Cocobolo sanding misadventures

[Wade Lippman]

I needed some thin strips of wood and had some 1/8" cocobolo. I needed to get it down to half that thickness, so put it through my drum sander. It immediately clogged my drum sander with 60 grit despite (because of?) taking tiny cuts. I thought maybe the 60 grit was wrong and tried 100 grit. It clogged that just as fast.

I gave up and resawed some goncalo alves. That sanded up just fine. That led me to think that cocobolo is simply impossible to sand.

Any advice or comments for the future would be appreciated.

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If you are wondering what I was doing with 1/8" cocobolo... About 5 years ago a lumber yard had a huge box of cocobolo scraps for $30. I figured if I just get a few pieces out of it, it is a good buy. I separated out the half that was completely useless and sold them on CL for $50. (somebody wanted expensive kindling? I didn't ask...) So I am left with a lot of small pieces and odd sizes. I haven't used much, but it sure is pretty.

[John K Jordan]

Cocobolo is full of oils. (It does make fantastic kindling - you can light a thin piece like a candle.)

I have a lot I use for woodturning. I've never done extensive sanding on it since I cut it cleanly enough on the lathe that it just needs 600 grit or maybe 400. If I wanted to make thin pieces I'd probably resaw as close as possible then stick down to a board and run through the planer. I give thin offcuts of cocobolo and other exotics to knife makers - they almost weep with joy to get a box full! It's incredibly good for carving too, especially with power gouges - cuts like butter with a surface like glass.

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JKJ

I needed some thin strips of wood and had some 1/8" cocobolo. I needed to get it down to half that thickness, so put it through my drum sander. It immediately clogged my drum sander with 60 grit despite (because of?) taking tiny cuts. I thought maybe the 60 grit was wrong and tried 100 grit. It clogged that just as fast.

I gave up and resawed some goncalo alves. That sanded up just fine. That led me to think that cocobolo is simply impossible to sand.

Any advice or comments for the future would be appreciated.

======
If you are wondering what I was doing with 1/8" cocobolo... About 5 years ago a lumber yard had a huge box of cocobolo scraps for $30. I figured if I just get a few pieces out of it, it is a good buy. I separated out the half that was completely useless and sold them on CL for $50. (somebody wanted expensive kindling? I didn't ask...) So I am left with a lot of small pieces and odd sizes. I haven't used much, but it sure is pretty.

[Mike Cutler]

Wipe it with acetone, and take light passes at a slow speed, for each pass through the sander. Even then it's no guarantee.
It will be butt ugly coming off the sander, kind of a pukey, gray/brown,greenish color, but it doesn't take long for the oils to come back to the surface.

[Wade Lippman]

Well, at least its not me.
Thanks

[Mike Cutler]

Definitely not you Wade. The stuff does not like sand paper. Hand planes, chisels, and scrapers yes. Sandpaper it just loads it up with oil.
If you should aver need to re-saw some, have some scraps of another hardwood on hand. Re-saw a few pieces of cocobolo, run a domestic hardwood through to help clean off the oily deposits. Even with this you 'll need some simple green. And the bandsaw tires!

It's absolutely beautiful wood, but you have to want to work with it.