Hi Guys - a newbie from England

[Effigy]

Just want to say Hi.

I am an amateur knife maker and woodturner and am just about to start box making for the first time when I found this forum - What a great place!

I am looking to make small presentation boxes to put knives in, and have been given about 10kg of Thuya burr slices and pieces. I am tempted to make the whole box out of Thuya, but wondered if that would be over the top? I have some white oak that I could use for the sides and keep the Thuya for the lid.

I have been told that Thuya doesnt hold screws very well - is that the experience here?

The boxes will be relatively small - just big enough to hold a folding pocket knife.

Cheers!

[Sculptured Box]

Welcome Effigy

You've become a member of the best Box Makers Forum, internationally!

Personally I've not heard of Thuya before, perhaps it is available here under a different species name?

Heres to seeing your work published on this Forum very soon.

[jaspr]

Welcome to the forum Effigy - you'll find lots of help here.

[AlexS]

Welcome, Effigy. Don't know of thuya here, but if it's a burl it probably won't be too good to screw into. Also, it probably looks bretty 'busy', so may be better to use it for highlights - lid panels perhaps - and make the bulk of the box out of something plainer.
Looking forward to seeing some of your efforts.

[DPB]

Welcome, Effigy.

I understand that Thuya is briar root. It's a beautiful looking wood and would make a spectacular timber box. Here's an example.
http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/3204/untitled1id6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

However, I would tend to use it sparingly and feature it as a highlite of a presentation box perhaps similar to the one I showed in this thread. http://tinyurl.com/gdqvl
[Just in case I'm given credit for the above box- see two posts down, I found the pic on the web - the work is not mine.]

[Wardy]

welcome effigy,great place to hone your box making skills on this forum:)

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Welcome Effigy, DPB's box is nice, eh wot?

If you can post photos, I'd love to see some of the Thuya burls before they're sliced'n'diced. I also haven't heard of it before and it'd be nice to have "before" and "after" shots. of yer work. ;)

For a knife box, your suggestion of White Oak sides and Thuya for the lid sounds good. Keep us posted!

[Auzzie turner]

Ive heard of/seen the timber before. Use the timber sparingly and in little finials, or it can get overpowering. Use contrasting timbers.

Welcome to the forum,

Joash

[HappyHammer]

Welcome Effigy

You've become a member of the best Box Makers Forum, internationally!

Personally I've not heard of Thuya before,......

:rolleyes: :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :rolleyes:

[Bleedin Thumb]

Hi Effigy & welcome.
As far as I know Thuya's are pine species the most common being Thuya occidentalis and Thuya plicata otherwise known as Western Red Cedar

[jow104]

Effigy, this is a great and friendly forum been here myself a few years now, hope you enjoy and receive the friendship that has been given to me.

[Effigy]

Thanks for the welcome guys!

Funny isnt it, how timbers so highly prized here are pretty much unknown in other parts of the planet!
Thuya is mightily expensive here (around A$1,000 a cubic foot:eek: ). I didnt realise that it was part of the pine family - but that would explain its 'oily' feel (it would be the resins I suppose) I'll try and get some some pics of some of the pieces before I start butchering them.

DPB - that box you made is just the sort of thing I am looking to do. Nice work:D

Anyone point me in the direction of good tutorials? I really am a beginner:D

[Gumby]

You could start by downloading some of our forum videos.

The box making one should be available in the next few days but the others are well worth a look. Try the hinge making video for starters.

check this thread for available videos and instructions for downloading

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=35496

[Effigy]

Thanks Gumby!

This Forum is so bl**dy big! It'll take me days to wade through just one section. Brilliant:D

[Billylad]

Thanks Gumby!

This Forum is so bl**dy big! It'll take me days to wade through just one
section. Brilliant:D

Wecome effigy ,you reckion this is bl**dy big ,wait to you see australia
Thats bl**dy big:)

[Carry Pine]

Welcome Effigy and thanks for the pickie and info on that previously unknown timber. About not holding screws well... hang around here for a while and you'll be making mitred dovetales and splined mitres on those corners. Get hold of some cheap timber and run some trials. There is great satisfaction in getting something right- like exact.

Carry Pine (experimental box maker)

[ddeen]

Welcome Effigy

You've become a member of the best Box Makers Forum, internationally!



Have to second that. This is a great forum!

Welcome Effigy.