Cocobolo Question

[Ozzy]

When I first started turning, I turned about five pens out of Cocobolo and they were all beautifully colored with that deep dark orangish (for a lack of a better word) color but out of the last four orders (three out of the four)that I have turned, the color that I like the most has been turned out and I'm left with this crappy (crappy is not a strong enough word to describe how I feel about it but it more polite so...)grayish sort of color. I hate it! I will post the pictures when they are finished drying.
Is this a common problem or could it be my supplier? The first five came from one place but the rest came from a different place. I'm being cautious here not to mention names because I don't want this to sound like an attack on my supplier because I am really satisfied with their service but I will buy my Cocobolo some where else if this turns out to be the case.
Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

It's wood, a natural product, not a man made product.

That is why wood is so beautiful. You will get variations in color. Every blank will be different.

If you want perfect coloration, buy plastic.

--Rant over--

 

[jthompson1995]

I've found the color of cocobolo to be quite variable. I've had pieces I got from a single supplier be very different, though they look almost identical on the outside. I think it is the nature of the wood and is incluenced by the growing conditions of the tree. The only way I know how to prevent it is to either see the actual wood you are buying or find a very trustwothy source that you know only sells good wood. Remember that cocbolo will also change in color over time as well and that grayish may end up being more purple and attractive in the future and the oranges will become deeper and redder.

 

[Gadget]

I sell cocobolo on ebay and alot of you have bought it from me (Thanks!!!) Every board i cut is different, I try to stay away from the darker stuff because it gets real dark with time. One trick i use is when i have finished sanded the pen before soaking with ca. Wrap the pen tightly with a cloth and soak with denatured alchol and let it dry. As it drys the alchol will pull some of the oils out of the wood that will darken the color. I do it twice and have not had any problems with cracking. As soon as it is dry i soak the pen in ca to help lock in the color. They do still darken but not as much. This is one of my favorite woods. I have some real choice pcs of it. If anyone wants some just contact me or check out ebay and look for gadgetswood. Let me know that you are from the group and i can offer you a discount.

 

[ilikewood]

Ozzy, that would be the "junk" of the Cocobolo tree. Is it real light in weight? That is a sure sign as well.

Send me your address and I'll send you some beautiful Cocobolo for free.

If your wondering what mine looks like, look at the Show off you Pens forum and the master turner Don Ward has a Cocobolo pen made from the stock I sell.[]

 

[Mikey]

It can discolor if you sand aggressivly and create a lot of heat. The stuff I have used/in stock has ranged from dark with dark stripes, to some nice orange and brown stuff with streaks. All the blanks are heavy and dense though.

 

[Dario]

As mentioned, cocobolo varies from white to almost brown-black.

Preference kicks in again. You might find it oddl but some actually prefer dark cocobolo and it works really well on some kits.

I personally prefer the mixed, white, yellow, orange, red with dark lines. I rarely see them though and most can be found near crotch, branching or damaged/healing area of the wood.