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After five months of work here and there, I’m about to put the finish to my arts and crafts cherry computer desk. I’d never worked with cherry before and likely will never work with a different wood as a first choice to cherry again (love the stuff). Now the hard part. Finishing.
I have three issues:
1) I read many posts and sun-tanned much of my wood as I went. Its late fall in Seattle and we don’t see much sun. Unfortunately, my doors and drawer fronts didn’t have the benefit of being in the first batch of wood that all the carcass was in. After a summer of exposure to sun, these four items are noticeably lighter. Get this – I have an appointment tommorrow at the local beutician to put these four bad boys into a tanning booth. Am I nuts? I’d like to start the finishing process with some assemblance of uniformity.
2) I really tried to use heart wood (the redder stuff) through out this project, but ran into a pinch on a couple of frame members. On those peices, I’m looking at areas about 3 to 6 inches long by up to 1/2 inch wide where the coloring is noticeably lighter (almost like pine). Do I dare use a gel stain on those selected areas? I bought some Minwax cherrywood gel stain to apply to the birch plywood drawers. It went on well there, but is that cheap stuff compared to the Behlen finishes I see in the Garrett Wade catalog? I don’t want to cut corners to save $10.00 when I’ve put in all this work (and am using real Stickley hardware on the thing).
3) I really like the idea of using a wipe on finish. I’ve scoured the posts and think I’ll go with an “oil” followed by a “poly”. Phil Walsh (back in April) talked about using Watco Danish Oil followed by Minwax Wipe-on poly (gloss followed by semi-gloss). That sounds good to me, but again don’t want to compromise on quality. I’ve got a quart of Watco “Natural” and Watco “Fruitwood”. I’m assuming Phil suggests “natural”, but can’t be certain from his posts. I’m also not averse to going with a high quality tung oil (Behlen’s or Sutherland Welles from Garrett Wade) by don’t know if I’m throwing away money or should go with this Cadillac finish. I’ve already sanded every board of this project with 220 grit using my R.O.S. and there isn’t a mark or gouge in the thing.
Appreciate your thoughts and ideas on any or all of the above.
Replies
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1) I'd be interested in hearing how this works; can a few minutes of high intensity equal a summer of lower level NV exposure? Doesn't seem like it could hurt...
2) You are making several samples from start-to-finish of your finishing processes, I hope. If the Minwax delivers the results you want, why not? I suspect some/all of the difference in price may be because of huge national outlets s. "boutique" availability of the other.
3) I personally don't see any reason to mix the Watch and Minwax finishes; both are thinned down varnishes, that is, very similar products. Again, experiment on scrap, but I would suggest an initial coat of either boiled linseed oil or tug oil, then follow with either the Watch or the Minwax. Or, skip the oil step entirely if you get a nice look with straight W. or M.
Whether it's wiped, brushed, or sprayed, you will always get a soother final finish, both to the eye, and to the touch, when the final application is an abrasive. Try rubbing your samples with any assortment of fine sandpapers (600, 1000, 2000 grit), 0000 steel wool, rubbing compound (pumice) and/or polishing compound (rottenstone), depending on the smoothness and gloss level you desire. These steps will make a far bigger difference than any quality levels of products that have been applied.
*The tanning bed was used for about 45 minutes and the difference was noticeable, but certainly not a summer's worth. A kick start towards catch up at best.
*Mr. Harrison:I have a suggestion, but please keep in mind that it is only that.Since the tanning bed didn't work, go down to your local hardware store and pick up ordinary powdered or crystal Lye. It's not very expensive, and if you're not familiar with it, it's the actual cleaner in oven cleaning products like Easy-Off. Take a small amount, perhaps one tablespoon or so, and mix it into warm water. Brush the mixure on a piece of the scrap cherry and it will begin to age. In 15 minutes or so, you will know if the concentration is going to be too strong or too weak to match colors.If too weak, remix more Lye into the existing solution. Be very careful, however, as the results can be dramatic. If too strong, you'll have to add more warm water or remix altogether. Again, the scrap tests will help.The Lye darkens cherry, and some other woods, beautifully, giving it a rich, aged look that cannot be duplicated (IMHO) with stains. Once you have the color right, don't hesitate to use a durable clear-coat instead.Another way of evening out the color would be with pigment toners added to laquer (either nitrocellulose or brushing). If you have spray equipment, or can get some for the project, spraying provides a gorgeous, even coat that is smooth and very, very even. The toner is suspended on the surface, and therefore evenly (moreso at least) colors the wood, and doesn't obsure the wood nearly as much as staining does.I hope I'm not providing unwelcome input, or offering you ideas too late for your use. If so, I'm sorry (for either case), and if you use cherry again, you may wish to experiment with other dye/mordant combinations.Good luck!Josh Hill
*Saw your suggestions and I'm tracking down a similar situation, hope you can help again. I have 4 sliding study doors made of Ponderosa Pine, couldn't afford real oak! I happened to catch the tail end of a PBS wood working show where it was demonstrated that liquid lye could be applied to pine and make the grain stand out more, to resemble the grain contrast of oak. If the wood is then stained with an oak stain and then varnished it resembled oak quite closely.I have some oak on nearby staircases and I would like to match the doors if possible. I can't find liquid lye at local hardware stores nor specialty wood stores and nobody seems to be familiar with this technique. I never could locate the PBS story again so not sure I got all the facts straight. Does this lye technique sound as though it would work on pine? I can try it on scraps but do I have to neutralize the lye solution after application when I do the actual doors? I have read that lye will continue to eat away at the wood if not properly neutralized. Your advice would be welcome.
*I've bought some bitter cherry. it came from the east side of Washington. I've never used it before and am looking for info on how it will finish. The grain and texture is about like black cherry but the color has more contrast. It has darker streaks some close to black some pink and some with a gray or greenish tint. I don't know if this changes as it ages or not. I left some out in the sun and it changes color like black cherry. I'm concerned about the gray or green streaks. Does anyone know if this is a species wid trait? Does it change with age and UV? Has any of you had experience with this wood? Thanks John
*Lye is extremely caustic, and should only be used with extreme caution and thorough safety procedures (almost lost an eye once to a tiny spashed drop of lye). If you are still determined, I think the use of chemicals for coloring wood is addressed in Jeff Jewitt's new book "Great Wood Finishes."
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