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Wood question

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Wood question

#1

Wood question

Roy Girolami

A long time ago, I got some wood that was said to be cocobolo. I was working with it the other day and found I couldn't plane it because the grain was rowed so alternate strips were smooth and then rough. I wondered if it might be something other than cocobolo so I got a piece and compared the two woods. The cocobolo I knew what it was was more reddish and the maybe cocobolo was more brown. The sanding dust was more reddish for the cocobolo and the questionable one was more towards brown. So I turned some of the maybe wood and it turned just fine and the shavings had that rosewood smell. The origin of the wood was supposedly Costa Rica, if that makes any difference. So has anybody worked a tropical hardwood that is brownish and has a rosewood odor in the shavings? It's hard and heavy with very white sapwood. I'm just curious since the wood is good for turning but I would like to be able to name it.

Thanks for any guidance.

Roy

Re: Wood question

#2

Joe Fleming

Re: Wood question

Joe Fleming

Roy, Cocobolo has a wide variety of reds, browns and blacks. It could still be cocobolo, and cocobolo is a member of the rosewood family.

Re: Wood question

#3

Re: Wood question

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

repost on turning site, the experience you seek is located there

Re: Wood question

#4

Ellis Walentine

Re: Wood question

Ellis Walentine

Cocobolo usually has a range of colors, from reddish brown to black. Another rosewood that grows in Mexico and Central America is Granadillo, which is a more uniform dark purplish brown. Might be that.

Re: Wood question

#5

Ellis Walentine

And another thing...

Ellis Walentine

When you open up cocobolo, the inside is a light gray with hints of color and dark streaks. The color fades rapidly to a vivid orange and then on to shades of the dark rosewood color we're familiar with. Granadillo is purplish-brown through and through.

Ellis

Re: Wood question

#6

Re: And another thing...

Roy Girolami

Thanks for the replies. I also weighed a 4" cube and found the wood weighs about 56 pounds per cubic foot. That is a little light for cocobolo but is right in the ball park for honduras rosewood, another Dalbergia species.

Roy

Re: Wood question

#7

Ellis Walentine

Re: And another thing...

Ellis Walentine

Honduras Rosewood is considerably lighter in color than cocobolo.

Ellis

Re: Wood question

#8

Re: Wood question

John K Jordan

For me the smell is the best identifier. Wonderful smell but unlike any other dalbergia species I have. Maybe find a piece of known cocobolo and saw or sand a bit to compare.

But be careful, some people are highly sensitive. I'm fine if I wear long sleeves and wash the dust off any exposed skin, otherwise I'll get a rash. Respirator, of course.

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