Cherry aging question

[Bruce Darrow]

I have been commissioned to build a free standing dictionary (or bible.....) stand. She likes cherry, understands that the color she likes will come with time.

My question is, if the sloped "table top" has a large dictionary (or bible, or any other large book) placed on it from the start, probably in an open position, will the wood beneath have its aging retarded in relation to the rest of the piece?

Most of us are aware of how quickly a piece of cherry with anything covering a portion of it will "stripe" when placed in direct sunlight, but what about out of direct sunlight - in a room with artificial light? If the area under the book never gets even artificial light, or only half of it does (book closed), will there be uneven colorization (oxidation, so I understand) occurring? Will it ever equal out?

I can think of a few potential solutions to uneven aging - pre exposure to sunlight, minimal borders, warnings as to disposition of the book, etc.

What wisdom out there?

[Paul Symchych]

I 'age' cherry with a few coats of boiled linseed a day or three apart and put the piece out in the sun for several days. This brings out probably 3/4 or more of the ultimate color quickly. You can then surface coat it with whatever you choose. From there there will not be a huge amount of color difference under an object that isn't moved much.

[Dan Spangenberg]

Is it the UV that causes the aging? I am wondering if sunlight through a south window will cause it. I have a piece I want to pre-age to avoid the possible stripes mentioned above.

It seems to me that pre-aging is the best solution to get to a rich tone that has settled down enough where a book or covering isn't going to cause a stripe. It isn't always easy to find sun though, and particularly find it with an outdoor environment where you can leave a nice piece of unfinished cherry furniture without the elements messing with it.

[Harvey Pascoe]

I have cherry built-ins in my dining room that has NO windows. 6 years old and they are dark brown. The insides of the drawers which get no light at all are much lighter. So the answer to your question is yes, a book sitting on cherry for years will end up leaving a lighter area under it. You can't pre age cherry in a few days or even weeks to anywhere near the darkness it will ultimately achieve after years.

[phil harold]

you could pre-age the wood with lye to reduce the color change under the book

[David Thompson 27577]

Cherry reacts to light over a VERY long period of time. In a few years, it darkens (with exposure to just about any kind of light) to a wonderful reddish color. Then, for about the next 150 years, it mellows to a rich medium chocolaty color. The presence of the book will slow the process for that area of the stand, but will not stop it. In my opinion, the differences will add to the visual value, not detract from it.

And imagine the personal value of being dead for 70 years, while your grandchildren are still admiring your work, and showing it to their grandchildren.

So my opinion is that you should not try to diminish the photo-reactive properties of cherry, and that you should not worry about them in the least.

[Prashun Patel]

Don't try to fight or speed up mother nature.

Yr best bet is to tell yr customer to move the dictionary from shelf to shelf every couple months.

[Paul Symchych]

You can't pre age cherry in a few days or even weeks to anywhere near the darkness it will ultimately achieve after years.

I don't know how you finished your built-ins so won't dispute your experience. All I can say is that I've used the BLO/sunlight routine on cherry for decades and that I get most of the color change in a week. Certainly not all but most of it.
To check this I just now moved a TV that has been stationary on a cherry cabinet I built around 3 years ago. The wood under the TV that sees no light is virtually identical to that of the rest of the cabinet that has been exposed to room daylight. That cabinet is unstained, oiled, suntanned and varnished cherry.

[Bob Wingard]

I believe that light exposure MAY speed up the aging process, but it's going to happen over time anyway. I recently milled up some Cherry lumber that is probably 50-60 years old, and it is thoroughly darkened clear through. No pale salmon color anywhere. What a pleasure to use !!!

I did make a small Shaker style bookcase a while back, and tried the weak Lye solution to color it ... AMAZING what it will do in just a few minutes ... AND ... absolutely NO BLOTCHING and never had to use any form of blotch control. It was sold at a fund raising auction, and the buyer said he thought at first it was an antique due to the color intensity. Try Lye ... it's really cool stuff ... it is getting a bit harder to find lately ... RED DEVIL stopped making it because the meth heads were using it for cooking their potions.

[Bruce Darrow]

Hmmm......

Opinions from all over the map.

Got some thinking to do.

If I can find some lye, I'll play with that, just 'cuz. More weapons in the arsenal, doncha know.

I also like the idea of hands off......the KISS principle usually works for me!

[Jim Foster]

IMO You can pre-age Cherry a lot by putting it out in the sun or a relatively short period of time.

