# cocobolo scraps



## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

is it safe to burn cocobolo scraps, I have read that some allergens are destroyed by fire thankds


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## LeeRoyMan (Feb 23, 2019)

> is it safe to burn *cocobolo scraps*,
> 
> - Karda


There's no such thing.


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## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

+1

I would have a hard time throwing away even small pieces of cocobolo. I wonder if it screams when you burn it?


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## craftsman on the lake (Dec 27, 2008)

I get it. There comes a point to where the scrap pile of under 6" discarded ends becomes overwhelming. You keep saving them for that special project that will need tiny pieces and it never happens. The result is that you end up a scrap hoarder. Sometime you just have to bite the bullet and toss or burn it.
I did a net search and all I can find is that it can be toxic while working with it, and cutting it. Nothing about burning but that just may be because there isn't anything on the net about burning. It might be toxic if burned, just no info on it that I found.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

BURN COCOBOLO!!!! are you serious? how small are we talking,a piece that's 3/4×5" can make a pen? if it's bigger than that send it too me!


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

pk pottzI have hand full of what I sure is cocobolo and a pile of what I think is rose wood. I'll post a pic of what i won't use its your but you pay the postage


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

The best way to light cocobolo scraps is with a $100 dollar bill.

I only need 2" long scraps for bottle stoppers.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> pk pottzI have hand full of what I sure is cocobolo and a pile of what I think is rose wood. I ll post a pic of what i won t use its your but you pay the postage
> 
> - Karda


ha ha ok ill look,but please dont burn unless there really small scraps,coc is super premium.i think smp might pay for it?


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

here is the cocobolo I have none is very thick the one on the left is a pen blank. i mighr have more out back I'll get tomorrow


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## rad457 (Jun 15, 2013)

> pk pottzI have hand full of what I sure is cocobolo and a pile of what I think is rose wood. I ll post a pic of what i won t use its your but you pay the postage
> 
> - Karda


After all them things Potz said about you, you would send wood scraps to HIM? I will pay the postage and make sure the Wood is cared for carefully


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## rad457 (Jun 15, 2013)

Actually I think Cocobolo is a banned substance in California?


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## ddockstader (Jun 21, 2009)

After reading through these posts, all I can say is, "I HAVE FOUND MY PEOPLE!" ;^)


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

Karda please send me those scraps!!! I'll give them a very good loving home. You won't have to give your worries a second thought.


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## LittleBlackDuck (Feb 26, 2016)

> BURN COCOBOLO!!!! are you serious? how small are we talking,a piece that s 3/4×5" can make a pen?.....
> - pottz


I hate *slimlines*, however, you could probably make a few out of 3/4×5… and earn enough to buy a couple of dozen cigars (pen kits or Cubans)...


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

gee so many people want maybe, any offers I should sell it


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## drsurfrat (Aug 17, 2020)

It's funny, 14 posts and no one has answered the question.

But - I can't either, everything so far is either about wood smoke in general, or cobobolo wood dust toxicity. Since it is something you can get sensitized to, I'd avoid burning it.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

well im out ive got about 100lbs of the stuff,enough to last me till the end,i just hated to think it would get burned.


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

> Actually I think Cocobolo is a banned substance in California?
> 
> - Andre


Probably causes Cancer too.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> Actually I think Cocobolo is a banned substance in California?
> 
> - Andre
> 
> ...


in california everything causes cancer!


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

> is it safe to burn cocobolo scraps, I have read that some allergens are destroyed by fire thankds
> 
> - Karda


Allergens are much different than germs, or viruses, which both of them can easily be killed with chemicals OR fire/heat. Allergens may be able to survive after drying out from chemicals, or even be made worse by fire, as they would no doubt be spread in the smoke, and could prove crippling, or even fatal to small undefenseless children playing happily with their toys.

Send the scraps to someone. I kinda liked Andre's petition. he was second, and he dumped all over pottz's.

It's been a fun read.

And no. I have no ID whatsoever if heat can kill the allergens, but I know for a fact if you are allergic to poison Ivy, and you burn it, you get a MONSTER case of it, if you get downwind.


