Any interest in going in on an order of cocobolo wood?

[esantoro]

There's a guy on Ebay selling 15 pcs of 1.5" x 1.5" x 30" of cocobolo turning squares for $150. Any one interested in going in on this order, as I only need about two or three of these? I'm planning on using this wood to make slicking tools.

Ed

[ChuckBurrows]

Ed - if that doesn't work out check out Michael Mara at http://www.radharcknives.com/Woods.htm

He's got fancy scales for $5-20.00 listed on his site and would bet if you called him he could cut whatever size you want and in plainer pieces for a better price that that Ebay piece - he's a good guy - tell him I sent you.

He's got other exotic hardwoods (purplewood and goncalo alves for instance) that will work as well or better.....(I hate working with CC - makes me itch something awful)

Chuck

[Jordan]

Does seem rather expensive, check out Macbeath Hardwoods. I think I got the spelling right.

[esantoro]

I've read about the itching. Your testimony to it is starting to dissuade me.

Thanks for the heads up and thanks to both of you for the other sources. I was even considering paying$7 per feet of 12" dowel from Canada, where shipping will probably kill me.

I got home with some Oak dowel the other day from The Home Depot, as that's all that either Lowes or THD had. Oak just seems to burn the leather.

Ed

[Studio-N]

The itching is caused by the silicates in the cocobolo. It can also affect breathing with constant use.

I generally wear my tyvek coverall 'space suit' including respirator while cutting or turning it. Just make sure you wash up any exposed

areas after working with it an you should be fine.

As for pricing, 15 pieces of 1.5x1.5x30 is 7 bf or about $22 per board foot. That seems to be the going rate at Tropical Exotic HW and Eisenbrand. It's been a while since I bought any - that stuff sure has gone through the roof. Maybe I should sell of some of my private stock. :-)

[esantoro]

The itching is caused by the silicates in the cocobolo. It can also affect breathing with constant use.

I generally wear my tyvek coverall 'space suit' including respirator while cutting or turning it. Just make sure you wash up any exposed

areas after working with it an you should be fine.

As for pricing, 15 pieces of 1.5x1.5x30 is 7 bf or about $22 per board foot. That seems to be the going rate at Tropical Exotic HW and Eisenbrand. It's been a while since I bought any - that stuff sure has gone through the roof. Maybe I should sell of some of my private stock. :-)

What should be my next choice of exotic HW, as I don't want to have to worry about the itching or inhalation of anything, even with the small quantity in which I'm interested?

Bubinga, perhaps?

ed

[esantoro]

Rather than having to turn by lathe or by hand, I would much rather buy a 1" dowel, cut off the section I need, and file out the necessary grooves.

Macbeath Hardwoods has the following dowels. Which do you think would be the best alternative to cocobola, which I now do not feel like carving up.

Cherry Dowel

Genuine Mahogany Dowel

Hickory Dowel

Red Oak Dowel

Walnut Dowel

By the way, does anyone know what type of wood is used for Weaver's wood slicker?

Ed

Edited October 12, 2008 by esantoro

[Bree]

Find yourself a local Rockler or Woodcraft store and just buy what you need.

[Studio-N]

What should be my next choice of exotic HW, as I don't want to have to worry about the itching or inhalation of anything, even with the small quantity in which I'm interested?

I love topics like this. When discussing exotics, I think what we are asking is what is the best DENSE wood to use. Exotics usually fit the bill for density. Back when I was doing ornamental turning, I knew a lot more, but the bottom line is that the best dense hardwoods were those that had a density close to, equal to, or better than WATER. If water is the baseline with a density of 1.0, most north american hardwoods fail miserably with a density of around .62 at best for hardwoods like maple (which is tight grained) and a .60 for oak which is more open grain. The best exotics like pink ivory, ebony, Lignum Vitae or blackwood are fantastic with a density greater than 1. I can personally attest to these as after jumping in the shower, the dust from this would just lay there rather than run down the drain. The downside is that these wood are expensive but I've never had any problem with the dust from these.

Cocobolo and other south american hardwoods have a greater density than american hardwoods somewhere in the .75-.85 range and are more reasonably priced. They therefore would be better for use for tool use. A lot of these have the same problem as cocobolo in that they have a lot of silicate in them.

A couple of excellent north american hardwoods with a high density are Mesquite, which is member of the Legum species and a cousin of ebony. The only thing with mesquite is that it

is subject to cracks, so make sure you get a clear piece. The absolute best wood is Desert Ironwood. Ironwood has a density greater than one and is one of the best woods I've ever used for anything. It will have cracks in the core but the wood gets better the further you move from the core. Great stuff if you can find it. A few may also suggest bod'arc (Osage Orange), but I've never cared for it myself as it shrinks and cracks.

I hope this helps in some way.

[DCKNIVES]

I use almost everyone of the woods you mentioned and alot more.I use alot of Cocobolo and have quite a bit of select hand picked Desert Ironwood.Those two are some of the most beautiful woods out there IMO.I use primarily natural materials for my handles. The health concerns with exotics vary with alot of people.Everyone who uses it should do your homework and take the necessary precautions.Reactions with Cocobolo can range from absolutely nothing to severe rashes and breathing difficulties and I have even read about people who have had seizures.The rosewood family of woods also have some problems.Cocobolo just makes me sneeze for a little bit then I am good to go. You should be wearing a respirator when working with exotics,simple dust masks don't always help.Dave

[esantoro]

I'm going to get 12" turning blanks from Rocklers. Thanks, Bree.

Should I pick up any hand tools to help me turn them without the use of a lathe? Currently on hand I have metal files, sandpaper, and a dremel with various attachments.

Thanks,

Ed

[Bree]

You could just use some chisels and sandpaper. Get it into a drill press and then use sandpaper strips. Messy but doable.

+1 to the post about wood density. Lignum vitae is inexpensive and it won't splinter as some tropicals can.

I am thinking about have my gunsmith take his metal lathe and radiusing some tool steel rounds and using them for burnishing. They would last forever I could chuck them in my drill press or a hand drill. Any thoughts about using steel?

[Jordan]

Shouldn't be any trouble with steel except some metals will turn wet leather black due to the chemical reaction between it and the tanning chemicals used on the leather.

[esantoro]

Maybe stainless steel would be the way to go. I've also wondered if the steel burnishers work well. I've very impressed with the wood burnisher I got from Weaver. Just wish it was constructed more like Norm's.

I know there's a guy on Ebay who sells the steel burnishers for a drill press.

ed

[Bree]

If steel will work and it looks like it will just have your local gunsmith put some tool steel from a big drill bit on his lathe and he can turn a few radius coves lickety split. They should last forever and a day!

I also did some research today on exotics. The hardest of them all is Snakewood. It is so dense that it will sink like a piece of lead in water. Close behind are African Blackwood and Lignum Vitae. Lignum is really not that exotic but it is dense and hard as hell. In any case you guys can get PEN BLANKS for turning pens in all these woods. They are an inch square or maybe 3/4" square by say 8" long or so which is really all you need. You can get them very cheap at your local wood store like Rockler or Woodcraft or just order some from the NET.

[DCKNIVES]

Beware of Snakewood for this application as it is very brittle and splits and cracks easily, even though it is hard.Dave

[esantoro]

Came home from the hardware store today with a rasp, a chisel, and course sandpaper. My wood is coming on Monday, and I have never anticipated getting sticks so much. Like a three-year-old child, give me a slab of steel, some sticks, and a heavy something to bang on everything with and I'm happy.

Ed