Hi everyone, new here.
I have a 6ft long, 25″ wide cherry slab I will be using as a mantle, and want to finish it. NOT stain.
My goal is to make the grain show nicely, and minimally protect it (it will only be used for a tv, speakers, etc. and a few décor items), so I don’t think I need a full poly protection (and i want a natural look, not a glassy smooth finish nor a thick coat (more textured like natural wood)).
My questions/ thoughts:
1. What do folks think about General finishes Arm R Seal as a stand- alone top coat
1(a) I’ve enjoyed GF’s products on other wood projects
2 What about GF’s Seal a Cell (not a top coat apparently)
3 Compare the above to boiled linseed oil?
4 Any other recommendations from folks who have worked with cherry
I still need to decide if I take off the bark, as the edges are still a bit wet and some has come off already.
Thanks!!!
Replies
I love cherry and work with it a lot. My favorite finish is shellac. For what you are doing, that would be my top choice. My second choice that also looks good is Tried and True Finishes (all three are partially polymerized linseed based and all are great choices). I don't have any experience with the General Finishes.
Thanks! I definitely think I would like a shellac, especially after doing my research initially. Do you know of/have a special brand that you like for shellac on cherry?
Appreciate the info
I have used both Zinnser off the shelf predissovled stuff and made my own. Both work well. I prefer to make my own. For that, I prefer the BTC Tiger Flakes that you can get at Woodcraft. I prefer a one and one half pound cut. Easy to apply and I'd find videos by Paul Sellers or Don Williams. As for which kind of shellac, there is blond, amber, and garnet. I've used all three depending on what I want. All work well and is a personal preference. Over time cherry will darken a bit more on its own. Hope this is helpful. It's easy to apply. If you don't like it, a rag with 190 proof or denatured alcohol can remove it. Might want to practice on a few boards prior to doing the real piece just to get an idea of how it flow, reduce drips and drabs, etc. It's not that hard to apply.
I've had good luck with Danish oil. This also has the advantage of significant protection against water when someone inevitably leaves a cold glass on it...
Danish oil vs boiled linseed?
Appreciate it!
Like Joe, I work with both cherry and shellac a lot. That said, my go to finish on cherry is GF Arm-R-Seal. It has worked well for me over several decades. Number of coats can determine the sheen. I typically use their satin finish, but if I’m working with highly figured wood and looking to highlight its natural chatoyance, I will use gloss Arm-R-Seal for all but the final coat. Still leaves that in-the-wood finish rather than a surface coat look. As always, experiment on some scrap first.
Great info, thank you. How many coats have you used in the past for something (if you have) similar to what I'm trying? I would imagine at least a few (more than 2) coats would be good. I think I'd like a satin for this one. Unfortunately, my "scrap" is another 6 foot board...
Typically I will use at least 6 coats of a 1-1/2 pound cut. The wood will tell you when it's done as you will no longer see flat spots of wood which can easily be seen by moving your head a bit when looking across the wood surface with the lights on in the room.
Hi Mike,
I typically end up with 2 to 4 coats of Arm-R-Seal — my interior alder doors are just 2 coats of satin for a very natural no sheen look, my cherry built-ins have 3 coats of satin for a low sheen finish and a bit of protection, my kitchen and bath cabinets have 4 coats of satin for a medium-low sheen finish with added durability, and my cherry railings received 5 or 6 coats of satin to stand up to heavy wear (after 20 years of heavy use they have developed a nice medium-gloss patina).
All of that said, I do use other finishes. Perhaps of direct application to you, my fir mantel has a highly diluted oil-based stain followed by traditional oil-based polyurethane top coats (2 if I remember correctly). I use dewaxed shellac extensively in various cuts and numbers of coats for any number of projects, and I also use dewaxed shellac as a barrier coat between gel stains and Arm-R-Seal top coats when I need to match an existing finish.
As for scrap, you can always use the part of your mantle that will be against the wall. It’s a strategy I and others have used before.
Apologies for a long-winded answer, but I hope it addresses your particular question.
