Bocote Wood Uses, Properties, Advantages, and Disadvantages
Bocote (Cordia spp.) is a wood native to Mexico, the West Indies, and Central America. The tree is 65-100 feet tall, 3-5 feet in diameter.
Bocote has exotic woods with many looks, characteristics, and uses. Bocote is easily worked, including by machine, although some species may contain silica.
It can blunt the cutter. Bocote can also give off a moderate aroma permeating the pickled Dili while working.
What is bocote wood?
Bocote wood is brown, dark brown, to black wood. It has a unique twist and wavy grain figured and is very artsy.
The characteristics of the bocote may vary depending on the species, but it’s a fascinating wood.
Good rot resistance, although susceptible to insect attack. Although not cheap, it seems bocote is not a rare wood.
Turned objects and fine furniture are 2 of some uses of bocote.
The properties of bocote wood
The wood is hard, strong, dense, heavy, and stiff. Good for some things with a high frequency of use.
Bocote heartwood is rated as durable enough to be very resistant to rot, depending on the species.
However, the bocote is susceptible to insect attack.
It’s an easy wood to work, although some species may contain silica, giving it a blunt effect.
Bocote wood advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
Resistance to rot: The resistance of bocote heartwood to rot, depends on the species, although it’s in the moderate to the very durable range.
It’s a good thing to use it as fine furniture. Some wooden items that require resistance to rot seem good too.
But we think it’s best to make it a large decoration. It seems like durability is needed here.
Easily worked: Overall, the bocote is easy to work with machine or hand tools with good results, although some snags are possible.
For example, some species contain silica and can give the blunt effect for the cut.
There are no significant problems with glues, although bocote contains quite a lot of natural oils.
It also seems easy for some woodworking methods, such as turning and inlays.
Eye-catching wood: Bocote wood is a gorgeous wood and has an unusual appearance.
The grain figured is irregular and wavy, with a variety of colors. Brown, dark brown, and black adorn the bocote look very charmingly.
Use bocote wood for an item will produce a product with an artistic value display.
It seems pretty good to decorate the house with some items from bocote wood.
Disadvantages
Susceptible to insect attacks: Although bocote wood has an excellent resistance to rot, it’s vulnerable to insect attacks, This is a significant shortcoming.
It seems like your woodwork is not damaged by rot but by insects and It would be best if you took precautions for this.
Look for information from wood experts or the internet. So that insects don’t nest in the exotic bocote wood.
Pricing: The price of bocote wood may be a bit expensive, although it is not rare. We think this is reasonable and appropriate with the wood.
Its beautiful appearance, with its unique grain figured, makes bocote be an exotic wood.
Its hard, dense, strong, and others also make it more attractive.
The price is in the nearly mid to high range like other exotic hardwoods.
Bocote wood for fine furniture
It seems very good if Bocote wood is used for fine furniture. Its appearance can make furniture have a high artistic value. Its characteristics also seem to qualify for fine furniture.
Bocote wood is exotic wood. Making some fine furniture with this wood seems to be the right choice.
It seems to be able to make the house interior more beautiful. If you want something more attractive, you can choose burl wood.
Bocote wood for cabinetry
Seems like Bocote wood is also the right choice for cabinetry.
Although we thought it was too much. But it’s great for making your room look more artistic.
It seems that using Bocote wood for cabinetry, such as kitchen cabinets is not a bad choice.
A beautiful kitchen might add to your passion for cooking.
The use of other cabinetry is also quite good, use it.
Bocote wood for flooring
Another use of Bocote wood is flooring, and It seems like it was the right choice.
This wood is solid, strong, and maybe also stable.
So it’s suitable for flooring. The appearance of this wood is also good, especially if it has been further processed.
Although you may have to spend more money, it seems like it’s worth it for this exotic wood.
Bocote wood for veneer
Maybe you want to wrap doors or other furniture in veneer, but it isn’t easy to find a good one.
Our advice is to use Bocote wood veneer. This seems like a good choice.
Its beautiful grain figured with charming colors will make the items covered look more attractive.
But you’ll likely have to spend more money or try to make your own.
Bocote wood for boatbuilding
Bocote wood is solid, strong, and tends to be durable. It seems to be good for boatbuilding.
Maybe you need to choose a bocote species with a very durable decay resistance, which will add to the boatbuilding quality.
It seemed like it would be good, though it might get damaged by insects if it was kept on the ground for too long because this wood is susceptible to insect attack.
Bocote wood for musical instruments
Bocote can be used as an option for musical instruments fingerboards. As for a reason, we don’t know yet. However, the fingerboards can look beautiful if you use this wood.
We’ve looked at some of the pictures and compared them to some other wood fingerboards.
The appearance is very different. We don’t know about other musical instruments yet.
Please comment if you know about it.
Bocote wood for gunstocks
Do you want your gun to look more attractive? It looks like the gunstock should be replaced with bocote gunstocks.
The wood is also solid and hard, and we think that’s great.
However, the bocote is rated heavy, and that might affect comfort.
Using highly figured wood for gunstocks is an excellent choice.
Although the appearance doesn’t affect the performance of the gun, it might affect your mood.
Bocote wood for turned objects
This is probably one of the best choices for using bocote wood.
With turning, you can create different turned objects, including decoration items.
We think it’s pretty good for making decorative items out of bocote wood, such as replica flower pots, wall hangings, bowls decorative, and more.
This highly grains figured of the wood might make these items look more attractive.
Bocote wood for inlays
Another use of bocote wood may be inlaid. Seems pretty good if bocote is used to it.
We thought it would be a bit of a problem because of this wood’s solid and hard nature.
Though that would also make it more difficult, the color would probably be nice if it wasn’t repainted.
That way, the exotic appearance of bocote wood will look attractive, with various colors and wonderful grain figured.
Bocote wood for pens
You can make an exotic wooden pen with bocote wood.
It seems that this wood is very suitable for it, both in appearance and its properties.
It’s an easy wood to worked. So, we think it will be easy to make a bocote pen.
If you have made the pen, you can use it yourself or sell it.
It seems like it would be pretty expensive if sold.
Conclusion
Bocote wood is an exotic wood with good properties such as solid, hard, strong, and others.
This wood seems to be very durable for certain species, although it’s susceptible to insect attack.
Its beautiful appearance makes bocote good for several things.
It seems like you should also immediately add bocote to the list of wood for the next fine furniture project.