Working with Cherry

[Paul]

I am going to be making a small item for someone, who would like a smooth wood, not a heavy grain. It will be used on his dark cherry desk. He, and I, at this point are considering a light cherry, which he would like stained in a Burgundy stain. My question is, never having worked with cherry, how well does it take a dark stain? I will be off tomorrow to check out some different woods at Rockler and my local lumber store to get some more ideas on wood. Thanks.

[SonomaProducts.com]

Cherry splotches with stain and dyes but less with dyes. Some people consider it a sin to stain or dye Cherry (I mean they are religious about it). If you must stain don't sand to smooth, maybe a light handed 150 or 180. Maybe use a gel stain which can be left thicker to flatten out the splotching.

Ot my favorite is to use chemical dye process. You can use drano but pure dichromium phosphate is better. Kind of caustic but will darken Cherry in the most beautiful way. Use gloves and vapor respirator and neutralize with vinegar.

[Artemus]

Cherry splotches with stain and dyes but less with dyes. Some people consider it a sin to stain or dye Cherry (I mean they are religious about it). If you must stain don't sand to smooth, maybe a light handed 150 or 180. Maybe use a gel stain which can be left thicker to flatten out the splotching.

Ot my favorite is to use chemical dye process. You can use drano but pure dichromium phosphate is better. Kind of caustic but will darken Cherry in the most beautiful way. Use gloves and vapor respirator and neutralize with vinegar.

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What he said. Plus cherry tends to darken over time when exposed to light. A nice thick coat of paint can easily prevent this. ;~) Art

[marc rosen]

Hello Paul, I have been building furniture for my home using Cherry for a few years and recently discovered Tried and True finishes. I used it on a set of chairs designed by Kevin Rodel. The wood took on an aged look shortly after application and the grain seems to stand out very well. Kevin recommended one coat of Danish Oil followed by one coat of Varnish Oil. My wife loves the finish and I can't be happier now. The pen box I was referring to in my magnet thread is Cherry and I applied two coats of the Varnish Oil. Got good grain contrast but it is not as dark as my chairs are now. I joke around with folks and say you should never stain wood, especially Cherry, but I know some folks enjoy the look of a darker Cherry. I would never do it myself and the few "customers" who bought some of my projects are pleased with the natural color and aging process. I sand most items to 220 and apply the Tried and True as described on the label. It does not provide a shell type finish and I suspect it would not be a great moisture barrier but it works well in my house. I do not seal with shellac and just accept any blotching as part of the woods beauty. A real nice feature of the T & T is no fumes at all so you work with it in almost any room and not poison yourself. I don't know if it would ever darken to match the color of your friend's desk so this may not be worth considering, however you may want to check this out for yourself for future projects. Marc

Here is T & T's website

you want to see a pic of the chairs shortly after finished go to Lumberjocks to see my projects.http://lumberjocks.com/projects/51894

[SonomaProducts.com]

frame? Domino?

[Larry Blanchard]

As some one else said, you'll be drummed out of the congregation :-).

One problem is that once you've stained it, the natural darkening is hidden forever. Try setting a piece out in the sun for a few days, assuming you can find any sun (and a dry spot) this time of year. Depending on the cherry, it may get dark enough to satisfy him.

[JayPique]

I've built several kitchens of painted cherry with a rub-through finish. They look great, IMO. JP

[Father Haskell]

Orange shellac gives the color just the right starting kick. Let it age to its final dark hue. Won't take long.

[Larry Jaques]

Nah, it's blonde or Platina that gets my nod.

BTW, recheck your Benny Moore Enduro statement. I found BM Impervo and GF w/b pre-cat Enduro, but no BME on a quick Goog.

-- Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday. -- John Wayne

[SonomaProducts.com]

=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Marc

Yeah, those chair angles can be a real challenge. Sounds like a wel planned approach.

[JayPique]

Black paint, rubbed through, and then clear-coated. Of course you can use any color, but I really like the way the cherry contrasts with the black. I've also built maple kitchens, rubbed through, and then used a Mohawk stain marker to make the white maple a cherry color, then topcoated. Crackle finishes can be rubbed through too. Lots of options. JP

[Larry Jaques]

All I can say is YUCKIN' FUPPIES!

-- Truth loves to go naked. --Dr. Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

[Larry Jaques]

Hey, a topcoat will make it shiny, and won't leave the trailer trash look. Well, maybe poly will. Carry on!

-- Truth loves to go naked. --Dr. Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

[JayPique]

Ambrose Bierce has nothing on you...

FYI, folks have been painting wood for centuries...millenia probably.

JP

[JayPique]

Some sort of oil based black paint I can't remember which - I'll check in the shop Monday if you'd like. And definitely sealed with MagnaMax, and ML Campbell product. JP

[Larry Jaques]

Yabbut, not C H E R R Y , fergawdssake.

-- Truth loves to go naked. --Dr. Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

[Larry Blanchard]

Or walnut, or mahogany, or teak, or ...

Paint all the pine you want to, Jay.

[Father Haskell]

Correction noted, been a few years since I used Impervo. Great stuff.

[Larry Jaques]

+1

-- Truth loves to go naked. --Dr. Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

[Larry Jaques]

ACK

I'm having trouble getting over the "pervo" portion of the name.

-- Truth loves to go naked. --Dr. Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732