Tacky cocobolo

G

gopherslingshots

Joined
Aug 27, 2015
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7
Tung oil on cocobolo is staying tacky, how to get around this? It's been several days and doesn't seem to be getting any better. Should I have degreased before starting the finish?
 
Cocobolo is a oily wood, so any oil you apply tends to stay tacky. You can use a paper towel or 0000 steel wool to scrub it off. If you are going to put a oil finish on cocobolo, use very little and rub it in. Some say cocobolo needs no finish.
 
if its tacky, too much oil was left on it. its not a coating like varnish or paint. the oil that sinks into the wood will harden, the oil left on the surface will not. wipe it down well before letting it dry. as the other guys mentioned, it doesnt need a finish but it cannot hurt it. i bring cocobolo to 600 grit, buff with white, then pink. shines all on its own.
 
I had a very old figured piece [cocobolo]I had used for a bolster just recently...I ended up having to strip off the varnish/tung oil mixture from that part of the grip...Wiping w a paper towel did not help much...in a moment of desperation I applied just enough cigarette ash to the effected area, worked it in with my finger tip..I let that dry over-nite...Then buffed it out to a nice shine..That trick saved me from having to redo the entire grip...Hope that helps you...Mike In Ct
 
I have used cocobolo on quite a few handles and over a couple 100 pens, I love it! From my penmaking endeavors, I learned to just buff it with white or use a friction build wax polish and buff that--it gleams! I would recommend sanding it back down to dry and buff it up--no additional oil!
 
Tung oil is one of ther few drying oils, along with linseed.

That means that it chemically reacts with oxygen to form a new, harder compound with some water resistant qualities.

Cocobolo is so rich in oil that there is not enough oxygen for the oil to react with, leaving it to stay tacky. Cocobolo also doesn't need the water resistant qualities of tung oil, as it is already practically waterproof.

The best way to finish cocobolo is to sand to high grit "1500-2500 grit" and buff with carnauba wax.
 
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