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

> Actually I think Cocobolo is a banned substance in California?
> 
> - Andre
> 
> ...


That, was why I said it…....

Actually I read somewhere that a group of Realtor Scientist's from Arizona were doing research that California itself caused massive cancer. Their hope was everyone would move out, they would buy it up, and sell it to wealthy Republicans who would vote to change everything in California was actually cancer free, and make a Mintful of cash.

Only problem is all 49 of the other states have made laws to make that an illegal activity, so the only recourse for the fleeing Californians would be to move to Mexico.


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## bigJohninvegas (May 25, 2014)

> here is the cocobolo I have none is very thick the one on the left is a pen blank. i mighr have more out back I ll get tomorrow
> 
> 
> 
> ...


As all have mentioned. Burn it, are you crazy! lol

So all the little pieces can be cut down and glued into a piece of lets say maple. cool bottle stopper blank with a cocobolo stripe in it.

Get creative with the high dollar scraps. And I use a bottle stopper as a reference. Glue them scraps into any sort of turning blank you can think of. 
And these are not my work. Just photos I found on the web with a quick search.


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

Ok I won't burn any, I was just asking, I specialize in dumb questions. My next question is what is it worth I didn't realize that cocobolo was worth somuch


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## bigJohninvegas (May 25, 2014)

> Ok I won t burn any, I was just asking, I specialize in dumb questions. My next question is what is it worth I didn t realize that cocobolo was worth somuch
> 
> - Karda


So bell forest shows it out of stock for 4/4, priced at $65 per board foot. 
They have other dimensions in stock, here is the link. 
https://www.bellforestproducts.com/cocobolo/lumber/

Seems last time I bothered to get a quote here in town at Peterman lumber. Its all milled to 25/32, random widths and typically 8' boards. And it was $32.00 per board foot. 
That compares to Hard Maple at around $4.00, and Walnut at around $8 to $9 per foot. 
Those two are current prices her in the Las Vegas area.

On the Bell forest link, Check out the Wood Blanks tab. You may find a price on a size close to what you have. 
I've been turning a lot of pepper mills lately, and a 3X3X12 long blank is $85.
And a 6X6X2 thick bowl blank is $56. 
They are out of the 3" thick bowl blanks, but priced at $90 for 6X6X3, and $115 for 8X8X3. 
Crazy expensive.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

With the costs of shipping these days the only way it would be worth it is to stuff as many little scraps as you can into a flat rate box. Otherwise it would cost more to ship than to buy locally


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

ok thanks John


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

any body here wants this give me an offer other wise I will post else where


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## LittleBlackDuck (Feb 26, 2016)

> .... so the only recourse for the fleeing Californians would be to *move to Mexico*.
> - therealSteveN


After you burn the bloody thing to stop the pissing contest.


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## LittleBlackDuck (Feb 26, 2016)

> With the costs of shipping these days the only way it would be worth it is to stuff as many little scraps as you can into a flat rate box. Otherwise it would cost more to ship than to buy locally
> 
> - SMP


I'd hollow out some cheap pine or other scraps and stuff it in that before shipping.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> any body here wants this give me an offer other wise I will post else where
> 
> - Karda


The OP went from burning them, to giving them away, to shipping for cost of postage, all the way to selling his precious scraps to the highest bidder or he is taking his business elsewhere, all on the first page! This place cracks me up


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> any body here wants this give me an offer other wise I will post else where
> 
> - Karda
> 
> ...


we should be a reality show!


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## 75c (Jan 23, 2021)

The saw dust is I was sanding a small piece and within five minutes my pits and crotch were on fire I ran to the shower hoped in and I was a large rash in both places. I left it alone for a free weeks before I cleaned it up. Never touched the stuff since. Read one time everytime you had a reaction to one type of wood it makes you more susceptible to reaction s to other types of wood. I would not even touch the stuff. Regards Tom


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> we should be a reality show!
> 
> - pottz


Next thing you know Simon Cowl is going to give you 30 minutes to make something cool out of the scraps.


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## LittleBlackDuck (Feb 26, 2016)

> we should be a reality show!
> - pottz


*Jerry Springer* move over!


