Replies

1. 
   UncleDunc | Aug 06, 2004 09:35am | #1

   Don't use oil, it might never harden. Other than that, it depends on what you like. One option is to not finish it at all. Cocobolo will take a pretty high shine just from sandpaper. Sand with increasingly finer grits until you get a look you like (or run out of grits), and you're done.

   Like purpleheart and some other brightly colored woods, the colors in cocobolo fade to brown over time. No finish I know of will prevent that, but there may be some that delay it. Click on the Advanced Search button near the top of the left hand frame and search for purpleheart (or purple heart as two words) to find discussions of finishing to preserve the color.

   
   

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   Edited 8/6/2004 2:36 am ET by Uncle Dunc

2. 
   robkelly | Aug 08, 2004 08:02am | #2

   I sand to 320 then carnauba wax and lambswool buffer. It's always worked for me, but tell the customer they'll have to wax and polish every so often. In sunlight, more often because the wax evaporates slowly.

1. 
   xcutsaw | Aug 08, 2004 08:49pm | #3

   Thanks for your help Uncle and Rob!

3. 
   PlaneWood | Aug 09, 2004 04:38pm | #4

   Tom -

   I finish my handles with dewaxed shellac then with lacquer.  The shellac will effectly seal the cocobolo and allow the lacquer to stick.

   As a matter of fact, you can use denatured alcohol to wash cocobolo to remove the surface wax (and the color).  The longer you let it soak, the more wax removed.

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)
   PlaneWood

1. 
   xcutsaw | Aug 09, 2004 09:36pm | #5

   Hi Planewood

   >As a matter of fact, you can use denatured alcohol to wash cocobolo to remove the surface wax (and the color). 

   Sorry, I don't follow the reference to removing the color. Not the color of the wood, I hope ...

   Tom

1. 
   PlaneWood | Aug 09, 2004 10:24pm | #6

   Tom -

   Soak a piece of scrap cocobolo overnight in denatured alcohol.  As you will see, most of the color is in the wax.  Washing it briefly however will not appreciably change the color.

   One way to get an even color is to soak cocobolo for several hours then use a dye stain.

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood