I would like some advise on finishing a set of cherry French doors. They are being installed between my sun room, which is unheated and the main area of my house which has radiant heat and is therefore VERY dry in winter. I mention that because that environment offers extremely low humidity for drying stains and varnishes in winter and also makes the doors in my house shrink in winter and expand in summer much more than a forced-air heated home. BTW, I live around Chicago.

I own a Bob Timberlake cherry bedroom set and love the smooth, satiny finish that the furniture has and would love to make my doors look that way. The doors are surrounded by cherry wood tongue and groove paneling that appears to have a tung oil finish. I have been experimenting with Formby’s Tung Oil which I realize is not a pure tung oil. After 4 coats on some scrap pieces from cutting down the doors I am getting a color that  is just a little lighter than the paneling and a finish that is not yet smooth and satiny.

I am looking for a smooth satiny finish that accentuates the cherry grain and a color that is a little darker than the tung oiled cherry. In the attached picture the left quarter of my scrap piece has one coat of Formby’s Tung Oil and the right three quarters has four coats.

Thanks for your help!

E