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## mtnwild (Sep 28, 2008)

She seems legit to me. She's been around awhile and never tried anything funny before.

I think all your suggestions are making her dizzy. I'm feeling it myself.

Lots more to concider than she realized.

Good luck Karda…


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## rad457 (Jun 15, 2013)

Sorta feel a little guilty NOT, all Pottz's fault! What some people will do for Wood?


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

> She seems legit to me. She s been around awhile and never tried anything funny before.
> 
> I think all your suggestions are making her dizzy. I m feeling it myself.
> 
> ...


This hit me as funny because I happen to know that Karda is a Mike and not a Michelle ;-) Maybe the fact that he changed his mind three times about what to do with his scraps made you think he's a she? )


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> She seems legit to me. She s been around awhile and never tried anything funny before.
> 
> I think all your suggestions are making her dizzy. I m feeling it myself.
> 
> ...


LOL


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## mtnwild (Sep 28, 2008)

EXCUSE ME!

Still feel the same.


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

Sorry mtnwild… it wasn't anything personal. You had no way of knowing. Just a little levity ;-)


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> Sorry mtnwild… it wasn t anything personal. You had no way of knowing. Just a little levity ;-)
> 
> - HokieKen


made the same mistake once,assumed it was a man,she quickly corrected me,we both had a good laugh.


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

Another one of those nuances of the age of the internet Pottz  Doesn't do any good to get offended. For years my wife thought I was a man!


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## mtnwild (Sep 28, 2008)

Not offended…

Just gets everything off subject.

Don't think "HE" is trying a scam.

I do think he needs to re think what qualifys as scrap. Lots of value in wood, these days.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> Another one of those nuances of the age of the internet Pottz  Doesn t do any good to get offended. For years my wife thought I was a man!
> 
> - HokieKen


i think it's the cape kenny,i did too-lol.


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

That ok it happens. I have long hair and my wife and I went into a restaurant. It was busy and the waitress said I be just a minute ladies. you can chalk up my changing my minf up to I don't know anything about exotic wood values only a little about domestic. Thank Ken for sticking up for me. I f I thought peoiple would think I was trying to scam i would not even have posted I was only lokking for information. ask your self what would you do if you wanted to trsah something valuable and somebody said it was worth a lot


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

I don't blame you a bit Mike, it's your wood  Honestly though, pieces that small wouldn't be worth buying by the time shipping is figured in. PSI sells a 10 pack of Cocobolo pen blanks for $18. It's larger pieces that are harder to come across and bring bigger bucks. If you had pieces big enough to make some plane totes and knobs, I'd be making an offer ;-)


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

lot of pasision for cocobolo here?


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

I like the wood a lot pottz. But, I have a full set of Millers Falls bench planes and most of them have the original Cocobolo totes and knobs but a couple have replacements or the Goncalo versions. So I'm always on the lookout for a piece/pieces big enough (and cheap enough ;-p) that I can use it to make all of my planes match.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> lot of pasision for cocobolo here?
> 
> - pottz


Great movie, The Passion of The Cocobolo, starring Mel Gibson as a giant scrap if cocobolo.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> I like the wood a lot pottz. But, I have a full set of Millers Falls bench planes and most of them have the original Cocobolo totes and knobs but a couple have replacements or the Goncalo versions. So I m always on the lookout for a piece/pieces big enough (and cheap enough ;-p) that I can use it to make all of my planes match.
> 
> - HokieKen


just sent you a pm.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> I like the wood a lot pottz. But, I have a full set of Millers Falls bench planes and most of them have the original Cocobolo totes and knobs but a couple have replacements or the Goncalo versions. So I m always on the lookout for a piece/pieces big enough (and cheap enough ;-p) that I can use it to make all of my planes match.
> 
> - HokieKen


Nice! The only Miller Falls tools i have with cocobolo are a drill (5 or 2, can't remember) and a brace.


