I am making a poker chip box from cocobolo. I was planning on using
tung oil for a finish. This is my first experience with cocobolo and
after buying it I realized it has unusual properties. Any suggestions
will be appreciated.

Thanks

Jim Dodge

I've done a lot of projects in cocobolo over the years. Probably my favorite
wood ever to work with. Finish depends on how you want it to appear.
Cocobolo will hold an incredible polish from something like a Beall buffing
system (good for small things, like jewelry boxes, etc).
For cocobolo, you can get a great finish just by good sanding to a very fine
grit and then using abralon pads to do a final burnishing. At that point,
the wood almost glows. A few coats of any oil (tung oil, danish oils, etc)
based finish will really add a luster to it. Use abralon or extra fine steel
wool between coats to burnish the finish. The density of the cocobolo (and
it's natural oiliness) doesn't absorb a lot of the oil, so you quickly get
to a thin surface buildup of the oil. You can get a very beautiful satin
finsh this way.
I don't think I'd ever use anything like a varnish or laquer on cocobolo
because it looks so beautiful with a more natural oil finish.

My 2 cents.

Gary in KC


wrote in message
.. .
I am making a poker chip box from cocobolo. I was planning on using
tung oil for a finish. This is my first experience with cocobolo and
after buying it I realized it has unusual properties. Any suggestions
will be appreciated.

Thanks

Jim Dodge

I couldn't agree more. Cocobolo is so beautiful with minimum finishing
that keeping it as natural as possible while providing some protection
is the way to go. On my handgun grips I just rub (burnish if you like)
the heck out of it with an old t shirt between coats of 50/50 BLO and
mineral spirits. 3 coats is adequate and the wood does, as gary says,
just glow. Sand to 400 (good) or 600 (better) grit first, of course.

Tom

Top posted for convenience.



On Fri, 16 Dec 2005 14:09:00 GMT, "Gary A in KC"
wrote:

I've done a lot of projects in cocobolo over the years. Probably my favorite
wood ever to work with. Finish depends on how you want it to appear.
Cocobolo will hold an incredible polish from something like a Beall buffing
system (good for small things, like jewelry boxes, etc).
For cocobolo, you can get a great finish just by good sanding to a very fine
grit and then using abralon pads to do a final burnishing. At that point,
the wood almost glows. A few coats of any oil (tung oil, danish oils, etc)
based finish will really add a luster to it. Use abralon or extra fine steel
wool between coats to burnish the finish. The density of the cocobolo (and
it's natural oiliness) doesn't absorb a lot of the oil, so you quickly get
to a thin surface buildup of the oil. You can get a very beautiful satin
finsh this way.
I don't think I'd ever use anything like a varnish or laquer on cocobolo
because it looks so beautiful with a more natural oil finish.

My 2 cents.

Gary in KC


wrote in message
. ..
I am making a poker chip box from cocobolo. I was planning on using
tung oil for a finish. This is my first experience with cocobolo and
after buying it I realized it has unusual properties. Any suggestions
will be appreciated.

Thanks

Jim Dodge

I like to first sand to around 400 grit. Then hit it with tung oil.
lightly rub with 0000 steel wool. Then a few coats of blond shellac
with more 0000 rubbing. Then finish with a few coats of wax. The wood
looks warm, and very natural.

wrote in message
.. .
I am making a poker chip box from cocobolo. I was planning on using
tung oil for a finish. This is my first experience with cocobolo and
after buying it I realized it has unusual properties. Any suggestions
will be appreciated.

Thanks

Jim Dodge

I made some drawer pulls from cocobolo a month back or so. It is an
interesting wood. After cutting it, your shop will smell like you were
burning incense. It's a VERY oily wood like others have already pointed
out. I applied a "Tung oil-Varnish" finish and it took a couple of days to
dry. It remained tacky much longer than normal. I guess this is due to the
high oil content already in the pores of the wood.

I absolutely love the smell of cut cocobolo, but it does make me sneeze like
crazy when I start sanding or do too much cutting. I've found it doesn't so
much make sawdust as it does "sawpowder" which gets airborn and gets into
and onto everything.

gary in kc

"stoutman" .@. wrote in message
...


I made some drawer pulls from cocobolo a month back or so. It is an
interesting wood. After cutting it, your shop will smell like you were
burning incense. It's a VERY oily wood like others have already pointed
out. I applied a "Tung oil-Varnish" finish and it took a couple of days
to
dry. It remained tacky much longer than normal. I guess this is due to
the
high oil content already in the pores of the wood.

In article , Gary A
in KC wrote:

I absolutely love the smell of cut cocobolo, but it does make me sneeze like
crazy when I start sanding or do too much cutting. I've found it doesn't so
much make sawdust as it does "sawpowder" which gets airborn and gets into
and onto everything.

Be cautious. I've had histamine reactions (hives, shortness of breath)
to cocobolo dust and now make sure I wear a breathing mask when working
it.

djb

--
The moral difference between a soldier and a civilian is that the soldier
accepts personal responsibility for the safety of the body politic of which he
is a member. The civilian does not. ‹ Robert A. Heinlein