finishes for oily woods like cocobolo

[Aaron Wingert]

I'm making a lot of turkey calls on my lathe, many of which are cocobolo, rosewood and other oily exotics.

I started out using friction polish but many people question the long-term durability since the calls are held in the hand and used a lot.

I'm looking for a good (ideally rattle can spray-on) alternative to give the calls a glossy and durable finish. I know that cocobolo and rosewood don't like polyurethane and getting it to dry properly can be a real challenge. Will acetone help or will it still take days for the poly to dry?

Any ideas? Beggers can't be choosers but fast and easy is best!

Here's an example of what I'm doing (with friction polish on it)...

[Howard Acheson]

Cocobolo, rosewood and other oily exotics do not get along with oil based finishes. You have to use a barrier coat between the wood and the oil based finish. Many use a dewaxed shellac but a lacquer could work also.

For the best durability, you will want to overcoat the barrier coat with an oil based finish.

When it's all said and done, a wax may be the best alternative. Those oily woods can be directly buffed and generally retain their gloss for long periods.

[george wilson]

Wax won't hold up to being in sweaty hands,or the mouth.

[Howard Acheson]

Wax won't hold up to being in sw
eaty hands,or the mouth.

Neither will almost anything else except a two part epoxy and that has problems adhering to many oily woods.

In fact, with many oily exotic woods, the natural oil allows them to be just machine polished without any extra wax.