Replies

1. 
   Rich14 | Jul 18, 2005 12:36am | #1

   Bud,

   Cherry will inevitably darken over time. No finish you put on it will prevent the darkening, just delay it.

   If you have boards that contrast widely in shade when freshly-worked, that contrast will diminish - a lot - as the woods darken. The lightest shades have the potential to get almost as dark as the ones that started out darker to begin with. But almost is the operative word. While the contrast will lessen, there will always be a difference in shades.

   Cherry is reactive to oxygen and light. It is so reactive to sunlight that leaving a piece out in the sun for an afternoon will transform it, literally as you watch - often to within a 10-20 percent of the level of darkening that will ultimately take place. That's a good way to know what you're dealing with in terms of variation of shade in the aged state.

   Rich

   
   

   ---

   Edited 7/17/2005 10:01 pm ET by Rich14

2. 
   PlaneWood | Jul 18, 2005 05:53am | #2

   Bud -

   Take a look at this old post in the Gallery.

   http://forums.taunton.com/tp-knots/messages?msg=6640.1

   I used Old Master Cherry Penetrating stain over Cherry hardwood and plywood.  It is the best cherry matching stain I've ever used.  Also doesn't produce the 'blotchies'.  I used one wipe-on coat.  It contains no sealers, so additional coats can be applies, if desired.

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)
   PlaneWood

3. 
   WillGeorge | Jul 18, 2005 08:45pm | #3

   will the various shades  that the cherry is now, change over time to be about the same color?

   I'd say if from the same tree maybe OK.. Differences in wood makes it wonderful..

   Just me though

4. 
   parrothead | Jul 18, 2005 09:39pm | #4

   Bud in addition to all of the other good responses that you have gotten, I just wanted to say that the light colored sap wood will never darken to match the heartwood.

   We are the people our parents warned us about. J. Buffett
1. 
   DougF | Jul 19, 2005 01:00am | #5

   One finishing expert, whose name I can not recall at moment, suggests dyeing the sapwood darker than the surrounding heart.  At the heart wood darkens it will more closely match.  When the sapwood is darker, it is not as noticeable as it is when is lighter than the heart wood.   I haven't tried it yet but it is on my list of "experimental" projects.

2. 
   Budsarah | Jul 19, 2005 02:49pm | #6

   Thanks to all you guys who responded to my questions.  I have learned a lot!  I did cut out all of the white sapwood before building the chest.  My problem was very light green - not white.  This strange color must be in a transition point in the log, between heart and sapwood.  Anyway, I have glued up another lid and it looks like it will work OK. 

   Storing the cherry I have leftover is going to be a project.  I have some I bought about 2-3 years back, and it has changed color, espcially the boards on top, exposed to light.  It is so dark I could not possibly use it with the boards from my recent purchase.  I'd like to lay all the boards out in the sun to try to get some uniformity in color, but that is not feasible right now. 

   Thanks again!!