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

since your here would you ID some wood for me. The top one is a little pinker, and may be rosewood the round one looks like cocobolo but not sure. The last one is a goldish color thanks Mike


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## Foghorn (Jan 30, 2020)

I'm going to say 1. Indian Rosewood. 2. Walnut 3. ?? 4. Maple


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## mtnwild (Sep 28, 2008)

Most can tell you that last piece is figured maple… Some define the figuring as, curly or fiddle or quilted, stuff like that. Nice chunk, that will make a nice project…

Not sure on the others. That first bunch does look like purple heart to me, but….


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

ok thanks


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

> I m going to say 1. Indian Rosewood. 2. Walnut 3. ?? 4. Maple
> 
> - Foghorn


+1


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## Cold_Pizza (Jan 30, 2019)

Y'all never burned it while ripping or drilling too fast? Smells amazing. Padauk smells even better.

Oh yeah and I've never gotten any weird effects from the fumes.


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## LittleBlackDuck (Feb 26, 2016)

> Great movie, The *Passion of The Cocobolo*, starring Mel Gibson as a giant scrap if cocobolo.
> - SMP


The weight of *Cocobolo* would make one *cross*... is there enough scraps?


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## mtnwild (Sep 28, 2008)

If you don't know about that maple, be carefull if you plane it. Those swerlling wood patterns in the wood are the grain going in different dirrections.. Chip out is a real problem with that piece you have. Only the sharpest plainer blades should be used. Some, wet the wood before putting it in a planer. softens it up some.

I cut to size and sand down to smooth, on maple thats figured. No tear out thast way.

That piece you have is very nice. Would cost around a hundred or a little more around here.


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

Thanks I never thought about the iradic grain. I planed true side in the picture, trhat is about half the original piece, its a little over a foot long, i posted that because the rest still had some finish on it. The way it planes It seems a little un flat. I planed the other side but not to much I 'll finish it when I use it


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## Foghorn (Jan 30, 2020)

> If you don t know about that maple, be carefull if you plane it. Those swerlling wood patterns in the wood are the grain going in different dirrections.. Chip out is a real problem with that piece you have. Only the sharpest plainer blades should be used. Some, wet the wood before putting it in a planer. softens it up some.
> 
> I cut to size and sand down to smooth, on maple thats figured. No tear out thast way.
> 
> ...


I use my Lie Neilsen #4 with a 55 degree frog. A bit more effort with 55 degree but works great on figured maple. Amazing plane. Quilt maple is about 50% tougher to plane than flamed.


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## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

I would simply glue them into a stack and turn something out of it.


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## LittleBlackDuck (Feb 26, 2016)

> I use my Lie Neilsen #4 with a *55 degree frog*. A bit more effort with 55 degree but works great on figured maple. Amazing plane. Quilt maple is about 50% tougher to plane than flamed.
> 
> - Foghorn


So if I used my *360° frogs*, 









would I get 654.54% better results?


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## gdaveg (Aug 1, 2020)

Andre,

Cocobolo is "known to cause cancer in California". Weird but beautiful state. Our daughter lives in San Diego.

Last wood picture may be Cherry.

Dave


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> I use my Lie Neilsen #4 with a *55 degree frog*. A bit more effort with 55 degree but works great on figured maple. Amazing plane. Quilt maple is about 50% tougher to plane than flamed.
> 
> - Foghorn
> 
> ...


yes!


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## Foghorn (Jan 30, 2020)

> I use my Lie Neilsen #4 with a *55 degree frog*. A bit more effort with 55 degree but works great on figured maple. Amazing plane. Quilt maple is about 50% tougher to plane than flamed.
> 
> - Foghorn
> 
> ...


I get stuck at 100% but I'm with ya!!


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## gdaveg (Aug 1, 2020)

Karda,

Last picture of wood pieces, may be Cherry

DG


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

I'll look again but some re not cherry at least I don't think, how do you glue cocobolo I head it was oily and resitant to glue


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> I ll look again but some re not cherry at least I don t think, how do you glue cocobolo I head it was oily and resitant to glue
> 
> - Karda


no i dont think cherry at all,too glue coco clean it with mineral spirits or similar and use epoxy,and i think gorilla glue will work?


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

ok thanks


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## rad457 (Jun 15, 2013)

> I ll look again but some re not cherry at least I don t think, how do you glue cocobolo I head it was oily and resitant to glue
> 
> - Karda
> 
> ...


