Replies

1. 
   WillGeorge | Oct 28, 2007 04:34pm | #1

   cocobolo..

   Not often ,but I have used that wood for the 'grips' on some of the archery bows I have made..

   That wood will polish! without anything but friction and care so you do not burn it. OK, so a good wax is helpful also...

   Edit: Sorry, I forgot to say take a small bit of the wood and buff it out and see if the final finish is something to your liking before you make the final choice.

   
   

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   Edited 10/28/2007 9:38 am by WillGeorge

2. 
   stantheman | Oct 28, 2007 05:56pm | #2

   IWaters

   I'm just a hobbyist who has made a lot of boxes.  There is no best.  It all depends on the aesthetics of your designs.  Seems to me the main choice you're making is whether you want the wood to stand out or not.  If you use black lacquer finish it doesn't matter which would - use the most stable you can find, even poplar from Home Depot woudl work, since the wood grain will not be visible anyway. You just want something with tight grain - not oak. 

    There are hundreds of choices for fine figured and exotic woods that would look good with a "luxury" finish.  Cocobolo being one.  Suggest that you go to a store that sells a lot of the exotic woods and just pick whatever grabs your eye.  FOr me, it is often the piece of wood that decides what the design will be. 

1. 
   WillGeorge | Oct 28, 2007 06:06pm | #3

   Stan Good answer...even poplar from Home Depot woudl work, since the wood grain will not be visible anyway..I for one like the look of poplar. I DO NOT get it from the Big Box..
   I go to my hardwood supplier and get the 'sticks' that all the others leave behind. Some have brown and some green and I have even seen red running through it. Even some that look a shade of purple. I grab that and just finish with tung oil or shellac and wax..

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Oct 29, 2007 02:19pm | #4

   I'd agree not to use the HD or other borg lumber if at all possible.  My experience says there are more drying defects--and often of the kind such as case hardening that don't show up until you start to mill the boards.  The borg don't sell it cheap but it is pretty likely that they buy it cheap.   

   By the way, I like the look of fine wood, over that of a fine paint job, but that's just a personal preference.

   Edited 10/29/2007 7:21 am ET by SteveSchoene

3. 
   colebearanimals | Oct 29, 2007 10:59pm | #5

   Hi IWaters,

             If you go the black lacquer route I would recommend using maple, either soft or hard depending how you plan on treating the inside. It's much more stable than poplar in my opinion and takes lacquer very well. I stopped using poplar for paint grade in my cabinet shop a long time ago.

                                                       Paul

4. 
   RichardZ | Nov 03, 2007 05:03pm | #6

   Hi,

   My woodworking skills are in the formative stages,  I am an avid novice with a lot of power tools. I recently purchased a Leigh D4R jig and my first project was a simple through dovetail box. It turned out quite well and I am delighted with my new tool acquisition. But, I hated to throw the box away, so I made a silverware caddy out of it. The box was colored with about 8 coats of india ink. I went with india ink because it wont fade, is waterproof and the ink seeps into the aspen wood fibres. So if it slightly knicked it wont show the light wood. I used maple for accent touches but left the maple clear.

   For a finish I used Watco clear gloss lacquer. It lays down quite nicely  but you can't dawdle (sp?) the lacquer dries quickly. I purchased a good artist brush ($20) with a diameter of about one inch. I rubbed the lacquer coats with 0000 steel wool and my daughter is pleased with her new silverware caddy.

   Hope this helps,

   Richard