I am new to this. I have the good fortune to live rural and near a person who woodmizered a lot of black walnut in his time to air dry “properly” in his barn… 3/4 to 7/4 boards with little if any warping but a lot of knots. I am making my own bits of furniture for my home. I am fascinated by color, having only seen kiln dried before. I understand the coloration is photosensitive.
Questions
1) Is the color in fact photosensitive? Is there a known chemistry to this coloration?
2) Are there optimal finishes for air dried walnut to keep showing the color?
3) As a separate issue, I am interested in clear type finishes for cherry as well. How is tried & true versus a wipe on poly?
I’ll shut up and listen…
v/r
Replies
Most of my work is in Cherry, including the piece I just finished today. I don't do much work in Walnut, but when I do, I use the same finish. I use General Finishes tung oil. I prefer natural, which is a clear. If you do a nice job of preperation( I handplane with a smoother) the tung oil is a fantastic finish. For added protection for items like table tops, I spray on several coats of Crystalac, a water based clear coat finish available in either satin or gloss. My customers love the results, and I don't have to worry about blowing up my shop with fumes. General Finishes is available at both Woodcraft and Rockler, and recently Rocker is a couple of bucks cheaper. Crystalac available online at several sources, but you'll need an hvlp sprayer to apply. I hear that they also make a wipe on, but I'm not familiar with it. Hope this helps. By the way, I air dry all my lumber, and my patience is well worth the results. Something about seeing a tree turned into a piece of furniture or cabinetry that will last a long, long, time. Good luck.
JC
thank you...
It seems that oil-varnish combo seems to be the thing I 've been reading...
v/r
Hello
I use a lot of air dried walnut, I like to use tung oil, and topcoat with a poly. with a UV blocker. Ive found that almost all woods will start to lose there colors if left in the sun. (or direct sun light for long periods of time.)
Having said that, Ive made a few projects ,That look as great as the day I first finished them. the Deep dark purples, and rich colors,you just dont see in most kiln dried woods. lasts for many years, and I havent noticed and changes of color in any of the projects Ive keep.( some are ten years or slightly older)
Good luck on your projects. and keep on cutting your own walnut, that is the best way to insure you are getting the very best wood for your money.
sincerely yours.
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