Honoki wood

[hybridfiat]

I realise this is a bit left of field here; but can anyone in this 'japanese' section tell me where I can buy some seasoned Ho timber; for making a new saya and tsuka for my sword?
I tried the Timber forum but had no luck.
I need enough to do a wakizashi.
:D

[Howard Pollack]

Hi- I believe that Port Orford Cedar (which is easy to find in the USA) is the same as the Honoki in Japan. It should be available from many dealers (esp. on the West Coast) by mail. -Howard

[Sheets]

Hi Hybridfiat,

I have used American Yellow Poplar (AYP) - (although related to tulip, as is honoki), which is also supposed to be close to honoki. If you need the real "McCoy", perhaps one of the members from Japan can provide you with a source there.

Steve

p.s., I just did a search for honoki and turned up http://www.japanese-swords.com/pages/prices.htm. There are probably others sources in this area (sword supplies, etc.).

[yojimbo]

Steve --

The mekugi site I pointed you to in my last thread (yes, I'll quit that one now...) has hinoki for sale.

I can also talk to a contact of mine in Japan... don't know what it'll cost, but I know he can probably get some. Better, I find, to buy either a really small or fairly large quantity -- either just what you need, or a good supply -- so as not to have too many shipping charges laid on at once.

If you want to talk to me about him, I'm around. More or less.

Mata,
Yojimbo

[yojimbo]

Sorry, hybridfiat -- because I'd discussed something similar with Sheets, I had in my head you were he... him... that guy.

Didn't mean to dis you by addressing reply to wrong person! Very sorry.

Yojimbo

[Pam]

...I can also talk to a contact of mine in Japan... don't know what it'll cost, but I know he can probably get some....

This is off topic, sort of, but do you think your contact would also have some tsugi? I'd like to try making a few combs.

Pam

[yojimbo]

Hi, Pam,

I'll ask, and get back to you!

Yo.

[yojimbo]

Hi, Pam and Hybridfiat,

Touched base with my contact. He's a little concerned about shipping costs for wood, but he's looking into some possibilities. And if it's smaller amounts, like what you want, Pam, I'm sure he can work it out. He's traveling just now, so I got a quick reply -- I'll report more when he gets back.

Yo

[Pam]

Thanks, Yo, much appreciated.

Pam

[yojimbo]

Hi, Pam --

Just wanted to let you know I haven't heard back from my contact: must still be out of town.

But I haven't forgotten!

Thanks, and it's time I stopped hiding behind my handle,
Becky

[yojimbo]

Hi, again, Pam, et al --

Okay: sorry for the stall. I told him about the forum, and he's posted some information on himself -- you can find him as araki0726. (http://www.woodworkforums.com/member.php?u=24111)

Have a chat with him -- he's a cool guy. He's also got more details in Announcements. I highly recommend this guy: honest (how convenient!), funny, gives full information and photos so you can see what you're interested in. I've gotten great tools -- both new and old -- through him. And a couple of small pieces of wood.

I have no stake in this: not getting kick-back. Just recommending a totally reliable source. You can trust this guy with your life.

See ya's,
Becky

[Sheets]

Here's another source in Japan I came across:

http://www.namikawa-ltd.co.jp/cgi-bin/item_e.cgi?cate=15&no=6

Price doesn't seem so bad, but not sure of shipping cost (even if the same cost as the wood, not too bad).

Steve

[hybridfiat]

Ive been trying to reply but the laptop fryed a harddrive.
Hi thanks for all the work you have done.
I will try to contact your contact.
Ill also have a look at the Japanese site.

[yojimbo]

Hi, Pam --

I'm really sorry. My guy isn't trafficking in wood just now. But what about a piece of an old tansu? Boards with and without hardware get listed from time to time on eBay. Worth a try.

Sorry again for getting your hopes up,
Becky

[yojimbo]

Steve --

The Namikawa site looks great: lots of hard-to-find (at least for me) materials used for finishing and tool maintenance. Prices seem mostly fair, but who knows what the shipping is.

Thanks for that,
Becky

[Sheets]

Becky, et al,

I poked around the Namikawa Heibei website and it does give the cost of shipping in a chart on the "How To Order" page. Of course, you need to know the weight of the item (sometimes it is stated in the description), but if its not shown, an email to ask the shipping cost is easy.
I have a contact in Japan who pointed out this company when I was interested in stones, but I had forgotten all the neat stuff they sell.

