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Hand Chased Threads

Emiliano Achaval

Emiliano Achaval

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Dec 14, 2015
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Location
Maui, Hawaii
Website
hawaiiankoaturner.com
I have been chasing threads almost daily. Beware: it becomes an addiction! Do not try it! LOL
I found a very old piece of Maui Olive wood. So far it has proven to be the best wood around here for chasing threads... Lychee is second best... I have never in 20 years paid for any wood. I have unlimited amounts of Koa. For the first time ever I felt the necessity of getting some other woods. SO, I posted in some Facebook groups, I was looking to trade Koa for woods suitable for chasing threads. Boy, was I ever successful!! I have the real deal Boxwood comping from England, Cocobolo , KIngwood and Indian Rosewood from Oregon, Some other woods too, that the guy said are ok, but not known id. I will use the cocobolo for inserts, Koa and Koa'ia boxes with Hand chased threads on Cocobolo...
 
I watched the Sorby video that came with my thread chasing tools and they mentioned boxwood as the best and said that cocobolo was too soft ???? The video showed something that looked more like zebrawood and called it cocobolo. I have lots of cocobolo just waiting for the right opportunity, but I sort of dread turning something that hard
 
I forgot about Olive wood. What I had was extremely hard and dense. I didn't chase threads back then. I still have a small piece but it's just a really odd shaped piece and not suitable for many thing yet. I keep it because it will become a piece of something some day.
when you get the box wood you will be blown away. It is by far easier to chase than any woods I've tried. I just can't seem to get my hands on any and since I have the powered threader don't really need it now.
 
john lucas said:
I forgot about Olive wood. What I had was extremely hard and dense. I didn't chase threads back then. I still have a small piece but it's just a really odd shaped piece and not suitable for many thing yet. I keep it because it will become a piece of something some day.
when you get the box wood you will be blown away. It is by far easier to chase than any woods I've tried. I just can't seem to get my hands on any and since I have the powered threader don't really need it now.
Click to expand...

Since I didn't know anything about boxwood, I Googled it and found that there is actually an organization called The American Boxwood Society and their website tells you everything that you would want to know except where to find it. I presume that there are no large pieces to be had. The website says that there are 90 species of boxwood and over 365 cultivars. I wonder which one would be the best for thread chasing. Do you think that there is a special cultivar that was developed specifically for its thread chasing quality. 😀 If not, there should be.
 
Bill Boehme said:
I watched the Sorby video that came with my thread chasing tools and they mentioned boxwood as the best and said that cocobolo was too soft ???? The video showed something that looked more like zebrawood and called it cocobolo. I have lots of cocobolo just waiting for the right opportunity, but I sort of dread turning something that hard
Click to expand...
Cocobolo better be good! Lol. I have a box arriving tomorrow. I was told it is good. Also, the pictures of it looks like zebra wood... I will let you know if it works.
 
Bill Boehme said:
Since I didn't know anything about boxwood, I Googled it and found that there is actually an organization called The American Boxwood Society and their website tells you everything that you would want to know except where to find it. I presume that there are no large pieces to be had. The website says that there are 90 species of boxwood and over 365 cultivars. I wonder which one would be the best for thread chasing. Do you think that there is a special cultivar that was developed specifically for its thread chasing quality. 😀 If not, there should be.
Click to expand...
The English turner told me it's a very slow conifer shrub. He thinks I'm crazy for wanting it lol. He says Koa is way nicer. That boxwood is the most plain ugly wood haha. Very funny guy. He cut it himself. I wasn't aware that there are so many subspecies, I hope I'm getting the right one! He estimated the one he cut at over 400 years old, very old and slow growth.
 
I think I tosses a small piece in the trash last night. Might be just big enough to try and chase threads so I'll do it in a minute and let you know. Cocobolo may be like Osage Orange is around here. One piece will thread perfectly and you swear it's the best wood. The next piece just chips out. Anyway let me hang up here and go turn some Cocobolo.
 
Well I didn't get it done first thing but here it is. I took my little scrap of Cocobolo and chased some 16TPI threads. It cut very easily and cleanly. This was the same piece of wood that bit my thumb yesterday when turning another project and I used enough fowl language to make it behave today. 🙂 Maybe that's the secret.
 

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john lucas said:
Well I didn't get it done first thing but here it is. I took my little scrap of Cocobolo and chased some 16TPI threads. It cut very easily and cleanly. This was the same piece of wood that bit my thumb yesterday when turning another project and I used enough fowl language to make it behave today. 🙂 Maybe that's the secret.
Click to expand...
🙂
I have had few pieces of conversational wood. It just like to hear from the turner now and then.
 
I remember I brought a really difficult piece to work one day and told them it probably wouldn't be allowed in church for a week or so. I guess I got that from my Dad. My mother said Cursing was his second language. He never meant anything by it and I never heard him say an ugly work about anyone, but when he was working on projects around the house you had to hold your ears.
 
john lucas said:
Well I didn't get it done first thing but here it is. I took my little scrap of Cocobolo and chased some 16TPI threads. It cut very easily and cleanly. This was the same piece of wood that bit my thumb yesterday when turning another project and I used enough fowl language to make it behave today. 🙂 Maybe that's the secret.
Click to expand...
So glad to see its good for chasing threads! Thank you John. For some reason, the picture I have in my mind of Cocobolo is of a black wood... Today I cut a very old, very dead, apple tree. Have lots of wood for thread chasing now! Very much enjoying this thread, no pun intended. Aloha.
 
Mike Johnson said:
My vocabulary has expanded greatly the last couple of years with the latest Windows Network releases.
Click to expand...
When I get mad, I revert to swearing in Spanish... LOL So nobody really knows what I'm saying. Spanish is much more colorful than English, I can really throw out some beautiful classic curse words...
 
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