I’m wondering if anyone knows whether or not cherry heartwood and sapwood will look different after aging if first dyed with a J.E.Moser Aniline Dye? This is a water dye which I have used frequently in the past and found the color to closely approximate the heirloom cherry look; however I have not used it on sapwood so I don’t know what it’s aging characteristics are. Can anyone help?
Woodsie
Replies
I think you will find the sapwood will not change much after your dye sets in. The heart wood will darken with age and after time you will notice a distinct difference.
I used a piece of Cherry for the crib I made 9 years ago that contained sapwood at the edge. I could have cut the piece a little more narrow, but there was some really nice figure I wanted to leave in. I used lye to darken the word to the desired darkness then applied multiple coats of shellac. I can clearly see the difference in the piece now.
However I still like it...
Cherry heartwood will darken with exposure to light. That will be true no matter what finish you use. Although some finishes will slow the process more than others, all will eventually allow the change.
Sapwood will not do this -- it will stay pretty much whatevwer color you make it with stains or dyes.
My suggestion is to use whatever colorant you're going to use on the heartwood, then put the piece in bright direct sunlight for two or three days. Then match the sapwood to that new color.
Unless you're the lead dog, the view just never changes.
Thanks for your input...I think the easiest solution may be to just stay away from using any heartwood in conjunction with heartwood.
Woodsie
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