[bill tindall]

I always stain cherry. General Finishes has an oil stain that results in a warm reddish brown. Looks great from day one. Cheery must be meticulously sanded before staining to avoid dark patches. I apply the stain with a "rubber" like what is done with shellac. Make a wad of cloth the size of a golf ball and then wrap this ball with another layer of cloth and tie the wrap to secure it. Dip the rubber into the stain and rub it on the piece, pressing or not, to control the color development. I'd post a picture but I haven't a clue how to do it on this site. 210197

Well, that was acturally easy except the pictures is microscopic.

[Mark Salomon]

My problem or concern with staining cherry to mimic the natural darkening that will occur normally over a period of time is that when the cherry that you've already dyed darkens normally it will ultimately be darker that it would otherwise be.

[Tony Joyce]

... it is getting a bit harder to find lately ... RED DEVIL stopped making it because the meth heads were using it for cooking their potions.

Search eBay for "Technical Grade Sodium Hydroxide" This is granular or flake product with no additives, that are used in drain cleaners. Hint- start with a very weak solution. Wear appropriate gear it is very caustic!

[Ken Masco]

I've had great success ageing cherry with Potasium Dichromate. It has never failed to make the wood look aged and fantastic

[Mike Konobeck]

Lye is difficult to dispose of in concentrations and if used/stored wrong can be rather dangerous. It will eat through glass if that tells you something. We as woodworkers are harder on the environment then we realize. The use of chemicals may speed up natural processes but we can avoid it in most cases with patience. The sun will get you most of the way there and there is no harm in trying it. People have to just appreciate the characteristics of the wood for what it is. Explain to your customer the natural properties of the wood species they like and if they expect the color changing properties of cherry then it will likely not be a big deal. It pains me when people stain or alter fine grade woods like cherry. Just my opinion.

(Yes, I use finishes that are hard on the environment and struggle with this every time I pull the trigger on the sprayer, dip the brush or rag, etc. so I am not trying to throw stones in a glass house.)

[Jim Summers]

I don't know how you finished your built-ins so won't dispute your experience. All I can say is that I've used the BLO/sunlight routine on cherry for decades and that I get most of the color change in a week. Certainly not all but most of it.
To check this I just now moved a TV that has been stationary on a cherry cabinet I built around 3 years ago. The wood under the TV that sees no light is virtually identical to that of the rest of the cabinet that has been exposed to room daylight. That cabinet is unstained, oiled, suntanned and varnished cherry.

Same result here. BLO and then suntanning for a week. Then finish. When I am doing the suntanning I put the pieces out in the direct sunlight and rotate/flip.

The color change is amazing. Compare it to a piece that is freshly planed and wow.

HTH

[Paul Girouard]

Oven cleaner will darken Cherry , more than likely the lye in the oven cleaner . I have also used the sun trick , just be careful you don't have a rain shower , or a wire birds can perch on right over the piece, you'd get $hitty results with that effect, blue berry bushes and a wire over the work !!!!

Good luck.

And yes the book would cause a lighter spot where the book is placed.

[bill tindall]

Potassium dichromate is one of the few PROVEN carcinogens. The word carcinogen gets overused, especially in The State of California, but in the case of this chemical the warnings are to be heeded. The next step after applying it to wood will be to sand the wood to smooth the raised grain. The risk of carrying dust with this material into you lungs is too great to risk using it. Using it, storing it or disposing of it exposes one to personal and liability risk no prudent person should be willing to take.

I did some fading studies using potassium dichromate as well as lye and premetallized water soluble dyes (Mosher dyes). By far the most stable color was with the premetallized wood dyes.

[Ken Masco]

I have had great success ageing cherry on several projects by using Potasium Dichromate. Covered with the finish of your choice. Yes it will darken with time on it's own but the Potasium Dichromate treatment makes it happen in one afternoon and looks great.

[Brian D Anderson]

Just saw this thread . . . don't have much to add other than this picture of my router table taken two years after I made it.

210573

This is in my basement, which is a walkout with a few windows, but this side doesn't face any windows. I'm sure it gets some light reflection though.

-Brian

[Bobby O'Neal]

No disrespect meant to anybody else here but I'd look at pictures of Prashun's work and then consider your options. He has a killer eye for finishing. Could be valuable advice coming from him. I agree, natural process is best. Especially If the customer understands.

[Alex Peel]

For a natural alternative I have seen someone age cherry online by putting it in a suntan bed. Only a few minutes and it was very dark. I think its a reaction with the UV rays same as sunlight. If you had a UV lamp you could probably age it quickly.