If you can do sample boards, it is well worth it. I am at the tail end of a small cabinet build in cherry and I made sample boards in blonde shellac, shellac & wax, shellac and waterlox, shellac & arm r seal, shellac and 50/50 waterlox and arm r seal, and Rubio. My wife liked Rubio the best so that’s what I went with (she prefers a satin sheen). I personally like shellac and 50/50 waterlox & arm r seal but the Rubio looks great and is so easy to apply.
Arm R Seal is poly. It's oil-based, and thinned, so it can be wiped on. If you like the look, use it. Because it's thinned, you can build it to whatever look you like.
Personally, I almost always use two coats of Sealcoat on cherry. It's shellac, but it's dewaxed. Because it's dewaxed, you can put whatever you like on top. My favorite option is one or two coats of General Finishes satin water based poly. I apply all coats very thin, but not thinned.
Thanks. I do think a few coats of the Arm R seal would look good and be protective enough. I'm less familiar with other products listed here. When you mention sealcoat, is that a General F's product?
Sealcoat is by Zinsser. It's pre-made shellac, and dewaxed. If you are going to put shellac under something else, make sure it is dewaxed.
Thanks John.
I understand the basics here, but a question and thought. Dewaxed Zinsser shellac, and then a few coats of Arm-R-Seal on top (since its a poly- I can get a protective finish, correct?)
I'll throw in Waterlox to the mix. It's a thinned wiping varnish much like Arm-R-Seal. I like the look and it's tough enough for any use. Danish oil is also a thinned varnish with a bit of BLO added, so it's not strictly an oil as might be assumed from the name. You asked about plain BLO and I dont think you can consider that as being anywhere near as protective as a varnish top coat.
Thanks! I definitely think I would like a shellac, especially after doing my research initially. Do you know of/have a special brand that you like for shellac on cherry?
Appreciate the info
I have had an excellent experience with BT&C Tiger Flakes shellac from the good folks at Tools For Working Wood. They have excellent service and are great to deal with. It is de-waxed, so no concerns about using a top coat of something over it. There are 4 colors from super blond to garnet, depending on how red/orange you want to make it. I find that cherry develops a very appealing, rich color as it is exposed to light, so you really don't need to stain or color it (at least in my opinion). It helps to crunch it up into small pieces and dissolve overnight to get all the chunks out of it. Is the bottom of the mantle visible at all? if not, you could use that as your sample board. For that matter, you could always experiment and plane away the coating prior to your final finish (might be too much work, but would give you an excellent idea of what it will look like).
Appreciate this info. I looked into buying shellac in chips, but I think for the first cherry work, I'll stick with something pre-mixed (or pre-made?). However, I will certainly try these in the future- very interesting. Thanks.
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I've used GF Arm-r-seal several times, on mahogany, maple and cherry. Maybe it's my location - Colorado - where the ambient humidity is super low, but I always struggle to get coats of Arm-r-seal to blend and flow properly to hide brush marks and avoid drips. I've found that cutting it 50/50 with good paint thinner works OK. I use Gamsol from Guiry's. I also use Behkol from Behlen as a flow enhancer. Since the varnish is cut you'll need more coats - 4 or 5 seems good.
Arm-r-seal builds up fairly thick, which is good for a table top.
I'd recommend for your purposes using shellac. I've used Garnet and super-blond dewaxed shellacs a lot, in 1 Lb cut. I use a bit of the Behkol to improve the flow and slow down drying just a touch. Remember shellac will show rings or marks if someone puts an alcoholic beverage on it.
I also live in the dry Front Range of Colorado and haven’t had any issues with GF Arm-R-Seal, either alone or over a shellac sealcoat. I rag it on and wipe off the excess as I go (before it starts to set). No brush marks or runs/sags. See my entry #17 above for number of coats and build.
Appreciate the feedback. I am in KY, so humidity is definitely not an issue! We have more than enough... I think I'll go with a GF product this time, with a dewaxed shellac underneath. Thanks
Note on the bark question - I would recommend you remove it, as it is a harbor for pests and borers, and will eventually fall off anyway, as the wood goes through its expand/contract cycles. Better to take it off in the shop and clean up the wane. Looks good, leaves no mess above/in front of the fireplace.
Good luck!