Replies

1. 
   royjcouvillion | Oct 30, 2004 08:29pm | #1

   TRY THIS ON SCRAP FIRST

   Make a solution of lye (sodium hydroxide - base or alkaline) and water.  The stronger the solution, the more dramatic the effect.  I use 1 tablespoon for a half gallon.

   Using a synthetic (nylon) bristle brush, brush on the wood and you will see an almost instantaneous aging of the wood.   Usually, 30 minutes is all you need. 

   Then, make a solution of vinegar and water. (dilute acetic acid) approx 1 cup per gallon.  Soak a rag and lightly wring.  Wipe the surface to neutralize the lye.

   Then, using clear water and a rag, wipe it as dry as you can.

   In none of the above procedures is it necessary to drench the wood.

   Also, if you do this on oak, which is naturally acidic, you don't need to neutralize.

   I am currently doing this with pecan and did not neutralize.  It seems to be working well.

   Cherry is more sensitive. 

1. 
   twotowers | Oct 30, 2004 08:58pm | #2

   Roy,

   Interesting. Does that really bring white sap wood to the cherry color?

   How do you follow up after that point? Is the wood ready for BLO, Varnish, or do you have to dye or stain further?

   How would 2 table spoons of lye vary frome 1?

   Jim

1. 
   royjcouvillion | Oct 31, 2004 01:11am | #4

   It will only minimize the difference in appearance between the two dramatically different woods. 

   After the wood dries, sand and finish as you would normally.

   I also agree with the comment about returning lumber.  However, given that you have what you have, I can think of no other approach.

   You can consider a gel stain.  However, that is somewhat opaque.

2. 
   whoover | Oct 31, 2004 12:14am | #3

   I disagree.  My experience says that the sap wood will not turn dark like the rest of the wood with lye.  In fact, both portions of cherry change differently with time.  The only solution that I have really found....never use sap wood.  If I ordered Cherry and it was 50% sap would, I would send it back!

   Bill

3. 
   Paul_Snyder | Oct 31, 2004 02:03am | #5

   The way I blend cherry sapwood with the heartwood takes a couple steps but it looks good when I'm done.

   Here's a sample that shows how each step looks. Section "A" at the bottom is bare wood. Section "B" has a clear coat on it. The heartwood runs along the left side and gets wider as it goes up the board. In section "C," I used a dye on just the sapwood to color it close to the color of aged cherry heartwood. The best way to apply the dye is by careful spraying. Once the dye dried, I applied a coat of thinned finish (called a washcoat) to seal the wood. After the washcoat dried, I applied a reddish brown glaze (a good gel stain works fine) and let it dry for a few days (section "D"). Then I finished up with a couple clear coats.

   View Image Blending Sapwood

   Paul

   Furniture Finishing

1. 
   IanC | Oct 31, 2004 05:42pm | #6

   Paul,  I'm interested in trying your method.  You mentioned "careful" spraying which I assume includes careful masking of the heartwood.  Could you go into more detail.  Thanks.

   Ian

1. 
   Paul_Snyder | Oct 31, 2004 06:40pm | #7

   Use the spray gun like an air-brush to follow along the edge of the heartwood Ian. Masking the heartwood creates a hard line that doesn't blend in.

   First I'll feather in the color along the line where the heartwood and sapwood meet by turning down the fluid flow and using a very narrow fan width. It may take a few passes to feather the color into the sapwood. If the sapwood is relatively wide, then I'll widen the fan and increase the fluid flow a bit just to speed things along as I color the remainder.

   When spraying dye, avoid spraying too heavily or too many passes. I like to spray very light coats that just wet out the surface of the wood and then evaporate very quickly. This avoids the dye soaking in too much and causing blotching. Each pass adds more color so it's best to get the color you want in 3 passes or less. The amount you dilute the dye plays a key role in this.

   As always, experiment on cut-offs/scrap.

   Paul

   Furniture Finishing

1. 
   IanC | Oct 31, 2004 07:05pm | #8

   Thanks Paul.  Sounds like a touch up gun would be useful here but I'll try it with my Fuji HVLP.  I've never worked with dyes.  Any recommendations on brands and colors? 

1. 
   Paul_Snyder | Nov 06, 2004 05:53pm | #9

   Whether reduced in alcohol, acetone, or water, some dyes are more lightfast than others Ian. The best performance can be expected from the metallized dyes. Some brands in this category include;

   Homestead Finishing Transtints - http://www.homesteadfinishing.com

   Mohawk Ultra Penetrating Stains - http://mohawk-finishing.com/

   Wood Finishing Supplies Color Fx - http://woodfinishingsupplies.com

   Sherwin-Williams Chemical Coatings Stores Dye Concentrates (check phone book)

   Using the Trantints as an example, medium brown with a little brown mahogany and/or reddish brown mixed in and then thinned to get the right intensity (based on how may coats you spray) will work well.

   Paul SWebsite