that use mes=
quite. I helped a guy build a mesquite conference table a few years ago an=
d he got the material somewhere in Seguin, which is a about 2 1/2 hours fro=
m you guys in Houston. There is a lot of mesquite for sale around here, bu=
t most of it is shorts and hard to use stuff. As you know, mesquite suffer=
s badly from windshake, and you usually have to buy a lot more than you nee=
d to get the clear stuff you want.

I will hit you up here or at your email addy as soon as I catch up with my =
table making buddy.

Robert

On Tue, 02 Jul 2013 08:50:08 -0500, Leon <lcb11211@swbelldotnet> wrote:

>On 6/30/2013 5:50 PM, Roy wrote:
>>
>> Try these folks up in Huntsville.
>> http://www.mgsawmill.com/
>>
>>
>> On Sun, 30 Jun 2013 11:49:00 -0500, Leon <lcb11211@swbelldotnet> wrote:
>>
>>> I am looking for enough good mesquite to build a dining room table. Do
>>> any of you know or have a suggestion as to where to get some in the SA
>>> area? If coming from Houston I have no problem with going a bit further
>>> if necessary.
>>
>
>
>Well Roy, I did in fact contact M&G and indeed they do have the size
>wood that I am looking for. Mike did not go much past that so I guess
>I'll have to plan a day trip to see what he has. Thanks for the reminder.

You are much more than welcome. Glad I could contribute a little something as
way of payback for all I've picked up from you over the years.

On Tue, 02 Jul 2013 09:38:24 -0500, Leon <lcb11211@swbelldotnet>
wrote:

>On 7/2/2013 9:18 AM, Mike M wrote:
>> On Sun, 30 Jun 2013 11:49:00 -0500, Leon <lcb11211@swbelldotnet>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I am looking for enough good mesquite to build a dining room table. Do
>>> any of you know or have a suggestion as to where to get some in the SA
>>> area? If coming from Houston I have no problem with going a bit further
>>> if necessary.
>>
>> Here I always figured it was available down your way. Over the years
>> I've accumalted about 100 BF of what they were calling brown mesquite
>> in the NW. Loved it's appearance and just kept buying it when
>> available. Of course thats kind of like the pile of old Burma Teak I
>> have from being apprenticed to the boat builder when it was only $5 a
>> board food. I better do something with it before I get to old to get
>> it out of the attic.
>>
>> Mike M
>>
>
>
>It is available down here but unfortunately in Houston there are enough
>woodworkers to snatch it all up. ;~)
>
>It is however a more prevalent item in the mid and south Texas areas.
>Basically the San Antonio and surrounding area and straight south from
>there.
>
>I too have accumulated chuncks but not enough to do any thing with
>except maybe cut into veneers. I do have a 4x4x18" chunk that I got off
>of my uncle's land, Charlotte, TX, some 35 years ago. Mesquite grew
>wild there and he cut up the tree limbs for, cooking, fire wood. I
>grabbed one of the hunks off of one of the bigger limbs.

How times change, I had a friend called bigfoot from the NW who was a
logger. Still have a few slabs of old growth maple from the Olympic
Penisula. Locally if you go into Eden Saw they have these amazing
slaps of conference table size. But they are in the Thousands of
dollars range. I'm lucky now to be helping a tree arbrorist. He
hires me or rents my excavator which gets me some good at least
turning stock. I'm actually stashing large rockery size rocks now. I
build a good rockery, but one of my next projects is a double pond
with about a 6' drop so I want to make the water meander thru the
rocks.

On 7/1/2013 6:40 AM, Leon wrote:
> On 6/30/2013 5:50 PM, Roy wrote:
>>
>> Try these folks up in Huntsville.
>> http://www.mgsawmill.com/
>>
>>
>> On Sun, 30 Jun 2013 11:49:00 -0500, Leon <lcb11211@swbelldotnet> wrote:
>>
>>> I am looking for enough good mesquite to build a dining room table. Do
>>> any of you know or have a suggestion as to where to get some in the SA
>>> area? If coming from Houston I have no problem with going a bit further
>>> if necessary.
>>
>
>
> I have been there and don't recall any, on hand, mesquite at all. I
> realize that they specialize in mesquite flooring, I think it is cut to
> order and they never show it as available in anything but 1/2" thick.
> I am sure he could accommodate but I want to look through an existing
> inventory.
>
> I bought 200 BF of red and white oak from Mike about 6 years ago.

