Need help with Bocote

[James Williams 007]

I've been working these pcs of Bocote and after I finish sanding they look great but a few min later the outside gets darker in spots. Is it moisture or oil from the wood? I would like to finish these with tung oil. Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated. They will be Xmas presents I hope.

[John K Jordan]

... Is it moisture or oil from the wood? ...

Was it advertised as dry? I'd check with a moisture meter. If no meter, you can usually feel the surface and tell if it is moisture - wood with water generally feels cooler. Maybe compare it to another piece of well-dried wood. The wood does have an oily or waxy feel but it shouldn't feel cooler than other wood stored in the same place.

I've used a bunch of Bocote and have not seen it get darker in spots but all mine has been smaller and turned on the lathe so I could have missed any spots. One question, when you got the wood was it covered with wax? Many exotic turning blanks are waxed heavily when cut so they won't crack before they are sold, often waxed on all sides - they can be quite wet inside. People who by them thinking they are getting dry wood are sometimes surprised. When I get waxed turning blanks I consider them wet - I leave them on the shelf for a couple of years, remove much of the wax on the side grain with a card scraper, then put them back on the shelf for some more years.

JKJ