All I ever use is Acetone wipe an TB, except for pens were I only use 5 min. epoxy.


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## LittleBlackDuck (Feb 26, 2016)

> I ll look again but some re not cherry at least I don t think, how do you glue cocobolo I head it was oily and resitant to glue
> - Karda
> 
> ... too glue coco clean it with mineral spirits or similar and use epoxy,and i think gorilla glue will work?
> - pottz


You are the man *pottzy*... I would have said "call it *olobococ* and *_tsuj eulg* it *up* with AC"!


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

I use acetone or DNA (whichever can I find first) and wipe it down then glue it up immediately with regular yellow glue. So far, never had a failure. I have also used ca glue for pens. I still wipe it down with solvent right before glueing.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

i said mineral spirits which i used all the time except we cant buy it in california anymore !


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## Foghorn (Jan 30, 2020)

Interesting that the biggest consensus out there is using solvents to wipe oily woods like cocobolo before glue up. All of the luthier circles I frequent recommend a freshly scraped or planed surface or a light sanding just prior to glue up. Fine Woodworking #166 seems to validate this. The joints that they wiped and glued with yellow glue were no stronger and actually weaker in many cases than unwiped wood. The solvent seemed to actually bring oils to the surface. Freshly cut or sanded were stronger and combined with epoxy, were stronger yet. Probably not the most scientific testing but they did a decent job with what they were working with. Do what works for you.


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## LittleBlackDuck (Feb 26, 2016)

> i said mineral spirits which i used all the time except we cant buy it in california anymore !
> 
> - pottz


That's cause you pisspot *cal's* were too tight to pay the full price of *whiskey*... temptation removed…. sometimes *polytikens* do something "right".


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## PaulDoug (Sep 26, 2013)

The answer is NO,,,, there is no safe way to burn cocobolo,,,,, You would surely die.. give it to another wood worker..


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

ok, i'll see If i can do something with it


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## Ocelot (Mar 6, 2011)

Well, since Karda brought it up, ... I once bought 20bf of "misc cocobolo". It's in a pile in my shop floor at the minute. Some wane, rot, bark (maybe), insect damage and some good wood. I doubt there are many pieces big enough to make a plane tote. (It wasn't always in a pile on the floor, but I dragged it all out to look at it and didn't put it back yet).

I think they just weighted it instead of measuring.

I'm afraid to use it mostly.

I appologize for the interruption.

-Paul


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## LittleBlackDuck (Feb 26, 2016)

> The answer is NO,,,, there is no safe way to burn cocobolo,,,,, You would surely die.. give it to another wood worker..
> 
> - PaulDoug


Thanks *PD*... fiinaly after 730 views and 76 comments we get the question definitively answered *monosyllabically*. Where the hell were you on the 15th… would have spared me a bucketload of reading.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> Well, since Karda brought it up, ... I once bought 20bf of "misc cocobolo". It s in a pile in my shop floor at the minute. Some wane, rot, bark (maybe), insect damage and some good wood. I doubt there are many pieces big enough to make a plane tote. (It wasn t always in a pile on the floor, but I dragged it all out to look at it and didn t put it back yet).
> 
> I think they just weighted it instead of measuring.
> 
> ...


so what your saying paul is you got about 1bf of small pieces you have no idea what to do with,and a mess to deal with ?


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

> Interesting that the biggest consensus out there is using solvents to wipe oily woods like cocobolo before glue up. All of the luthier circles I frequent recommend a freshly scraped or planed surface or a light sanding just prior to glue up. Fine Woodworking #166 seems to validate this. The joints that they wiped and glued with yellow glue were no stronger and actually weaker in many cases than unwiped wood. The solvent seemed to actually bring oils to the surface. Freshly cut or sanded were stronger and combined with epoxy, were stronger yet. Probably not the most scientific testing but they did a decent job with what they were working with. Do what works for you.
> 
> - Foghorn


Now that you mention it, I'm not sure that I ever tried gluing it up immedately after cutting or sanding. Something to keep in mind.


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