I have a dilemma of my own making. 3 or more years ago I nearly finished a Hope Chest for my wife. This chest is made in Cherry with aero-cedar interior. Other than these standard details the rest of the chest was made with hand carved raised panels, mortise and tenon joinery and a complex convex curved top.
My problem: I never did the final sanding scraping and finishing. The excuses are irrelevant but over time the cherry has darkened.
My question: Is it possible to sand and then bleach the wood to a uniform tone and then finish it? Or is there an alternative method I can try?
Discussion Forum
Get It All!
UNLIMITED Membership is like taking a master class in woodworking for less than $10 a month.
Start Your Free TrialCategories
Discussion Forum
Digital Plans Library
Member exclusive! – Plans for everyone – from beginners to experts – right at your fingertips.
Highlights
-
Shape Your Skills
when you sign up for our emails
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. -
Shop Talk Live Podcast -
Our favorite articles and videos -
E-Learning Courses from Fine Woodworking
-
-
Replies
Your problem would be a blessing to some. Many people crave the look you now have.
If you haven't done the scraping and sanding yet, you'll find your piece will lighten up considerably when you do. However please keep in mind it will deepen again over time. Keeping it out of direct sunlight will help to slow this down to some degree.
One trick is to dye it a light golden brown and then let it age. It will give it a wonderful glow.
Please, don't bleach it.
Peter Gedrys
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled