Greetings, all!
I’m not sure this is the best board on which to post the following question, but it seemed close enough that I thought it fit here. My situation is that I am resawing cocobolo wood, in order to obtain thinner boards (imagine having a 2×4 that you’d like to turn into 2 1x4s, if that helps), and have run into something I’ve not yet experienced with other wood types. In short, the wood starts out with a very nice color on the outside, but anywhere I cut or sand (either the “inside” wood or the face I happen to sand afterward to clean it up some, as well) it shows as much lighter and drier.
Obviously, especially with an oily wood such as cocobolo, I can expect the interior of a board to be lighter than the outside (as there’s to that point been no exposure to light/air). My concern is that even after a day and a half not much oil is coming back to the surface in order to darken as it appeared before. I really hope that makes sense…heheh Basically, I’d like all sides of my new boards to appear the same darkness/tone as each other and be as close as possible to that beautiful look it started out as (and, what many of us are used to seeing in items made from this wood), without having to use a product to achieve it.
Am I missing something obvious, here? It can’t simply be wiping oil or another product on the surfaces, as I know people who use this wood and do not coat it with anything once finished sawing/sanding. Perhaps it simply needs more air/light exposure time to return to that beautiful look? If so, how long in your experience? Any help Y’all can provide on this front is *very* appreciated! 🙂
Replies
My experience with Cocobolo is that freshly opened boards are often dramatically lighter overall, and display brighter, more saturated colors than the surfaces that have been exposed for a long time. Over time, the material will darken until it again looks like it did originally. I don't pretend to understand the chemistry of this, but it will happen. In the short term you can use a little tung oil, for a slight darkening effect. But patience, as Ron suggests, is the answer.
best,
jackmaggs
Thanks, very much, for your replies, Y'all! I had thought it must just be a time thing, but it's getting close to 2 days since cutting and it hasn't darkened as much as I'd like (and, as it used to be). If it's only waiting a week, great...However, if it will likely take closer to a month or two I might have to figure something else out...heheh Any ideas/ballpark wait times you guys know?
Thanks, again, sincerely.
Spook,
you can get all of your cocobolo to look the same by spray painting it black.
You can switch to a nice spalted curly maple, which doesn't have the problem that cocobolo does.
You can hypnotize those that will look at the cocobolo and convince them that it is all the same shade.
You can wait for it all to turn the same shade.
You can move it to the desert in mid summer and it will change more quickly.
There are so many solutions.
Mel
It'll take months.
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