Thuya burl saws

[Isaac S]

I had never heard of Thuya burl before a customer asked about making a pair of saws with it. It turned out to be a very interesting wood.

The wood has so much oil in it that it started smoking when I ran it through my planer. Other than that, it was a pretty nice wood to work with. It worked very well with edge tools, although the eyes were a bit crumbly at times. The worst part was that the oily wood clogged my rasps and sandpaper VERY quickly. On the positive side, the wood smelled absolutely wonderful.

I used a single coat of shellac (I don't know if any other film finish would have stuck to the oily wood) followed by buffing with carnauba wax.

The first saw is twelve inches long, and the second is ten inches long.

http://www.blackburntools.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/thuya-carcase-01.jpg

http://www.blackburntools.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/thuya-carcase-02.jpg

http://www.blackburntools.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/thuya-dovetail-01.jpg

http://www.blackburntools.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/thuya-dovetail-03.jpg

[rob streeper]

Very pretty saws Isaac. The wood looks like some Paduak burl I have.

[Luke Maddux]

Well done, Isaac. More of the same magic we've come to expect from you!

[IanW]

Gorgeous stuff, isn't it? I first encountered it about 30 years ago. I turned a few small things from it & the second time I used some, my nose & pharynx started burning, so that was that - I think there may be a couple of small pieces at the bottom of a box of bits, somewhere, but I'd have to suit up in anti-Ebola gear to work with it again!

Oh yeah, the saws aren't too shabby for a beginner, either... :;

Actually, I was blessing your name this afternoon, Isaac - I used one of your toothing templates to put 14tpi on a small saw. Thankyou! :U

Cheers,

[rob streeper]

Gorgeous stuff, isn't it? I first encountered it about 30 years ago. I turned a few small things from it & the second time I used some, my nose & pharynx started burning, so that was that - I think there may be a couple of small pieces at the bottom of a box of bits, somewhere, but I'd have to suit up in anti-Ebola gear to work with it again!

Oh yeah, the saws aren't too shabby for a beginner, either... :;

Actually, I was blessing your name this afternoon, Isaac - I used one of your toothing templates to put 14tpi on a small saw. Thankyou! :U

Cheers,

Interesting, is Thuya known to be particularly allergenic? Have you had problems with other species? Seems like oily woods such as cocobolo, juniper, cyprus and cedar species are over-represented in the allergenic species.

[IanW]

Interesting, is Thuya known to be particularly allergenic? Have you had problems with other species? Seems like oily woods such as cocobolo, juniper, cyprus and cedar species are over-represented in the allergenic species.

Rob I think it was a straight toxic effect, rather than allergenic. After I wrote that, I remembered the trouble started as soon as I made the first dust, and was probably no worse the second time, which is not typical of an allergen - they have no effect the first time you meet them, but subsequent exposure may be a very unpleasant experience. Thuya is listed in quite a few places as an 'irritant' - try googling it.

All plant toxins vary from plant to plant, place to place, etc., and also our sensitivities vary. You may have been lucky & your pieces may have contained little of the stuff that got at me. I remember it having a very strong spicy odour, which soon turned to a burning sensation. To answer the other question, no, I'm not particularly sensitive to any other woods, except some of the Ashes, of all things. A more bland wood you'd be hard-put to find, but if I get a bit of Fraxinus dust up my nose these days, all hell breaks loose. :o Fortunately, I have little opportunity to work with any, here, and we have plenty of good substitutes... :U

Cheers,

[Sawdust Maker]

Extremely nice saws
that burl is striking

[hiroller]

Lovely saws Issac.
The crispness of your work sets a very high standard.

[Isaac S]

Thanks, everyone.

Ian, glad the templates were of some help. The thuya didn't bother me, but I always wear a mask when I work with wood, and try ot wash my hands and arms periodically. Before I bought a good mask, I would always tear up while working with cedar. I'm sure that the same would have happened with this wood.

The only wood that really bothered me was lacewood. Actually, I'm not sure if it was the wood or something else I was exposed to at the time, but while I was making a couple of handles from it, I developed a rash on my arms. I still have a nice board of it left over, but I'm a bit leary of doing anything with it.

[Euge]

Thanks, everyone.

The thuya didn't bother me, but I always wear a mask when I work with wood, and try ot wash my hands and arms periodically. Before I bought a good mask, I would always tear up while working with cedar. I'm sure that the same would have happened with this wood.

The only wood that really bothered me was lacewood. Actually, I'm not sure if it was the wood or something else I was exposed to at the time, but while I was making a couple of handles from it, I developed a rash on my arms. I still have a nice board of it left over, but I'm a bit leary of doing anything with it.

Lacewood (if you are talking about the Australian species) are mostly from the Proteaceae family, which almost all have the pronounced rays whcih give rise to the "lacewood" name. They are well known as causing allergic skin reactions on contact with wood or wood dust. Some have caustic saps, worst when the wood is wet.

The Thuya burl eg from Algeria, Nth Africa / Mediterranean region, was a king of woods! Its formed as an undergorund burl/ lignotuber, produced to survive fires. It shoots from the tuber after a fire, one of the few conifers that has adapted to survive fires this way. Some Australian eucalypts (called mallees) do the same thing. It is said that when Caesar saw the wood of Thuya burl he was so enamored by it he wanted a table made from it. You certainly did it justice with that beautiful tool handle.

Euge