Should I Stabilize Cocobolo?

S

slice38

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Oct 17, 2015
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I'm about to use my first piece of Cocobolo for scales on a vintage cleaver restoration project. I know about the allergic reaction that some have to the wood so I'm prepared to deal with that :)

The block seems very heavy and dense but has not been stabilized. In fact, it seems so solid and oily that I'm not even sure I could get any resin into it if I tried!

Can you more experienced folks tell me if you think it is worth the effort to try to stabilize it or is it good as is in your opinion. This is a very nice figured block 1.5" X 1.5" X 6". I am going to rip into a book-matched pair. Excited about working with it.

Thanks for any advice in advance,
Big Mike

cocobolo.jpeg
 
Just sand it to 600 or higher(your preference) and buff it. You can also finish it wax, it just depends on the finish you want. I love cocobolo by the way and all I do is 600 and buff with pink compound.
 
cocobolo is good to go no need to stablize
like said 600 grit hand sand and buff out. i like it so much i hope i dont build up a reaction to it
 
Some advice for working cocobolo "or any rosewood" from my experience with it

A few notes on using rosewood. Always use a mask, as the dust is very irritating. After using rosewood, go straight to the shower to wash it off. The less time the oil is on your skin, the better. I find that showering with shampoo rather than soap helps, as shampoo is a surfactant rather than a soap and is much more effective at removing the oils from the skin.
When gluing rosewood, the common advise is to wipe with solvent before you glue to get a better bond. This is only half of it. I have been working with HUGE amounts of rosewood for several years, and this is what I find to be the best method. Wipe the wood with acetone about 5 minutes before you plan to glue. The fibers in the wood will create what’s called osmotic pressure, the same force that pulls water up a paper towel. This first wipe lowers the osmotic pressure in the wood fibers right next to the glue joint, and then wipe again just before you glue to get the strongest possible bond. I don’t advise making glue up handles with light woods like maple, as the oils of rosewoods can seep into nearby woods and stain them.
 
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