Hi : I recently came across a large amount of European Cherry at a very reasonable price. Because I had never heard of our used European Cherry I only bought one piece to try it out relative to Pennsylvania black cherry (which I regularly use). Can anyone tell me about their experience using European Cherry and how it works, stains and compares to Penn. cherry for matching, etc.
Thanks,
Replies
Prunus avium as opposed to Prunus seritona has a tendency to warp rather badly so it's typically used in small sections. It's usually slightly heavier than black cherry at about 38 lb per cubic foot. Colour tends to be a pale or pinky brown and I've seen it with seem greenish streaks in it. If I recall correctly the medulla tend to be a bit more prominent than in the American stuff.
I've never stained or dyed it having only ever finished it clear, but it's reputed to take stain well. It's been a while since I worked it but I seem to recall it was a bit harder to work than American cherry with more of a tendency to tear out and the like, but my memory could be playing tricks there.
I don't think I'd try to make it match American cherry if that's your plan. It is rather different in appearance and attractive in its own right. I suppose you could fake it up to match if you wanted to-- red alder is faked up as American cherry, so I suppose European cherry is fair game too. Slainte.
Richard Jones Furniture
Richard Ya at it AGAIN! I told a few times you .. Geee.. know everything!
American Cherry is Sweeter and HARD to find!I thought Cheeries were Cheeries?
Not true WillGeorge old buddy. I don't know everything by a long chalk. I wish I did, but I have worked both American and European cherry although it's been perhaps 13 or 15 years since I worked the European stuff, which I suppose is a bit odd as I'm in the UK.
However, nearly ten of the last 12-1/2 years were spent living in that miserable, gawd forsaken, climatic hell-hole known as Texas, ha, ha where European cherry wasn't too common. Looking back I really have no idea now how I was ever persuaded to move to Texas. The Carolinas or one of the northern Atlantic states I can see now as having some attraction, but Texas,.... er, uhm...... never again. Slainte.Richard Jones Furniture
I used to live in Oklahoma, which is basically Texas but with smaller belt buckles.
Glad to live in the much greener Washington state again now. :)My goal is for my work to outlast me. Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.
Gotta remember: "Texas...it's a whole 'nother Country!" (At least that's what the state tourist agency ads say...)
Former San Antonio resident, now living in the nice, dry, hot, high desert!
<<I used to live in Oklahoma, which is basically Texas but with smaller belt buckles.>>
Only thing that separates the two is the Red River..... ;-)
Cheers!
James
by a long chalk.... LOLI write on the sidewalk with my grandbabies in chalk! We have FUN!EDIT: in that miserable, gawd forsaken, climatic hell-hole known as Texas?Geeee. I LOVED the place!
Edited 4/18/2006 1:08 pm by WillGeorge
I've been exiled in Texas for slightly over 5 years with one more to go. My wife and I truly can not wait to get out of this miserable place. I don't know how you stood it for 10 years.
European cherry is the main wood that I work in ,mostly from Northern Italy or Slovenia. The colour is lighter and more toward brown than American cherry and the grain stays more distinct as it darkens with age.
It is slightly less stable than American cherry and sometimes you get a board where the tear out is a nightmare. The green streaks in the grain show alot when the wood is freshly plained to the point that you sometimes look at a board and think "this is trash "... but as it ages those green streaks turn brown and blend in with the grain.
You would have a hard time matching it to American cherry , it stains with basically the same properties as American but since both woods are very photosensitive as they age a big difference would show if used together in the same piece.
Personally I prefer the colour of European but thats's just an opinion.
Philip
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