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/mat/3885677532.html

On 7/1/2013 8:36 AM, Leon wrote:
> On 6/30/2013 1:22 PM, Swingman wrote:
>> On 6/30/2013 11:49 AM, Leon wrote:
>>> I am looking for enough good mesquite to build a dining room table. Do
>>> any of you know or have a suggestion as to where to get some in the SA
>>> area? If coming from Houston I have no problem with going a bit further
>>> if necessary.
>>
>> How about Steve Turner?
>>
>
>
>
> YES Steve Tunrer too. !!!!!!

You know, sometimes I just hear a little bird calling my name! I don't have
the time to browse this group very much any more, and it's probably been a good
month or more since I've popped in here, so it's pretty weird that I stumbled
in here only a day or two after you guys asked about me...

Leon, you might try these guys:

http://www.mesquitefurnitureoftexas.com/

They are regular attendees of the Mesquite Festival in Fredericksburg. They
seem to have pretty good sources for obtaining Mesquite logs for milling, and
my buddies and I have been to their place in Sequin and have bought lumber from
them. They didn't have an overabundance of lumber on-hand at the time we
visited, but if you give them some lead time I think they can fill the request.
If not, they can probably direct you to somebody who can.

The only other place I've dealt with for Mesquite was the mill in Smithville,
but they got decimated by the wildfires in Bastrop (last year was it?) and
cashed in their chips. :-(

--
Free bad advice available here.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

On 7/2/2013 9:18 AM, Mike M wrote:
> On Sun, 30 Jun 2013 11:49:00 -0500, Leon <lcb11211@swbelldotnet>
> wrote:
>
>> I am looking for enough good mesquite to build a dining room table. Do
>> any of you know or have a suggestion as to where to get some in the SA
>> area? If coming from Houston I have no problem with going a bit further
>> if necessary.
>
> Here I always figured it was available down your way. Over the years
> I've accumalted about 100 BF of what they were calling brown mesquite
> in the NW. Loved it's appearance and just kept buying it when
> available. Of course thats kind of like the pile of old Burma Teak I
> have from being apprenticed to the boat builder when it was only $5 a
> board food. I better do something with it before I get to old to get
> it out of the attic.
>
> Mike M
>


It is available down here but unfortunately in Houston there are enough
woodworkers to snatch it all up. ;~)

It is however a more prevalent item in the mid and south Texas areas.
Basically the San Antonio and surrounding area and straight south from
there.

I too have accumulated chuncks but not enough to do any thing with
except maybe cut into veneers. I do have a 4x4x18" chunk that I got off
of my uncle's land, Charlotte, TX, some 35 years ago. Mesquite grew
wild there and he cut up the tree limbs for, cooking, fire wood. I
grabbed one of the hunks off of one of the bigger limbs.

On 7/1/2013 12:56 PM, [email protected] wrote:
> On Sunday, June 30, 2013 11:49:00 AM UTC-5, Leon wrote:
>> I am looking for enough good mesquite to build a dining room table. Do
>>
>> any of you know or have a suggestion as to where to get some in the SA
>>
>> area? If coming from Houston I have no problem with going a bit further
>>
>> if necessary.
>

Wobet sez it jus two espensive to comment? ;)

--
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Wood Shop: www.e-WoodShop.net
https://plus.google.com/114902129577517371552/posts
http://www.custommade.com/by/ewoodshop/
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)

On 6/30/2013 5:50 PM, Roy wrote:
>
> Try these folks up in Huntsville.
> http://www.mgsawmill.com/
>
>
> On Sun, 30 Jun 2013 11:49:00 -0500, Leon <lcb11211@swbelldotnet> wrote:
>
>> I am looking for enough good mesquite to build a dining room table. Do
>> any of you know or have a suggestion as to where to get some in the SA
>> area? If coming from Houston I have no problem with going a bit further
>> if necessary.
>


I have been there and don't recall any, on hand, mesquite at all. I
realize that they specialize in mesquite flooring, I think it is cut to
order and they never show it as available in anything but 1/2" thick.
I am sure he could accommodate but I want to look through an existing
inventory.

I bought 200 BF of red and white oak from Mike about 6 years ago.

On 6/30/2013 5:50 PM, Roy wrote:
>
> Try these folks up in Huntsville.
> http://www.mgsawmill.com/
>
>
> On Sun, 30 Jun 2013 11:49:00 -0500, Leon <lcb11211@swbelldotnet> wrote:
>
>> I am looking for enough good mesquite to build a dining room table. Do
>> any of you know or have a suggestion as to where to get some in the SA
>> area? If coming from Houston I have no problem with going a bit further
>> if necessary.
>


Well Roy, I did in fact contact M&G and indeed they do have the size
wood that I am looking for. Mike did not go much past that so I guess
I'll have to plan a day trip to see what he has. Thanks for the reminder.