Finishing Bocote and Jatoba

69_knives

69_knives

Joined
Nov 20, 2008
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Just wondering what everybody uses to finish these two woods.

I'm using them on a couple of handles ATM and was just curious. I've heard that they don't need much if anything because they're so hard/dense; I think I need a new rasp and hand saw after cutting these guys.

I was thinking maybe just run the buffer over the bocote and maybe some danish oil for the jatoba.. sound like a plan?
 
I use Bocote quite a bit and have used a number of things but have settled on a matte hand rubbed poly finish. It doesn't come out shiny and slick and had UV protection. Dries overnight.
 
I use a hand rubbed poly too. It holds the grain down so it doesnt rise if it gets wet like an oil finish, and seals in colored woods like Purpleheart and Osage Orange a bit so the colors stay for a little longer.
 
Like Hayden, I do a couple coats of teak oil then I buff in pure carnuba wax. This isn't car wax it's a solid block of carnuba, supposedly the densest wax you can buy.
 
I usually sand to x400 grit (not P400) and then buff with a white coumpound made for lexan. I then put on a coat of either Briwax or Bowling alley wax, then buff with a flannel or wool rag.

Jim Arbuckle
ABS JS
 
I use pure Carnuba also. I have gotten grade A from Woodworker's Supply in powdered form by the pound. I melt a little at a time into working size blocks. It comes in several grades ranging from gray (lowest) to yellow (highest). It is the hardest wax and is edible in the pure state. It is extracted from leaves of Carnuba Palms that grow in Brazil. You have to burn it in with a buffer.

Other wax compounds that you can buy that claim Carnuba wax in them fall short of the real thing.

I also buff with a cotton wheel after the last coat of Teak oil to polish up oily woods like Bocote prior to waxing
 
Thanks for the info guys. I picked up some carnauba wax and will give it a shot... BTW, the stuff tastes terrible.
 
If you just buy a carnuba wax finish it likely has solvents in it to keep it soft, I wouldn't eat it straight out of the can.

Bocote is a cordia, not a dalbergia, so it's not a rosewood, but it's hard and dense, you can buff in a wax and it will look good.

Jatoba has more open pores and can benefit from filling the pores but when sanded up to a high grit can be very nice with a plain oil finish(i use pure tung oil), it'll get the glassy look going.
 
Luke Sheridan said:
If you just buy a carnuba wax finish it likely has solvents in it to keep it soft, I wouldn't eat it straight out of the can.

Bocote is a cordia, not a dalbergia, so it's not a rosewood, but it's hard and dense, you can buff in a wax and it will look good.

You are right, but the family containing the rosewoods (Fabaceaem or Leguminosae) has many more varieties than just the Dalbergia including all of the peas, Acacias, Mimosas, Koa, Mesquites, Bubinga, Blackwoods and Desert Ironwoods.

I had read that Cordia was also in the Family, but looked it up after your post and the Cordia Genus (250+ species) is a member of the Sub-Order Magnoliidae and is related to all the magnoliids, Orchidae, spice trees like Nutmeg and Cinnamon and the Avocados and also Tulipwood-something like 800 different taxa.

However, Cordia is a heavy, oily wood that is very suited to a Teak oil finish.

Only pure Carnuba wax is suitable for finishing utensil for food preparation
Click to expand...
 
I like to wait to the oil to polymerize and then polish the wood with 3M finishing paper. I go to 1200-8000 grit depending on the wood. Some woods I just polish.
 
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