A Little More Practice with the Threading Tool

[Kathy Marshall]

Today I decided to do another practice box with a threaded lid.
I cut off a section of a small acacia log and turned a simple box. It wasn't until I was getting ready to cut the threads that it dawned on me that I had turned the box end grain :eek:. I know that end grain is not the way to cut threads, but it was just some practice and the box was turned, so I went ahead and made the best of it.
With this box, along with chasing threads, I also wanted to work on grain matching and it worked out pretty well by just making small adjustments until the grain aligned.

The box is 5" x 3" and I added a coat of Danish oil to the outside, but knowing the wood was somewhat green and it's likely to move if only a little, I didn't bother sanding or finishing the inside. We'll just have to see if it holds up.

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Thanks for looking!
Comments and critiques are welcome.

[Reed Gray]

I always do my threaded boxes end grain. The wood is more stable in movement that way. However, after going from Oregon to Davis, CA for a show, I never make them more than about 1 1/2 diameter max. The wood movement made the lids a bit tight/loose, kind of in 1/4 sections. After I got back to Oregon, the left over ones went back to normal for here. They are fun to do, though I use a Klein Jig.

robo hippy

[Grant Wilkinson]

You sure nailed the grain match, Kathy. I really like the straight lines.

[Jim Underwood]

Nice job Kathy. Plus one on doing threads on endgrain boxes. Actually I don't think I've seen any side grain threaded boxes.

Hmm.... Unless you count my really small box I posted on here a few years back.

[Scott Hackler]

Kathy, you can ease the worry of the threads not working in certain woods by soaking the tenon and the inside edge of the bow itself with CA glue before threading. (and I always do end grain for boxes)

[Mike Peace]

A side grain box... I ought to try that some time. I did a 2" end grain box of green bocote with threads thinking it would move in a few days and not fit. Turns out the wood moved so uniformly that the lid still fits.

[Jon Lanier]

Kathy, you can ease the worry of the threads not working in certain woods by soaking the tenon and the inside edge of the bow itself with CA glue before threading. (and I always do end grain for boxes)

Scott, what do you mean by 'soaking.'

[Richard Jones]

Side grain usually doesn't thread well at all........

[Thom Sturgill]

Nice box Kathy. threading is on my bucket list. I have been looking at that combination thread chaser - little bit easier on the pocket and looks like it is no harder to learn.

[Kathy Marshall]

Thanks for the comments everyone!
The 1st box I did was side grain and the threads cut much cleaner. This one was end grain and the threads were much more fragile and tended to chip and break more (but that may also be a result of the more open grain), even with CA, although I did get decent threads by reapplying CA after every 3 or 4 passes.
I'll just keep practicing and then move on to some better, tight grained wood.

[Reed Gray]

Allan Batty made a comment that Mountain Mahogany is the only American wood suitable for hand chasing threads. Most of the acacia I have played with tends to be kind of splintery, so it would be more prone to tearing rather than cutting, and thread chasers are scrapers. I tried chasing some threads in soft woods with thin CA, but it made a mess, and I never could get it to clean up the way I wanted. I did chase the threads with walnut oil and wax which acted like a lubricant. It did make things cut easier. Having a thread cutter head on the headstock makes cutting threads in just about any wood possible. Other than that, having male and female threads dead on parallel (6 inch steel rule held on the flat surface and eyeballed to the ways of your lathe) is pretty important too.

robo hippy

[Harvey M. Taylor]

I guess I am kinda odd in this threading thing. I thread corian in pairs and adapt them to the hollow form. nice crisp threads every time. Max/

[Richard Jones]

Reed,

Osage orange threads well, as does Bradford pear.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Nice box Kathy. I have also used Mahoney's walnut oil/wax to lube while cutting threads. Works pretty well.

[Jon Lanier]

I guess I am kinda odd in this threading thing. I thread corian in pairs and adapt them to the hollow form. nice crisp threads every time. Max/

I have heard this as well and good for practice. I have those 3 inch samples and plan on gluing and stacking them for that purpose.