Before & After Majestic

[Jim15]

Hello Everyone,
Last week I made a Cocobolo Majestic and wasn't happy with the way the wood came out. I was going to take it apart but was advised by most of the people who responded to the thread to leave it alone and it would darken in due time. I let it set for the last week or so by a window, turning it every so often and it did darken quite a bit. I would like to thank everyone who suggested I slow down and not rip it apart right away. It looks much better now and I didn't have to struggle to find a way to remove the parts without destroying the kit. Thanks again everyone.

Before:



After:

 

[mrcook4570]

Nice looking pen!

 

[Mark]

Wow, that is a big difference. Very nice...

 

[Russianwolf]

looking better.

It will eventually turn almost black it will get so dark, but that's Cocobolo for ya.

 

[Lenny]

Lookin' Good!

See, it pays NOT to listen to me.

I hope the one I'm trying to do comes out half as good. So far I have turned one back down to the tube just to salvage them as I didn't like the Spalted maple blank I chose! Then had blow outs in some Thuya burl while drilling.... not so much blow outs as splits in the end, which I may or may not be able to salvage

all in all "a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day" ... but some days are like that ...:wink::biggrin:

 

[glycerine]

Man, that really made a difference! I've cut some cocobolo but not turned it yet. Is that stuff as hard on the lathe tools as it was on my band saw!?!?!?

 

[Bree]

Yep... it is sensitive to both light and to air. You get the nice oxidation as you let the wood be exposed to air. So next time you turn coco some let the blank sit for a few days before you apply finish to it. You might see some big changes due to oxidation.
:wink::wink::wink:

 

[fernhills]

Hey i just made one like that, you hijacked my computer and stole my pix. Nice pen, ya did a great job. Carl

 

[Jim15]

Thanks for the comments everyone. I'm just glad I didn't have to disassemble it.

 

[PenMan1]

Man, that really made a difference! I've cut some cocobolo but not turned it yet. Is that stuff as hard on the lathe tools as it was on my band saw!?!?!?

Yes, it is as hard on the lathe as it is on the bandsaw. Perhaps, even worse, it is deadly to your lungs. I recommend turning coco in a well ventelated area or wearing a respirator.

 

[PenMan1]

Nice looking pen, Jim!

 

[jskeen]

I would reinforce a couple of points made here. Yes, cocobolo will turn almost uniform chocolate brown to almost black over time. I have yet to find anything that will stop it. And second, of all the woods known to be an allergic sensitizer over time, Cocobolo is almost universally acknowledged as the worst. I know lots of custom knifemakers who had to completely quit using it eventually. It might not bother you for years, but eventually almost everybody will reach a point where they will suddenly start reacting to it, often violently. And what's worse, after you start reacting to cocobolo, sometimes other woods will start causing you problems too. Be sure to use good ventilation, dust collection and especially respiratory protection when working with it, EVEN if it don't seem to be causing a problem!