Thuya burl--please help

Jerry Bond

Well-Known Member
Can somebody tell me how to finish thuya burl, and how it will work on a skinning knife?
I have a pretty big block, had it now for about 2 years and never used it.
Yesterday, a customer picked it for his skinner [very, very uuugly knife].I googled it and didn't like some of the things I saw so I figured that I would ask you fellows.
ANY thing on this wood, would be greatly helpful.
Thanks a bunch, Jerry
 
Can somebody tell me how to finish thuya burl, and how it will work on a skinning knife?
I have a pretty big block, had it now for about 2 years and never used it.
Yesterday, a customer picked it for his skinner [very, very uuugly knife].I googled it and didn't like some of the things I saw so I figured that I would ask you fellows.
ANY thing on this wood, would be greatly helpful.
Thanks a bunch, Jerry


Jerry, this is some info I got from one of the sites I found (below), working with Thuya is a dance of patience, while thinking constantly about working it slowly, fine-sharp blades to cut it (again slowly), while cutting it and drilling it very slowly. When drilling I always use a scrap piece of backing board to prevent blow outs and a new bit wouldn't hurt, I think with Thuya it's that much more important. Once you get it shaped like you want it I would go to hand sanding, I know it's slow and tedious but I think you'll get the best results. It's a naturally oily wood so it will polish up beautifully, pay close attention in getting any and all deeper scratches out of it as you work up through the grits. If you want to take it a high gloss sand it up to say 400 or above, then buff it (remember that the buffer can be/IS the most dangerous machine in the shop) when you buff it and the heat starts to build up it should pull the oils out of the wood and make it shine like crazy. On most of my wood I use a product called Howard's Feed and Wax, you can get it at Home Depot, It has orange oils, carnuba and bee's wax in it, and really does a good job on every piece of wood I've put it on, even the oily ones. The description below isn't a lot of help in working it, but the part where you know it has a tendency to be brittle is the reason you want to work it SLOW, I know I keep saying that, the reason is that this is awesome wood, and is used all the time for all kinds of different uses. You just have to be careful, you can do it! As long as you take your time and don't rush any part of it you'll be fine. Hope this help, Rex


Thuya Burl
(Tetraclinis articulata)

This comes from the Atlas mountains in Morocco and has a beautiful golden chatoyance. Its color varies from a rich, lustrous golden brown to nearly black. Thuya burl is hard and dense with a high oil content, but tends to be brittle. The eyes, perfectly round, are scattered about in some burls like the figure in bird's-eye maple; in others they are grouped as islands. A rare species, this exquisite wood is used for inlays, small boxes, turnery, and precious objects.
 
Stew , Rex-- Thanks for the quick replies.
I just polished out a great hamon in a 4" DP hunter and it is ready for scales so I think I will try out this wood and see how it works.
Will let ya'll know in a couple hrs.
PLEASE don't let this stop other input on this because one handle will not tell me too much about it.
Thanks again, Jerry
 
Hi Jerry, I would definately use wet sandpaper with a drop of soap base for a release agent/ surface tension reliever.
 
I have used Thuya and I had no problem working it like I do almost any other wood. It does finish beautifully. I to about 1200 grit, go over it with some 0000 steel wool and then give it a quick buff with some pink no-scratch compound.

DamascusCamp2.jpg
 
what I found when working oily/resinous woods (especially the end-grain)is that if I don't make regular use of the crepe block on my belt,it will load real quick,and burn the wood:go lightly,and keep the wood moving.
 
I have no clue about the Thuya Burl, but I can't wait to see this blade Jerry. Give me a call when you are ready to post the pics or you can e-mail them to me and I'll post them for you.
 
OK It's done--close enough for pictures--I still need to take a few scratches and such.
That wood does load paper and belts real quick, but other than that it's bout like cocobola or any other rosewood. Just a nice smell while you working.
I got side tracked by supper is what took so long,Smothered pork chops, mashed potatoes and gravy, blackeyed peas, whole kernal corn and homemade biscuits.
It takes me longer to make all that than it would my wife, when she could do it. But she said that I get an attaboy.

