No skills
Established Member
Anybody brought some cocobolo recently? any uk suppliers that are internet enabled?
As a side question whats it like to work with?
Cheers
As a side question whats it like to work with?
Cheers
cocobolo supply
- Thread starter No skills
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jimi43
Established Member
No skills":1egjafos said:
Try Robert at TIMBERLINE.
Cocobolo is one of my most favourite woods and it turns and polishes beautifully...
This is a nice little piece I picked up on FleaBay...
The turned handle and the piece it came from...
I need to make an infill with this stuff...
It has beautiful colouring and grain pattern and it darkens with age.
Jim
Paul Hannaby
Established Member
jimi43
Established Member
marcros":ggb0s93w said:
Oi! Get in the queue!!! :mrgreen:
Jim
Alf
Established Member
Yeah, sadly it often seems to get the toolmakers. Philly, for one, if I recall correctly. Gorgeous end result though. (The wood; not the incapacitated toolmaker, of course!)Paul Hannaby":2pqjxb41 said:
jimi43
Established Member
When I know I'm going to work on any wood which is even slightly suspected of sensitizing then I put on a DRY barrier cream. I do it after a shower so that I don't miss any part of my exposed skin.
Failure to do so once resulted in a very obvious reaction...
I think that was my initial work with cocobolo that did that...so it is dodgy for Smurfs too! :mrgreen:
Also and fairly obviously, wear a good respirator.
Jim
Failure to do so once resulted in a very obvious reaction...
I think that was my initial work with cocobolo that did that...so it is dodgy for Smurfs too! :mrgreen:
Also and fairly obviously, wear a good respirator.
Jim
chipmunk
Established Member
Apparently there are two types of woodworker...
Those who are allergic to cocobolo and those who will be :wink:
Jon
Those who are allergic to cocobolo and those who will be :wink:
Jon
No skills
Established Member
Jim
Thats a very hand site, thank you. That piece certainly turned very nicely.
Should I be mad enough to use some of this (very) beautiful wood I will be very carefull, I have a bit of a bad chest at the moment as is - dont want to worsen it through being my normal sloppy self.
As ever, thanks all.
8)
Thats a very hand site, thank you. That piece certainly turned very nicely.
Should I be mad enough to use some of this (very) beautiful wood I will be very carefull, I have a bit of a bad chest at the moment as is - dont want to worsen it through being my normal sloppy self.
As ever, thanks all.
8)
woodcrafter
Established Member
I think I am correct in writing that world trade in cocobolo has now been banned by a 2013 CITES agreement, no doubt because the Central American tree is an endangered species. So supplies here in the UK will probably dwindle and this lovely wood will likely disappear from the range of exotic timbers we occasionally get to work with here.
About a dozen years ago I imported a large amount of cocobolo for my own personal use. I purchased it from a USA based, ethically sound, company which had salvaged the wood from Nicaragua and Costa Rica after Hurricane Mitch had passed through the area bowling hundreds of thousands of trees over. I have never had a problem with any adverse physical reaction while working with this rare rosewood, but that is not to say that others do or will. Some folk can't eat shellfish while others can't get enough of it.
I found Cocobolo would blunt tools incredibly quickly because of its high silica content, it is difficult to glue because of its high oil content, and most finishes will just sit wet on its surface doing nothing. The best and almost the only finish I found which worked was an Australian product called Arboroil, produced by those inventive Aussie chaps who make all manner of powered carving tools. That all stated, cocobolo is in my view the most fascinating and most exquisitely beautiful wood there is. Nothing comes close to having its range of colours and grain patterns. It truly is wonderful stuff and its beauty far outweighs the various challenges of working with it.
I still have a fair bit left from my original stash so if anyone wants to work with it but is having difficulty sourcing
cocobolo, do get in touch. In fact I might advertise a few pieces in the 'for sale' section sometime soon.
Best wishes,
Chris
About a dozen years ago I imported a large amount of cocobolo for my own personal use. I purchased it from a USA based, ethically sound, company which had salvaged the wood from Nicaragua and Costa Rica after Hurricane Mitch had passed through the area bowling hundreds of thousands of trees over. I have never had a problem with any adverse physical reaction while working with this rare rosewood, but that is not to say that others do or will. Some folk can't eat shellfish while others can't get enough of it.
I found Cocobolo would blunt tools incredibly quickly because of its high silica content, it is difficult to glue because of its high oil content, and most finishes will just sit wet on its surface doing nothing. The best and almost the only finish I found which worked was an Australian product called Arboroil, produced by those inventive Aussie chaps who make all manner of powered carving tools. That all stated, cocobolo is in my view the most fascinating and most exquisitely beautiful wood there is. Nothing comes close to having its range of colours and grain patterns. It truly is wonderful stuff and its beauty far outweighs the various challenges of working with it.
I still have a fair bit left from my original stash so if anyone wants to work with it but is having difficulty sourcing
cocobolo, do get in touch. In fact I might advertise a few pieces in the 'for sale' section sometime soon.
Best wishes,
Chris
