Oil finish on cocobolo? - Question of the Week

April 7, 2008 | Filed Under Blog, Question of the Week 

This week’s question comes from Brad. He writes:
“Hi Marc, I have a question about finishing..I’m making a small decorative box with a sliding maple top and cocobolo sides. I’ve read that it is not advisable to use an oil finish on this wood. Any experience or advice??”

And here was my reply:
“Hey Brad. Woods like cocobolo have a certain amount of natural-occurring oil in them. When you coat them with an oil-based finish, the oil in the wood itself prevents the finish from oxidizing and curing properly. So we have a few options. We can either use something like shellac or lacquer instead of an oil-based finish. Or, we can seal the wood first, preventing the oil from contacting the oil based finish. Shellac is a great sealer for this purpose. A good coat of a 2lb cut (I use Bullseye Sealcoat) dewaxed shellac should do the trick. Sand lightly with 320 after the shellac and proceed with your oil-based finish. Now keep in mind you want a straight varnish at this point (not an oil/varnish blend). But you should have no adhesion issues with the varnish at that point. Hope that helps.”

And for more information on finishing oily woods, check out this article from our friends at FineWoodworking.com: A Finish for Oily Woods

Comments

9 Responses to “Oil finish on cocobolo? - Question of the Week”

  1. Steve Carter on April 7th, 2008 5:00 pm

    I just ordered an excellent DVD that covers exactly this situation.!

    Some guy named Marc something-or-another shows how to seal woods like oily cocobolo with shellac and then apply a wiping varnish to finish the piece.

    The DVD is called “A Simple Varnish Finish”. Check it out.

  2. TedM on April 7th, 2008 5:19 pm

    Just a word of caution in regards to working with Cocobolo, apparently this is one of the most toxic woods. Care must be taken when cutting and sanding this wood because its oils can cause allergic reactions if inhaled or exposed to unprotected skin and eyes.

    They say that there are two kinds of people in the world - those that are allergic to Cocobolo and those that don’t know it yet. :)

  3. Bob A in NJ on April 7th, 2008 6:55 pm

    I learned the hard way about cocobolo. The first bowl I got away without an itch, the 2nd one caused a rash on my face and arms. A few days later, I got a poison ivy like rash betweem my fingers which lasted several weeks. Be careful with this wood. I’ve learned that other woods can also be toxix or cause allergies, including cherry and walnut. My advise, research all types of wood before you buy a lot of it.

  4. TwoHerbs on April 8th, 2008 8:24 am

    Concerning the allergic reactions, I spent almost all day one New Year’s day in the hospital with folks flooding my eyes because of dust from cocobolo and padauk (padauk is “supposed to be” non-toxic and allergenic but….). Thus the warnings should be taken seriously.
    I finished a cocobolo box with an oil/varnish finish probably 15 years,and never had a problem…maybe luck, but have done it since and never had a problem either. Go Figure!

  5. Bruce Croskey on April 8th, 2008 9:04 am

    On Cocobolo I find that buffing the wood with tripoli and then possibly a wax finsih is best.
    bc

  6. Darryl on April 8th, 2008 11:27 am

    Just wondering if the initial question was more like, “CAN I … finish Cococbolo with oil, and if so how do I go about it ” ??? thanks,dkd

  7. James Oliver on April 11th, 2008 8:18 am

    I just finished a cocobolo and pink mirado chess table for my son. Since it isn’t a heavy use table it doesn’t need a heavy use finish. Three coats of pure Tung oil with 48 hours between applications (no polymerization issues encountered) followed by four applications (24 hours apart) of Briwax Antique Mahogony power buffed between applications. This gives a very satin “touch me” surface.

  8. Kevin on May 19th, 2008 5:02 am

    I’ve been working on a Cocobolo peppermill to give as a gift. I used Miniwax 209 on the outside, and after reading various posts throughout the internet, I am at a loss as to what to use on the inside of the peppermill.

    Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do to seal the inside so that the peppercorn is not contaminated?

  9. thewoodwhisperer on May 19th, 2008 8:25 am

    Hey Kevin. A couple coats of shellac would be my suggestion.

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