Cocobolo

Specs

Common Names

Cocobolo (many variant spellings, such as cocabola or cocobola)

Scientific Name

Dalbergia retusa

Origin

Central America

Appearance

Cocobolo can be seen in a kaleidoscope of different colors, ranging from yellow, orange, red, and shades of brown with streaks of black or purple. Sapwood is typically a very pale yellow. Colors are lighter when freshly sanded/cut, and darken with age; for more information, see the article on preventing color changes in exotic woods. Grain is straight to interlocked, with a fine, even texture. Good natural luster.

Avg. Dried Weight

69 lbs/ft3 (1,095 kg/m3)

Janka Hardness

2960 lbf

Modulus of Rupture

22,910 lbf/in2 (158 MPa)*

Elastic Modulus

2,712,000 lbf/in2 (18.7 GPa)*

Crushing Strength

11,790 lbf/in2 (81.3 MPa)* *values from tentative strength group assessment per South American Timbers

Shrinkage

Radial: 2.7%, Tangential: 4.3%

Durability

Rated as very durable, and also resistant to insect attack. Its natural oils are reported to give it good resistance to degrade from wet/dry cycles.

Workability

Due to the high oil content found in this wood, it can occasionally cause problems with gluing. Also, the wood’s color can bleed into surrounding wood when applying a finish, so care must be taken on the initial seal coats not to smear the wood’s color/oils into surrounding areas. Tearout can occur during planing if interlocked grain is present; the wood also has a moderate blunting effect on cutting edges/tools due to its high density. Cocobolo has excellent turning properties.