I’m sick of putting watco natural oil on cherry and want someting that will age to be more red. I still want to use the same topcoat that i’m using know though, which is a pre-catalyzed lacquer. Any ideas?
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Replies
garnett shellac between some BLO and the lacquer, perhaps?
I used BLO under lacquer on a cherry table and it came out looking great.
Echo Samson.
2 coats BLO, then Garnett - build shellac coats to color depth desired, seal with Cat. or other clear
Regards
John
All,
What's up with this? You guys have no patience or what? Let mother nature take her course and you'll have that unique reddish brown cherry color that you seek.
With everyone concocting stains, tinted shellac, etc. covering everything up you'll have the real thing. You folks don't have sapwood to cover up do ya?Doesn't take all that long either. Just set the piece where it'll get plenty of sunlight.
Kinda like going to a tanning salon 'cept ya don't have to drive!
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 2/26/2008 11:34 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
The unfortunate thing is that cherry doesn't all color in the same way. The geography of where the tree grew makes a big difference. I don't know from where the most vividly changing cherry comes, but it's worth considering. It's also a good idea whenever possible to use boards from the same tree, at least keeping things like table tops together, and other visible parts also together.
Hi Steve,
The unfortunate thing is that cherry doesn't all color in the same way.
Yes and I guess that's what I like the most about it. I'm not trying to push my preferences on anyone but it seems that every piece I've seen where someone has tried to enhance/hasten the natural aging of cherry it, well, just doesn't look real to me.
I'm up here in northern NH and the cherry I've used from up here and the final color varies even within the local area. The cherry I got from my Dads place has been cossistently a rather dark reddish brown. Some burls I got only several miles away is almost pink. I think it might have to do with the prevailing soil conditions, just a guess on my part. Too bad R. Bruce Hoadley doesn't pop in here.
All I've ever used is Watco natural oil and on some pieces a final finish of clear shellac. I apply the oil like David Marks applies his tongue oil, brush it on and wipe off. Then let it dry thoroughly. On occasion I will first apply a coat of Zinserrs Seal Coat first, but that's about it.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I agree that cherry looks best naturally aged. Frankly, if you want dark cherry, the best way to do that is start with maple or poplar and use dye and stain.
Lots of folks also seem to want cherry to remain unchanged with no darkening. That too is an impossible dream. Best choice there is also to choose a different wood. For example, I once had a kitchen out of red birch (birch heart wood) that started, and ended, at almost the same color as fresh cherry. I used some actual cherry for a island counter top. It started as a close match, and by the time we sold that house, had, as expected, become significantly darker making a nice contrast.
I wonder if one used white birch (paper birch) for the frames and red birch for the panels if you would end up with a greater contrast, i.e. reddish panels with light colored frames? This would depend on the finish I would assume.
I have some nice straight grained white birch and am looking for some figured red birch plywood for flat panels to be used for cabinet doors in the kitchen. Not sure what the aged color of the red birch would look like but from what you said it might offer a dark contrast to the white birch?
Just trying to get some ideas.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 2/26/2008 1:55 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
Hey guys, here's a way to 'even-out' the blotchiness of cherry. Use lye. Spread it on the wood evenly. Let it "burn" the wood til you get the depth of darkness you want. Stop the caustic attack with white vinegar. Let the wood air dry for at least 2 days. Sand and finish as you like with poly-oil,shellac, etc. The lye will create an even darkening over the entire board.
Gary
"sunlight" Vas is dis stuff?
We are in the Pacific Northwest. We don't have sunlight. We have prismatic chromic aberration events filtered through hydro logic manifestations dropped to us from the gods. Thus the need for garnet colored glasses.John
John,
Now that was funny!
Years ago I used to travel to Seattle quite often on business. We had a client there that required site visits 4 times a year so I volunteered as it had been many years since I had been there.
The hotel where I stayed always had a warm welcome when I got there as it seemed like every time I was there the weather was great. Maybe its time to revisit! Failing that maybe you could get California to erect some really big mirrors to reflect some of their sun up there for ya.
Either that or you could send the pieces over to me and I'll get them suntanned for ya during the 20 days of sunlight we get here. Right now it's snowing and will do so through tomorrow.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 2/26/2008 8:01 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
Sun? Is that what that round thing in the sky during bad sledding season (you would call it summer) is? I have wondered about that. But being as we only see it for a month or two I just ignore it and wait for it to go away.
Doug Meyer
SouthLyon MI.
Doug,
Sun? What's dat? We sees it on rare occasions here in the south, (southern Minnesota You -all) but furdder up nort it's too rare..
I made a cherry table top and put it on an old singer sewing machine stand for my little girl. Being a hardwood floor guy I used whatever I had on the truck at the time, which being was Duraseal Antique Brown stain with a polyurethane finish. It turned out great, it darkened the grain to almost black while giving the meat of the wood a reddish/brown tint. I didn't condition the wood first but what little splotchiness I had misted into an incredible 3-D effect highlighted even more with a semi-gloss finish.
It probably accentuates too much grain activity for a larger projects but it turned out perfect for what use I made of it.
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