Replies

1. 
   ring | Jan 30, 2006 07:57am | #1

   Absolutely.  A day in sunlight is probably worth at least a month of indirect light. (I'm just shooting from the hip - no real data on it, just a gut feeling).

   DR

2. 
   Pondfish | Jan 30, 2006 09:05pm | #2

   Yes, direct sublight will "speed" things up.  If you expose the wood to 10x more light, it will darken about 10x faster.  Strong outdoor light will darken cherry noticeably, even after one day.  Put a board out in the sun with something on it to mask one small area.  After a day, look at the difference between the exposed and masked areas.

   One thing to be careful of is that different boards can darken at different rates.  If you want dark cherry fast, look for boards that are already getting darker.  Also, be careful mixing boards from different flitches, as you can end up with a dark board next to a light one, even after they were exposed to the same amount of sunlight.

   I believe that cherry darkens also due to reactions with oxygen, so cherry left in a dark place will still darken over time.

   Recommending the use of "Hide Signatures" option under "My Preferences" since 2005
1. 
   jheller | Jan 31, 2006 10:41pm | #3

   I found some old cherry boards that had been left under a house for maybe 20 years plus, and they were a uniform dark "cherry" colour.  I tried to match it to cherry wood from my local wood supplier and all the stuff they had was very pale in comparison.  I have no idea if it oxidized, was just darker wood, or what, but when i dimensioned the old wood the interior was the same dark colour.  I would add this is the first time i have used cherry. 

1. 
   Pondfish | Feb 01, 2006 03:02am | #4

   Oxidation is the process that darkens cherry; oxidation is catalyzed both by UV light and the presense of oxygen.  Over time, cherry will darken through and through. The wood you buy today will darken over time to match the older wood; you can lessen the difference by having the new stuff be out in the sun, but it will take time. 

   If you are patient, eventually all the cherry in your project will darken.  Even if it is lighter, cherry is still attractive.  You might find a way to mix the old and new woods so that for the first few years, you have some interesting contrasts (say, a dark top and light sides).  In time it will all darken and still look good--just darker.Recommending the use of "Hide Signatures" option under "My Preferences" since 2005

1. 
   GotAll10 | Feb 01, 2006 03:29am | #5

   Will the sapwood darken?

1. 
   jheller | Feb 01, 2006 05:04pm | #6

   In the cherry boards I was talking about that were dark all the way through the sapwood was still white.  As I said these boards were 10-20 years (maybe older).

2. 
   Pondfish | Feb 01, 2006 06:57pm | #7

   Will the sapwood darken?

   Nope, unless you never dust it (grin).Recommending the use of "Hide Signatures" option under "My Preferences" since 2005

3. 
   mike4244 | Feb 03, 2006 06:30pm | #9

   Sapwood will only darken slightly, becomes a tan color from the white.Gel stain helps on the sapwood if the contrast is more than you want. Toners sprayed on just the sapwood also will work. I have used gel stains but never used toners.One day I'll experiment with toners.

   mike

3. 
   Thew | Feb 02, 2006 09:35pm | #8

   As an example, I hauled a bunch of cherry ply home in the back of a pickup. I used straps to hold the load in, and after 45 minutes or so of drive time in the direct sun a very distinct ligher band was visible under the straps. The coloration evens out fairly quickly when re-exposed to sun.

   Thew