This is from the West Penn site:
"DALBERGIA RETUSA
Cocobolo is a member of the Rosewood family. It grows in the drier uplands on the Pacific side of Mexico down to Panama. Extremely oily it will reject almost any finish except wax. It shines up to a nice luster. Even an oil based varnish will not stick. There is no treatment that will make it suitable for bonding with glue, but it can be nailed or screwed easily. It is waterproof which is excellent for making knife handles. It smells like lilacs while it is being sawn or sanded. It varies in color from red to yellow and striped with black to lighter black. It darkens with age."
Sounds like drivel to me since I've done everything to it that they say can't be done. Also, I only paid $14 a foot for 8/4 that has been sitting since the 1920's.
David: On the platter we've been "having a time" as they say. I finally found that the best way do do it is with a router. Band saw down to close, and then use a template I had made out of steel. A friend of mine has access to a machine shop at work so he had a couple different ones made. This will make it a hell of a lot easier to try different arm boards and plinths. I can also get perfect cauls for gluing the veneer. May go the vacuum bag route here, not sure. I like doing things the old way some times. I'm going to do another plinth for myself too. I need to have two set up to evaluate pieces as they are made.
Our biggest lathe will only turn 11" so we have had to come up with alternative methods. I wish we had one that would turn 14" for the options it would give me. But, I can do just about anything either with a router, shaper, or by hand that I cound do on a lathe. Just about.
Teres uses Jatoba cores for it's platters. CB only made one solid cocobolo platter for the 340. The prototype is 4" thick and weighs 40 pounds! I'm shooting for the same size. I'm doing it in two pieces so you wont see any of the holes for the lead. I'm also trying some different lamination methods for stability. Veneer will be a must for cosmetics. Maybe some banding or inlay. But first I want to make sure it will work. I won't know how true it will run till I get it mounted. But, I'm no rookie!
"DALBERGIA RETUSA
Cocobolo is a member of the Rosewood family. It grows in the drier uplands on the Pacific side of Mexico down to Panama. Extremely oily it will reject almost any finish except wax. It shines up to a nice luster. Even an oil based varnish will not stick. There is no treatment that will make it suitable for bonding with glue, but it can be nailed or screwed easily. It is waterproof which is excellent for making knife handles. It smells like lilacs while it is being sawn or sanded. It varies in color from red to yellow and striped with black to lighter black. It darkens with age."
Sounds like drivel to me since I've done everything to it that they say can't be done. Also, I only paid $14 a foot for 8/4 that has been sitting since the 1920's.
David: On the platter we've been "having a time" as they say. I finally found that the best way do do it is with a router. Band saw down to close, and then use a template I had made out of steel. A friend of mine has access to a machine shop at work so he had a couple different ones made. This will make it a hell of a lot easier to try different arm boards and plinths. I can also get perfect cauls for gluing the veneer. May go the vacuum bag route here, not sure. I like doing things the old way some times. I'm going to do another plinth for myself too. I need to have two set up to evaluate pieces as they are made.
Our biggest lathe will only turn 11" so we have had to come up with alternative methods. I wish we had one that would turn 14" for the options it would give me. But, I can do just about anything either with a router, shaper, or by hand that I cound do on a lathe. Just about.
Teres uses Jatoba cores for it's platters. CB only made one solid cocobolo platter for the 340. The prototype is 4" thick and weighs 40 pounds! I'm shooting for the same size. I'm doing it in two pieces so you wont see any of the holes for the lead. I'm also trying some different lamination methods for stability. Veneer will be a must for cosmetics. Maybe some banding or inlay. But first I want to make sure it will work. I won't know how true it will run till I get it mounted. But, I'm no rookie!