U2PLT Posted September 10, 2007 Report Share Posted September 10, 2007 Cocobola Mills just finished. Wood facts: Cocobolo is a hardwood from Central America yielded by two to four closely related species of the genus Dalbergia. The best known and probably the species contributing most of the wood in the trade is Dalbergia retusa, a fair-sized tree, reported to reach 20-25 m in height. Because of its great beauty and high value, this species has been heavily exploited and the tree is now in danger of extinction outside of national parks, reserves and plantations. Cocobolo is a very beautiful wood, known to change color after being cut. It usually is orange in hue, with a figuring of darker irregular traces weaving through the wood. It is fine textured and oily in look and feel, and stands up well to repeated handling and exposure to water. A prime use is in gun grips and knife handles. Cocobolo is also extraordinarily dense, and even a large block of the cut wood will produce a clear musical tone if struck. Only relatively small amounts of this prized wood reach the world market and it is expensive. Cocobolo is highly favored for fine inlay work, brush backs, knife handles, musical instruments (especially guitars and basses, Alembic Inc consider Cocobolo to be their house wood and many famous players such as Stanley Clarke use such basses; but also some woodwind instruments (clarinet, oboes,..) have been successfully made using Cocobolo instead of the more usual Grenadilla black wood), pistol grips, decorative and figured veneers, bowls, jewelry boxes, and other expensive specialty items. It is also used for luxury pens. Probably the most famous example of this is from the collection of lawyer Charles Kramer of Fox Point, WI. Care must be used when working this wood, as its sawdust is dangerous; many people develop an allergy when exposed to it. A sawdust collecting system must be in operation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNakedWhiz Posted September 10, 2007 Report Share Posted September 10, 2007 I've still got two pieces from my wood working days. I'd have to go look but I think I have 2 feet of 1x12 and maybe 2 feet of 2x8. What does it cost a bd/ft these days? My pieces are probably 20 years old now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
U2PLT Posted September 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2007 Cocobola You can do a Google on Cocobola and find that exoctic wood places sell it for at least $18.50 to $20.00 per board foot plus shipping. One in CA and one in AZ usually have best prices. I use acrylic tubes in all my Mills now so that when customers order oily woods like Cocobola will not impart any unwanted flavors to the spice. If you buy small pieces from local Wood places you will find it is priced near $40.00 per board foot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