Steve

[Pam]

Hi, Pam and Hybridfiat,

Touched base with my contact. He's a little concerned about shipping costs for wood, but he's looking into some possibilities. And if it's smaller amounts, like what you want, Pam, I'm sure he can work it out. He's traveling just now, so I got a quick reply -- I'll report more when he gets back.

Yo

Thanks, Becky, will check this out. Sorry I've been absent so long, but my computer died.

[yojimbo]

Pam,

Deepest sympathies: mine is on and off life-support. Vista. What a nightmare. Hope your new one's better.
Becky

[Sheets]

Solution.

[Pam]

Becky, they more or less always get better. :)

Sheets, I've been using Macs since 1984, was a software developer. My new one is a small MacBook, very impressive cost/performance ratio. Because of the screen resolution (1280 X 800), the display is almost as good as my dead 15.4" Powerbook G4, and it runs appreciably cooler. Heat kills laptops, so they all have abbreviated lives. While my G3 PB is still running at 9 years old, it first died at age 4, required some repairs; and the PB G4's have much shorter lives, 2 to 3 years is my max expectation, always buy insurance. :)

Pam

[yojimbo]

Pam and Sheets,

At the risk of driving this thread hopelessly off point, I'll say that I was very close to converting to Mac... and didn't. The irony is that Vista tries really hard to be Mac-like, so why did I bother? It's easily the most stupid OS I've ever used: guess having made the perfect OS in XP, Gates had to do something to, er, refresh sales -- so he made a new OS that runs on different processors (can't run XP on Vista machines), warehoused all the remaining copies of XP, and is now laughing at all of us.

Sheets -- rumor has it the next thing Gates will be foisting on the unsuspecting public will be an OS called "Vienna" ("waits for you?"), which will require yearly subscriptions! Should kill the Windows monopoly.

Now's the time for some genius (that means you, Steve) to write a new, logical, practical OS for PCs: those of us who resist (for whatever neurotic reasons) Macs will be desperate for one.

Best to you guys,
Becky

[Sheets]

Pam,

iSee. i'M sorry for assuming your use of another type of hardware (and hardware failures are certainly not OS/brand specific. Last year I had to replace my eMac because the video went from millions of colours to just one - black. Probably the takekugi in the mother board let go or something). And in response to your history with Macs, all I can say is Gee three, Gee four and Gee five times. You certainly have now have Intel.

Becky,

Have no fear of this thread going off topic. We are merely discussing the quality (or lack there of) of the "veneer" MS uses to cover the design of their various "Windows". And I shall do my best that readers not get "board feet" as I "lumber" along, "sawing' and "waxing" and otherwise trying to "dovetail" my comments with yours and bring this in line with the "grain" and apply a "fine finish".

I know its pretty "hoki" but close enough, eh?

And yes, I'm done.

Steve

[hybridfiat]

I too had/have a mac when it is fixed.
An enthusiastic friend pulled the power wire off the logic board while changing the HD.
It may be terminal.:?

Thats why I have been tardy in replying to posts.
Im going to try some paulownia and see how it goes.
Its' light and relativly sap free.

[yojimbo]

Steve:

Don't you find it exhausting?

As long as we're ve(ne)eering around here, I have to replace the to drawer bottoms on the piece I'm working on. Can't quite decide what they are: some very coarse-grained (though sands up nicely) and 'way-too-flexible wood.

I tried looking for some US sites for kiri (only you have to search under paulownia, which gets you lots of information about trees, for cryin' out loud -- who needs trees?!). Those who sell it sell boards, not sheets.

Goin' kinda nuts here... Both the client and I are fairly steadfast in our wanting to say true to the piece and its origins.

Any suggestions? (Steve, this doesn't mean you... for fear of another string of dazzling wordplay [which I am generally considered good at, but you put me to shame] :;.) Time's growing short (a wonderful contradiction). I gotta get this piece finished and out of my workspace: may more jobs await.

I've queried a few alleged paulownia sites, with deafening silence (yeah, I know) the only result. You can actually hear wind whistling through the void.

Help, help, help!!

Becky

[Sheets]

Becky,

Here is a link to a very interesting website (perhaps you've already seen it - I can't remember how I came across it, but it wasn't too long ago): http://www.kougei.or.jp/english/index.html

There is lots of info, unfortunately not always very specific, but mentions much about the making of chests using kiri, zelkova, etc. Also mentions wooden pins (but, of course, not how to make them).

Anyway, I hope it provides you with ideas on how to proceed. It may take a while, but if you start with the "wood" section, it may prevent you from becoming hopelessly distracted by all the other "crafts" until later.

