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Thread: Wood Identification

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
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    Wood Identification

    I got this wood from a fellow turner. He did not remember where or what he bought. The blank was 8 X 8 X 4, but had a crackle defect in the center. I cut it in half and made a lidded box. I thought it might be desert ironwood, but the end grain did not match. Looking at the end grain I now believe it is cocobolo. It seems to match the wood database. Is there any other possibility?

    73228D87-2C39-4F76-AF77-432A9700BB59_1_201_a.jpeg 50B3F9CB-58D5-4DFD-8FE8-F18D2C44E0A5_1_201_a.jpeg 3FEF361D-4CFD-48D1-A699-4127DD5A1A50_1_201_a.jpg

    This is the turned lidded box

    7801BEC2-3BC2-413E-B195-9AB0ED67B2EF_1_201_a.jpeg
    Last edited by William C Rogers; 01-17-2021 at 5:38 PM.
    When working I had more money than time. In retirement I have more time than money. Love the time, miss the money.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    E TN, near Knoxville
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    Quote Originally Posted by William C Rogers View Post
    I got this wood from a fellow turner. He did not remember where or what he bought. The blank was 8 X 8 X 4, but had a crackle defect in the center. I cut it in half and made a lidded box. I thought it might be desert ironwood, but the end grain did not match. Looking at the end grain I now believe it is cocobolo. It seems to match the wood database. Is there any other possibility?
    ...
    When I look at the cocobolo I have under the microscope I see amber-colored solid resin in every pore.

    The orange and dark brown in your box certainly looks more like cocobolo than any other wood in my experience. Cocobolo also has a very distinctive and not-unpleasant odor when turned, once smelled can't be forgotten. I have various pieces of cocobolo that look quite different but smell the same when turned or sanded.

    The dark top of your box is distinctive of aged cocobolo - it darkens from the exposed surfaces inward. I've seen some 4x4" so old it was dark almost to the much brighter center. Some I have is 4" to 8" and the the dark is "seeping" in on all surfaces but it must be very slowly since I've been cutting on these for about 15 years now.

    One thing I learned the hard way - I put Watco "danish" oil on cocobolo once and over a relatively short number of months it turned black as ebony.

    For comparison, a few cocobolo things I've turned:

    bud_vase_IMG_8165.jpg cocobolo_boxes.jpg peppermills_w.jpg tops03.jpg

    Cocobolo and Tulipwood:
    Italy_IMG_7770.jpg

    Cocobolo does have a wide natural variation in color. The second coffee scoop here is cocobolo; was a deep, dark color. The smell while carving was the same though!
    coffee_scoops_PB044022comp_s.jpg

    Edit: a couple more, the little vessel at the top and the box on the right is cocobolo (and brass).
    small_vessels.jpg Nonis_goblet2.jpg

    JKJ
    Last edited by John K Jordan; 01-17-2021 at 7:57 PM.

  3. #3
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    And these needle cases are cocobolo.

    needle_casesB.jpg

    The middle hand bell (not yet handled) is cocobolo as well as the bell on the far right in the second photo.

    bells_only_IMG_5176.jpg bells_PC244161es.jpg

    Hopefully this will give you an idea of the general look and variability of the wood.

    JKJ

  4. #4
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    Feb 2012
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    Thanks John. I have turned very little cocobolo, just pens years ago. I do remember the smell at that time, but now I wear a PAPR system and don’t get neat the wood oder when turning. I went with lacquer on the lidded box.
    When working I had more money than time. In retirement I have more time than money. Love the time, miss the money.

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