I know this has been flogged to death but here goes. I am building a Hanging Corner Cabinet (Woodsmith Vol 22/#128) out of cherry and need opinions on how to finish it. Stain? Shellac? Varnish?
Thanks....Don
How do you want it to look? Use stain only if you want to permanently change its color and hide its natural color and then you can protect it with a varnish. Use a alcohol based varnish like shellac, an oil based varnish or water based varnish for a clear or translucent finish that will show the natural beauty of the wood grain and color. Remember also that cherry is going to darken with time and it will do this much more quickly if exposed to sun light.
What're you going to do with it?
Varnish more durable than shellac in the face of alkali cleaners and alcohol, both are easily applied. One advantage with oil-based varnish is that the first coat contains the oil you'd want to put under the shellac anyway to darken the wood.
Hopefully you've selected your stock carefully enough to take color differences in stride, rather than staining.
I like General Finishes Wipe On Oil and Urethane. I get it from Woodcraft, but I am sure it is available elsewhere. I don't use stain because I like the natural color of the cherry. Its also easy to apply. This link to my website will show you what it looks like on cherry plywood:
Jim web site:
Yup, it's been well beaten to death.
Stain/no stain? What do you want us to say? Paint it purple and yellow if you feel like it.
First job of a finish is to protect the wood from whatever reasonable wear the piece will get. So the first rule is to select a finish that does that. Second rule it pick one that gives you the "look" you want. Third rule is that you just may have to reach a compromise position that comes closest to satisfying rules one and two.
Since that information has not been provided it'd be a bit of a problem giving the correct answer to that question.
4 words:
ammonia fume, danish oil
snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com (Don) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com:
Oil? Wax?
This is the only thing in the room, right?
Patriarch
ps: The correct answer is 'whatever the wife wants.' Get it in writing. ;-)
I personally like polymerized tung oil. Downside is that it takes a lot of time to apply (24 hours between coats using a sealer with 3 to 4 coats of PTO after the sealer).
Latex paint.
Everyone
As it happens I'm intersted in finishing cherry as well.
I'm trying to get as close as possible to this Ethan Allen finish as possible.
Thanks
Phil
Yeah of coarse but, what color??? And gloss or flat? Don't just leave him hanging. LOL
On 11 Jul 2004 07:39:57 -0700, snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com (philblack) calmly ranted:
I believe that Etherized Allen STAINS cherry. That's good for many, many bad karma points, PJ.
If you wish to make it darker prematurely, it can be fumed with ammonia. But a straight Waterlox finish allows it to gently and slowly age to the darker hue over time. Your call.
-------------------------------------------- -- I'm in touch with my Inner Curmudgeon. --
:)
They're probably using a tinted lacquer. Your closest approach will probably be something like
If the wife wants it, try a few options on scraps to get the closest match on this project.
Now, as to your penance....
Check out H. Behlen's, the retail version of Mohawk Finishing products.
Rumor has it that EA might just use some of the same products. Large furniture makers have been known to bleach wood, then restain it to a controlled color. It is not uncommon for a factory finishing schedule to contain a bright pink or yellow dye, pigment stains, and tinted toner lacquers on top. Use dewaxed shellac, like Seal Coat, as a barrier between products. The barrier coats can also offer an undo button for each step should you need it.
Develop a finishing schedule on some scrap, write EVERY step on the back, including sanding, scuffing, and scraping, and play with that until you get exactly the look you want. The steps on the back of the sample board will then be your step by step guide to recreating the look on the actual piece.
Barry
"Cherry red" of course. Sorry, couldn't resist.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.