And yes, I waste far too much time concocting my obtuse and sadly pathetic arrangements of written English. Its kind of like my wood working - makes me laugh, but shouldn't expect it to do much for others but elicit groans and askance glances:(
But it keeps me off the street.

Steve

[Pam]

...
I tried looking for some US sites for kiri (only you have to search under paulownia, which gets you lots of information about trees, for cryin' out loud -- who needs trees?!). Those who sell it sell boards, not sheets....

Becky, I bought some wood (and a tree or two) from an outfit selling trees on ebay. Unfortunately, my dead computer lost records of who it was; but I remember he lived in North or South Carolina.

Pam

[yojimbo]

Thanks Pam and Steve.

I've checked your site, Steve -- no joy there. But cool to look at. Thanks. I bookmarked it and everything. (Small miracle these days that I remembered to do that...)

By the by, I don't consider any form of wordplay... even paltry puns:U to be a waste of time. They broaden the mind, and provide the rest of us with a healthy out-letting of air as we groan in agony. Well done, boy-o.

Pam: googled (still can't believe that's become a verb, and that I'm actually using it) paulownia and North Carolina... roughly ten thousand hits. Oy. Picked my way through the first five or six pages of listings, and found a place where I could send a query -- but I don't think they're in North Carolina.

By the by, there's an interesting site (sorry -- can't remember the exact name [rampant senility, early onset]) called something like Kiri Tree Farms which is setting up Paulownia farms all over the Eastern U.S. Kinda cool. Didn't have time to read it all, but it looks really neat.

The quest continues.

Thanks for all your help,
Becky

[Sheets]

Becky,

When I read that they have to edge glue up a number of narrow boards to make a sufficiently wide panel for the tansu and chests, I thought that would be what you will have to do to replace your drawer bottoms (as opposed to trying to find one-piece thin boards to do the same thing - its obviously more work, but might be a solution).
Also, one ebay seller I've seen is:
http://stores.ebay.com/full-cycle-woodworks_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

They don't always have pullonea (how's your shoulder, btw?) listed, but seem to get it regularly in reasonable amounts.

Steve

[yojimbo]

Hey, Steve,

The shoulder, just to get that out of the way, s*cks. (What are language constraints here?) But it's better (a highly relative term) enough to do some lighter work. Unfortunately, I have to sand down a 40" by 10-foot (!!!) table in order to apply the final two coats, and I just don't think the shoulder can handle it in one day. Trouble is, once I get working, I can't stop. So tomorrow will begin a battle of will, singular. Stop, don't stop, stop. (Sounds like an old telegram.) But thanks a lot for asking. Shoulders and ribs are always maddeningly slow to heal.

I actually wrote to Full Cycle Woods, and begged them for help -- much the same way I'm prostrating myself before everyone else I write to for kiri. Got a surprisingly terse answer (they're pretty friendly folk -- musta caught 'em on a bad day) saying "can't help you at this time."

Wonderful.

So now we know, Sheets, that great minds run headlong at the same rapidly spinning saw blade.

I've e-mailed a place called Made-in-China.com requesting information on both their solid and glued sheets (dimensions listed are appropriate either way). I e-mailed through their "contact us" button. Filled out an annoying form. Clicked the button.

Within half an hour, I get an e-mail from that e-mail address saying they can't be reached at that address, and please don't reply to this e-mail.

My confidence in them bubbles over. These are the folks I'm counting on to save my livelihood.

At the bottom is a different e-mail address. So I click that and get a virtually identical "contact us" page. I dunno. Filled it out again, and posted. They say they answer queries within one business day. We'll see.

Meanwhile, we need an icon that is the short-hand visual equivalent of Charlie Brown screaming "Aaaarrrgghhh!!!"

Thanks. Will keep you, er... posted.

Becky

[yojimbo]

Hi,

Just to close the Desperately Seeking Kiri conversation, I found a solution in a most unexpected place. A Japanese antiques dealer I work with found a kiri box from some larger stuff she'd bought that's just about the right dimensions, so I'll use the top and bottom from that. I've always hung onto those boxes when I get them, because they're handy for storing smaller tools (I generally get them with smaller items), and have even bought some of the scroll boxes because they're good for storing larger chisels. Never had one this size though.

Am thrilled at the simplicity of the solution (though I wish it hadn't taken a week of fruitless searching first).

Becky

[Sheets]

I was going to reply, but then you wouldn't have the last word.

Steve

[yojimbo]

No, really, Steve: go right ahead.
B