The Woodturning Forum - Woodturner's Resource

Joe White Active Member Offline Too new to be a newbie! Posts: 132 Gender:	Preferred Cocobolo finish Dec 19^th, 2007 at 9:37pm What is everyone's preference for finishing cocobolo in a non-food item?
Back to top	Joe White IP Logged

Register To Remove Ads

JimQuarles WR Addict WR Patron Offline WR Rocks, BIG Time! Posts: 13,194 Glendale, AZ Arizona USA Gender:	Re: Preferred Cocobolo finish Reply #1 - Dec 19^th, 2007 at 10:52pm None. I just sand it out with the MicroMesh and maybe put on a little wax. JimQ
Back to top	Mentor Basics, Pens, small stuff, Acrylics, EasyRougher. Just Turnin' Around! Glendale, AZ "Right now I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time. I think I've forgotten this before." - Steven Wright IP Logged

E. Bud Gillaspie WR Addict Offline Where'd I put that round tuit? Posts: 1,182 Gender:	Re: Preferred Cocobolo finish Reply #2 - Dec 20^th, 2007 at 12:21am My choice is Renaissance Wax. It's not inexpensive but very good.
Back to top	E. Bud Gillaspie Umpqua Turning Club IP Logged

Chris Wright WR Addict Offline Woodturners: 21st century Druids Posts: 3,725 Los Angeles, CA California USA Gender:	Re: Preferred Cocobolo finish Reply #3 - Dec 28^th, 2007 at 1:39pm sand to 800-1000, buff, 3 light coats of Tung Oil Finish (with hardener) to seal it and then second buff & Briwax.
Back to top	Three Mutts Customs Custom Leather, Wood & Metal gear Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to or "Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing" IP Logged

desertlion WR Noob Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 2 Gender:	Re: Preferred Cocobolo finish Reply #4 - Jan 12^th, 2008 at 9:57pm Ive always had good luck with french friction polish. It comes out glassy smooth with three or more applications and none of the problms that occur with other finishs that are reactionary to the natural oils in cocobolo. You can purchase it from craft supplies
Back to top	IP Logged

j_b_fischer

WR Noob
Offline

WR Rocks!

Posts: 3

Gender: male

Re: Preferred Cocobolo finish
Reply #5 - Jan 24^th, 2008 at 11:41pm

I'm new to turning (got my first lathe for Christmas) so this is more of a question than advice...

To learn my way around a lathe, I'm starting with pens. A couple of pens were made with cocobolo.

The natural oils in the wood made it pretty good looking after sanding to 600; but I kept going with micromesh to 12000. I applied a coat of CA glue as a sealer, and repeated the micromesh. Then I applied Woodturners Finish, and did the micromesh again. I was pretty pleased with the finish.

Then my uncle turns another cocobolo pen, sands to 600, sprays it with glossy polyurethane (from a spray can), waits 30 minutes, sprays it again, and he's done. He didn't even bother to polish or buff after the final coat, and it looks just as good as the finish on my pen.

That looks too easy ... what's the bad news of using spray polyurethane on a pen? Or did my uncle teach me a timesaver?

Back to top

My wife bought me a lathe for Christmas last year ... and she has hardly seen me since!

IP Logged

Leo Frilot

WR Addict

Offline

When the going gets tough,
get a bigger gouge!!!

Posts: 2,848

Baton Rouge, LA
Louisiana
USA
Gender: male

Re: Preferred Cocobolo finish
Reply #6 - Jan 24^th, 2008 at 11:56pm

No experience with using spray poly on a pen, but I'd be willing to bet the poly will not last when that Cocobolo starts to release some oils. Cocobolo is an oily wood by nature, but I have turned some that felt dry and some that you could see oil droplets on the surface. I guess it depends on what type of soil it grows in? Undecided

Back to top

Live for today, plan for tomorrow, but have fun regardless!Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to

or

IP Logged

Ron Sardo WR Administrator WR Patron Offline Chief cook and bottle washer Posts: 9,675 Drums Pennsylvania USA PM 3520	Re: Preferred Cocobolo finish Reply #7 - Jan 25^th, 2008 at 8:31am For a cocobolo pen, I'd sand it to 2000 and won't use a finish. The very first pen I turned was a Euro with maple burl. I never put a finish on it and use it every day. What a beautiful patina it has developed over the years.
Back to top	Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to or IP Logged

Register To Remove Ads

boxxmaker

Ex Member

I Love WR

Re: Preferred Cocobolo finish
Reply #8 - Jan 25^th, 2008 at 9:15am

Cocobolo,to me is one of the most beautifull woods out there,but even though it wasn't mentioned here,it is very toxic,so were a mask when sanding.Now back to the question

I use it when ever I can get it when doing flatwork(jewelry boxes)I would dry sand it up to 400 then wet sand it up to 1000 grit with a Danish oil finish,then let it dry for at least a week,wiping off the access,then apply a light coat of carnuba wax and I get a beautifull finish with this technique.Good luck.

Back to top

IP Logged

Woodbutcher Active Member Offline I love YaBB 1G - SP1! Posts: 106	Re: Preferred Cocobolo finish Reply #9 - Feb 21^st, 2008 at 5:05pm What Ron said.
Back to top	How fortunate for national leaders thet men are so stupid!........... Adolph Hitler IP Logged