best woods for thread chasing

[Alan Carter]

I just bought a Sorby thread chasing package (the 20tpi) and would like to know what woods are best for making threads. I've had some pretty good luck with blackwood but most of other woods I've tried, such as rosewood, maple, and coco bolo tear out quite a bit. I've read that boxwood is good but what else is there that doesn't require a second mortgage to buy it.

Also are there any special techniques I should know about to make the process a little easier and neater?

Thanks.

 

[KurtB]

Thread Chasing

Alan,
Sorby has a thread chasing video on their website, IIRC. And Holly is a good candidate for this application.

 

[Sean Troy]

Hackberry can work well. I've seen Cocobolo take a very nice thread. The straighter and tighter grains are all pretty much good. Lignum Vite (sp?) another oily wood that works well.

 

[Rob Wallace]

Alan:

You might consider:

Osage orange
African blackwood
Holly
Pink ivory
Cocobolo (watch dust!)
Lignum vitae
Boxwood

also:

Corian (...any species! ) threads beautifully; it's good practice material.

Rob Wallace

 

[george watkins]

hello Alan

to learn with you really need to use a wood which takes a thread easily or you'll never know if its your technique or the wood that isnt suitable- the top three are: boxwood, lignum vitae and african blackwood- i recently bought some boxwood offcuts for £3 a kilo here in the u.k which have made 15 or so small box blanks and also some old lignum bowling balls which were 100 years old and past there best for bowling with which have been cut up to reveal some beautifull grain-so you dont have to pay allot of money for very good pratice wood.

once your confident then some other woods which can be difficult but will take threads are: pear,holly,mgure,yew heartwood

allan batty's thread chasing video is a brillant watch and well worth finding

a few techniques to help on difficult woods is to lubricate the chasers and the wood with a paste wax or you can use thin ca to harden the wood but this method is very messy and time consuming to do.

hope this helps
best wish's
george

 

[john lucas]

I haven't turned blackwood yet but I have chased threads in Osage Orange, Cocobolo and some odd very hard wood that looks like Mahagony but weights a lot more and is far harder. I found the Cocobolo took threads better than the Osage which surprised me. I've also had good luck with Holly.
I used PVC and Corian to practice on. These take a very clean thread and help polish your technique. I chased threads in a piece of PVC pipe for about 15 minutes every night for about a week. That's how I learned. I found the cocobolo easier to thread than the PVC.
I just read an article last night on chasing threads in Aluminum. I can't wait to try that.

 

[hockenbery]

two Alan Batty tips:
1. little champher on the leading edge will help strike the thread.
it also helps the finished pieces thread together as well

2. proper speed is when you can see the threads on the lathe spindle.

I've cut threads in both Holly and dogwood. The have a tiny bit of broken edge on the threads but I need the optivisor to see it.

I also found that once I learned to chase thread i could do it at 500rpm on the mini lathe. However I don't think i could have learned at that speed.
have fun
Al