Newb Wood Question

[superapplekid]

Hi there

I recently had my first foray into more exotic woods and got my head handed to me in the process. I was making a telecaster body out of 3 pieces of cocobolo and a maple veneer, only to find 2 months later when I go to check on the body the cocobolo has shrunken away from the other cocobolo pieces. This probably isn't a surprise to anyone on here with a lot more experience than me, but I was certainly taken aback.

Anyway, I am not totally discourages and bought two more pieces of cocobolo. They are about 7"x1"x36" each, and I plan to cut them in half after planing and glue them to each other with a maple veneer slapped in the middle of it. I want to know how long I should wait to let them air dry(I can wait a few months and work on other projects instead), or if I need to invest in drying techniques like a kiln. I have read some information on this site, but it went a bit over my head - a simple "wait 3 months" or "kiln the thing" would be sufficient. I really just want to know when i can start safely working with it to keep my previous problem from repeating.

Thanks

[kpcrash]

Sure you could go for the kiln, but until you have a way to measure moisture content - you can't know for sure. If you know of a local place with a kiln, they can probably measure the moisture content for you. I believe 7-8% is about right (nice and dry). Just stacking and racking works - just takes longer. Of course there's also the fact of whether or not it's heartwood - which tends to hold moisture longer no matter what. So it's kind of hard to answer your question.

[j. pierce]

Photos of exactly what you're describing might be helpful. Perhaps it was a bad glue-ing job. Cocobolo is a naturally oily wood, and can be a bit of a pain to glue at times without proper care. It's just hard to know from your description what exactly "shrunken away" means.

No one can tell you exactly how long to let the piece acclimate without knowing the specifics to the piece - was it from a reputable lumberyard, or a dodgy ebay seller? Was it dried by them? Did they tell you the moisture content of the wood before you got it?

Other people may chime in here with more help than I can give you, but that information should help them help you more!

[Ripthorn]

You also have to take into account where you live. If you are in Texas, Florida, Seattle, etc. then racking the wood will take a lot longer than if you live in Arizona or Nevada (or another country, forgot that we are international here). Like KP said, you need to measure the moisture content of the wood before anyone can tell you much that would be really helpful.

[rjhalsey]

Moisture Meters!

[Quarter]

Cocobolo takes a long time to air dry.

Saw an interesting post a while back over at the MIMF forums on a low tech moisture meter, the inside of your wrist.

If the wood feels cooler to the touch than a known dry sample next to it, then its not ready.

As simple as it sounds, it does work and can be a handy tip for when you are checking out stock at your local hardwood dealer and don't have a meter in hand.

[Keegan]

Don't use Cocobolo. Problem solved.

[ihocky2]

Send the cocobolo to me and I'll send you some stable maple. Problem solved

[Geo]

Send the cocobolo to me and I'll send you some stable maple. Problem solved

Send the cocobolo to ME and I'll... well, just send it to me.