steamed cherry

[Dave Balderstone]

A local wood supplier has steamed cherry on for what's a good price in this part of the country.

Is there any downside to this wood? Does it react to light evenly?

[Rumpty]

IIRC the steamed cherry is lighter in color and doesn't darken as easily.

[Dave Balderstone]

It appeared very close in color to "normal" cherry. If it doesn't darken as easily, does it darken *evenly*?

[patriarch]

Dave Balderstone wrote in news:201120041819453081%dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_S.balderstone.ca:

Two coats of RBS, and everything's cool.

Actually, I think I used some, when I 'recycled' some cabinet shop leftover doors. I gave it a coat or three of Tried & True Original, which it slurped up, then a coat of Briwax Clear. The color was good, but I didn't keep the pieces here long enough to evaluate the longer term changes. The texture was different, and the wood worked 'softer' than the other cherry I've used.

But then, in California, we don't get first choice on cherry lumber.

Patriarch

[Dave Balderstone]

Nor do we in Saskatchewan.

Hardwoods are very expensive here, and with the steamed cherry at 7.90 CAD / bf it's comparativeley affordable. But if it's inferior, I can buy poplar for less than 1/3 that and stain it.

[patriarch]

Dave Balderstone wrote in news:201120042005061475%dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_S.balderstone.ca:

Can you just buy a sample board? You know, practice on scrap, etc.?

[Rumpty]

I live in Pennsylvania and neither do we! LOL

I buy from local saw mill who air dries and then wood fires to finish and doesn't steam. I've use his wood and I've purchased steamed cherry from major mills here in Pa and they seem to finish about the same, although the steamed is a bit lighter. I often combine steamed and not steamed in the same piece and I can't tell the difference.

BTW, FWIW I recently purchased some great 4/4, 5/4 veneer quality cherry from this local mill for $4/ft USD. It's nice....

Rumpty

Radial Arm Saw Forum:

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[Rumpty]

Dave, let me add that unfinished sitting on the shelf doesn't seem to discolor/darken as fast. Please see my other comments below. At 7.9/ft CAD doesn't sound bad. What lengths at this price?

[Phisherman]

Depends. There are various grades of cherry. I've seen air-dried rough sawn cherry in the range $3 to $6.50 BF. I prefer oak or maple due to the lower prices and lower demand.

[Dave Balderstone]

They had a couple of 7 or 8 foot by 10 inch that were the shortest. So figure $50 a board for the shortest they had... I may have a project or two in mind, but after Christmas.

I picked up a board of some nicely figured stuff from the "other" bin (it's destined to be a jewelery box for the daughter for Christmas).

4/4 by 5" by 7' for $10.50 CAD / bf.

[Dave Balderstone]

Thanks, Rumpty. That gives me some confidence. I'll give it a closer look next time I'm there.

[Dave Balderstone]

6 to 14 foot, 6 inch to 10 inch wide. All 4/4 S2S.

It seems pleasing enough to the eye but not a lot of figure to it. Still, I can imagine building a few things with it.

Thanks again.

[Dave Balderstone]

Red oak is about half the price of the steamed cherry here, but nice maple is pricier. I was looking at a couple of pieces of birdseye maple at about $12 CAD / bf but they weren't exceptional.

We don't have a huge selection here in the middle of the Canadian prairie, in a city of 225,000.

[George]

Steamed cherry is only a one time shot. It's stress-relieved a couple of times in the kiln cycle anyway, normally by injecting steam. It does slow the aging versus air-dried wood, but I haven't seen much difference between it and other KD cherry. Remember, though, that sapwood does machine differently from heartwood, even if it's not too obvious.

[Larry Jaques]

On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 01:58:09 GMT, patriarch calmly ranted:

"Mahhhhhhhm, make him stahhhhhhhhhhhp!"

-- Friends Don't Let Friends Eat Turkey and Drive --

[Dave Balderstone]

Thanks, George.