Now it's smoke break then to take some pictures.
Later Jerry
 
I hope you're wearing a good mask;some of those woods,like cocobolo,
can cause respiratory distress and other things (red cedar is one you really need to be careful with too:it can make yer lungs seize up pretty good)
 
I love thuya burl if you dont want it ill buy it off you. I stabbilize it and it finished like awesome . It does clog belts but thats the waxy nature of the wood. I am serious about buying it or trading for ironwood . Here is a knife I did with some .
HPIM2340.jpg
 
Jerry I was online forgot to hit submit lmao the post I just made was suppose to been sent at like 12 noon lol Thats what happens when your glueing up 10 knives at a time . Im now nearly finished 10 since I started that post lol the blades were near finished just sanding and gluing pins. TOO FUNNY kellyw
 
Kelly, sounds like you have been bowed up all afternoon, younger people can do that. But that is still very good progress, hope they all sell for you.
About the wood--I think I like that thuya burl too. BUT I like D I too. Let me look around and see if I can find that big chunk and see just how big it is. Maybe we can tread 5 or6 sets of scales.


Mike; you said something about 0000 wool,
I ran out of steel wool once, about 2 yrs ago, and my wife heard me just gripping. She hobbled out there ['bout 14 ft] and said here, this might help, and handed me one of her pink foam finger nail polisher things.
Now I use them things ALL the time. Polish brass, ss, wood and even polish some scraches out of the steel.
 
Ironwolf; I am reluctant to say this because I know that every body is going to jump on me. I have been a carpenter all my life ,framing,
cabinets,custom furn, trim, and now custom trim in those million $ homes, Every kind of dust you can think of. And I have never owned a face mask. Now , when I do macarta scales and cocobola,.I turn the fan that way to blow the dust away from me
My shop is on the back porch and is very open and I know that I should use one --but.
Thanks for the concern, Jerry

OK FELLOWS, LET IT FLY
 
Mike; you said something about 0000 wool,
I ran out of steel wool once, about 2 yrs ago, and my wife heard me just gripping. She hobbled out there ['bout 14 ft] and said here, this might help, and handed me one of her pink foam finger nail polisher things.
Now I use them things ALL the time. Polish brass, ss, wood and even polish some scraches out of the steel.


I'll have to give that a try. Thanks.
 
Here Ya Go Jerry

Here are the pics that Jerry e-mailed me of his current project (and one I took of him at work a couple of months ago). These look great Jerry.

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I used those little fingernail thingies back when I was carving crosses out of ivory. They work great for polishing ivory.
 
Thanks murph for posting that.
Just need to say, Both of those blades are 1075/80 from admiral
1/8 thick both has brass fittings. The one in the back has some kind of burl
that I got off ebay and it was bright green. I soaked it in walnut flavored danish oil and that did the trick.
Thanks again murph, and good night to all Jerry
 
Ironwolf; I am reluctant to say this because I know that every body is going to jump on me. I have been a carpenter all my life ,framing,
cabinets,custom furn, trim, and now custom trim in those million $ homes, Every kind of dust you can think of. And I have never owned a face mask. Now , when I do macarta scales and cocobola,.I turn the fan that way to blow the dust away from me
My shop is on the back porch and is very open and I know that I should use one --but.
Thanks for the concern, Jerry

OK FELLOWS, LET IT FLY

lol,I don't know why,but I came back to your post twice,feeling compelled to say what I did,even though in my guts I already knew you were aware of the dangers some woods pose...(never figured you for a rookie).I don't know if thuya presents toxic risks,but something just prompted me to say something.
Edited to add:I also suffer from dumbitis...after umpteen years,I JUST hooked up my shop vac to my sander,and too often don't throw my 1/2 face mask on when I turn to the sander (even though it's hanging 1 1/2 arm lengths away
(but have begun wearing religiously in the last week):unsure:
And,beautiful work on those knives!
 
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