Grow light tanning ?

[denis tuomey]

Anyone ever tanned cherry with a grow light ?

[Jerry Toschlog]

I have seen this and your other post. First let me say that I read a few years back that a Canadian study about grow lights. The conclusion was grow lights were zero to a fraction better than standard cool whites, and not worth the extra cost by any means. Unless you already have grow lights I would not waste your money. Since you want to tan your wood but not warp it as stated in the other post. I have a question, are you looking at putting it in the sun , outdoors? If so why not place it in sunlight or filtered sunlight such as window sheers, from a picture window. That way the room temp would be cooler. I know the sun will warm it even indoors but better than outdoors.

[Mark Bolton]

Or why not put it out and rotate the piece regularly (every few minutes). It only takes a short time for the sun to work its magic on Cherry so perhaps a couple hours of flipping the piece every 10-15 minutes would suffice.

[denis tuomey]

Those are both great ideas, but since it weighs in at 54 lbs. I think I'll try Jerrys suggestion first. Thanks to both of ya for your input.

[Mark Bolton]

Those are both great ideas, but since it weighs in at 54 lbs. I think I'll try Jerrys suggestion first. Thanks to both of ya for your input.


Not debating, but 54lbs is nothing. Clamp a bar clamp on either end of the top, stretch the clamps across two sawhorses with boards attached to lengthen the sawhorses, and simply flip the top every few minutes pivoting it on the center clamp like a door hinge. If your worried about the pads and the sun simply shift the clamp slightly every couple flips. Either way will work, its just whether you want to get it done in a couple hours or several days.

I regularly finish interior an exterior doors, two sides wet, with lag pivots in them. We insert lags with CPVC pipe handles and washers in the ends. Spray one side, flip it pivoting on the handles, immediately spray the other side, hang it on a drying rack. If I can flip a 2" thick mahogany entry slab alone, that top would be cake (and it aint soaking wet with finish) :D