Opinion on finishing Cocobolo please

Col Defender

Col Defender

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Nov 11, 2011
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A couple of projects underway which will have cocobolo scales. What is the consensus? Should cocobolo be oiled, waxed, neither? I believe that this wood is naturally oily; would this suggest that more oil would be counterproductive?

Thanks

Steve
 
Yes, cocobolo is oily, and a tung oil finish will remain tacky for a long time after application. The last cocobolo I did, I used teak oil instead and was happy with the results. I wiped it down with lacquer thinner immediately before application, flooded the surface and kept it wet until it appeared to stop drinking in the finish, then thoroughly wiped off the excess. After that, I kept an eye on it for about a half hour and re-wiped it as needed because some of the finish tends to weep back out, especially on end grain.

I also learned the hard way, that cocobolo, again due to the oily nature, can't be stabilized,,, at least not with cactus juice. I confirmed this with Curtis at Turn Tex.

Since that project, I've picked up a bottle of Tru Oil and was happy with the first use, happened to be on paduk. I should give it a try on a scrap of cocobolo and see how well it works.

Good luck
 
In my experience Tru-oil has a hard time drying on cocobolo as well. For knives, I only finish cocobolo with wax (generally Briwax). When used in a fiberglass laminated bow or some other laminated project (for which the other materials within require a finish) I will finish the entire project with a two part epoxy (Thunderbird archery epoxy or an equivelant).
 
I haven't worked with a whole lot of cocobolo, but I don't feel it needs any finish. I don't even buff it, I just burnish the heck out of it with clean lint-free cloth. That gives it a nice warm "glow" but not an actual glassy/high-gloss finish.

One long-term trick for oily woods is to keep a small bottle of plain lemon oil handy. If the handle gets dingy or dry-looking, cleaning it with lemon oil on a cloth will help lift any dirt out of the pores and condition the wood. I learned this from guitarists, who use it to keep their rosewood (and other) fretboards in good shape. (you'd be surprised how grungy a fretboard can get if you play a lot). Ask for it at any musical instrument store... a 2 or 3 oz bottle will last a long time.

Another cocobolo trick I learned from a mastersmith is to keep a small piece of it, shaped to a rounded-over straight edge and sanded very smooth... then use it to "glass" or burnish the edges of leather sheaths. You can of course make a similar tool out of bone, G10, micarta etc but the oils in the cocobolo seem to help the fuzzy fibers in the leather lay down.

Last but not least, wear lung protection and long sleeves when working with cocobolo - many people are allergic to the dust/oils from the get-go, and several have reported becoming allergic to it after long-term repeated exposure.
 
this is cocobolo at 2500 gritt
Over time it did darken to an almost even dark brouwn with more subtile grain.
Still beautifull, but less dramatic.

(do wear a resperator, the dust is very bad for you)

cocobolo.jpg
 
Whatever you do take heed to the remarks above about using a respirator and do whatever you have to do to keep the dust off of your skin. I did a few knives with it without issues then about a month ago I got nailed bad by cocobolo. I had a rash from head to toe that eventually turned into tiny blisters. Itched like a bad case of poison ivy for about 10-12 days.

Other than that I had great results just sanding to 1000-1200 and just used a bit of wax. The stuff is awesome!!!!! I won't be using it anymore.

Jay
 
I just use a couple of coats of Renaissance Wax after the final sanding/buffing. I've never had good luck with any other finish on Cocobolo.

TedP
 
Thanks for all the good advice here:) I shall never again oil Cocobolo and will always wear my respirator when sanding.
 
Antlerhog,

If I remember correctly, cocobolo is in the same family as poison ivy. My skin will peel a little if I handle it too much.

Ric
 
I make my own finish from walnut oil and beeswax. I shave one part beeswax into five parts walnut oil and microwave into a hot liquid. Brush it on the surface with a foam brush and let it sit as long as you like, but at least until it hardens into a thick paste. I then rub it out with paper towel until it feels satiny smooth. I keep it in a margarine tub and it goes a long way. Just microwave it every time you need it. Walnut oil will not go rancid.

I will agree that cocobolo really doesn't need it, but I do use my finish on it anyway.
 
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