finishing bare cocobola

[jacobsladder]

i have a riser that ive got sanded down to bare cocobola and refinishing....im a little leary of using the super glue as a sealer..... would this be the same as using a over the counter grain filler and sanding down...then just finish with tru oil??? Is tru oil fairly compatible with other finishes...i really didnt want to have to refinish the limbs ..they look great...the riser was originally very cloudy and starting to lose finish.... thanks!!

[Apex Predator]

If you want to use tru-oil without refinishing the limbs, then CA (super glue) is the best option.  Apply, let dry, sand off, and repeat!

[Colt]

I really like Deft for finishing oily woods like cocobolo and bocote.

[tommy6]

Another option is to use tru oil for the grain filler. It can be applied and sanded between coats or used to wet sand the wood allowing the slurry to fill the grain, wipe off against the grain and allow to dry. This is an old gunstock finishing method.
Deft also works well and is cheap and dries fast.
you can apply deft over tru oil if you seperate the layers with dewaxed shellac.

[Jeremy]

Tru-Oil will never fully cure over bare cocobolo!

You need to seal the cocobolo first.  The easiest is just a washcoat of dewaxed shellac (you can buy it premixed in a can now in most any hardware store).  Wipe on a light coat or two, then after sanding smooth put whatever topcoat you want on it.  It's compatible with pretty much every finish out there.

[Jeremy]

Meant to add, Deft lacquer or sealer will seal the cocobolo, but it's incompatible with oil based finishes.  If TruOil is your topcoat of choice, don't bother with Deft, just use the shellac.  TruOil should go over the limb finish fine after a scuffing them with 600+ grit paper.

[tommy6]

I  finished some cocobolo grips with tru oil, they took a while to dry but the finish is still holding up. Good info thanks!

[Kanga]

I sand in Minnwax Antique Oil finish on all my risers, it seals oily woods and if done right works as a filler as well.

[jacobsladder]

thanks to all of you folks for great info and taking the time to lend a hand...    I'll come back with finished pics .

[jacobsladder]

i went with jeremys tip on the dewaxed shellac over the cocobola.... i ended up putting 3 coats of it on the cocobola and sanded back down.... the first coat of tru oil dried nicely and this riser has never looked prettier....i'll show pics when finished....