Posted on January 19, 2010September 10, 2025 by Dale Phillips Questions: Finish For Cocobolo Questions: Finish For Cocobolo by John McCarthy Originally published in American Lutherie #78, 2004 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven, 2015 Paul Dernbach of Naples, Florida asks: What is the best way to finish cocobolo? The varnish I tried on it isn’t dry after three weeks. It dried fine on my purpleheart sample. John McCarthy of Murfreesboro, Tennessee responds: The oils in cocobolo rarely dry well enough to use a gum-based varnish. I have had success with French polish (shellac) as a method for sealing prior to using any other finish. Shellac is unaffected by the oils in cocobolo. Build a thin layer of finish that doesn’t add much to the final coats. If you want to continue with the French polish, you will get good results and a very well-developed muscular arm at the same time. I tend to use shellac to seal then apply nitrocellulose lacquer over it. I like the results of French polish, but it is very time consuming and a bit difficult to match and repair if using other than as a base. I like the ease of a good nitrocellulose with a plasticizer which reduces the tendency of the finish to crack. I use an HVLP system to minimize overspray. I prefer Mohawk stringed instrument lacquer.
