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Mark Tsujihara
08-02-2005, 7:46 PM
Hello all,

I'm new here to the site, and relatively new to woodworking as well, so please bear with me. :)

I am making a cherry window sill (inside application), and I am looking to even out the tone of some sap wood visible on the edge, as well as provide a well-wearing topcoat that will help protect against sunlight, and my wife's inevitable plants.

I am considering staining the sap wood with Minwax oil-based cherry stain, following by boiled linseed oil all over with a spar urethane topcoat. Do you see any issues with this, and are there any intermediary steps that I am missing in my newbie-hood?

Thanks for your assistance,

Mark

Jim Becker
08-02-2005, 8:19 PM
Well...if you color the sap to match the heart "today", tomorrow the heart will be darker. Next, the Minwax "cherry" doesn't look anything like natural cherry, so you would have to stain the whole thing--and cherry doesn't like pigment stains. Water borne dyes are a better choice. Another thing...Urethanes are terrible with UV and anything with "spar" in the name is made with a long-oil varnish and is quite soft. (Spars...on ships...need to bend, so the finish is intentionally kept soft) A good non-polyurethane varnish will hold up well, but no matter what you use, you will need to take care with standing water.

Mark Tsujihara
08-02-2005, 9:42 PM
Hi Jim,

Thanks for your feedback. It sounds like staining the sap wood is more trouble than it's worth.

Would your recommendation be then to just use boiled linseed oil all over and a varnish? I can live with the sap wood. It's only about a quarter inch visible for about half the sill length.

As for standing water, I'll make sure my wife puts saucers under the plants. :)

Thanks again,

Mark

Jim Becker
08-02-2005, 9:46 PM
Yup, that's what I'd recommend. Apply the oil liberally, let it soak in for about a half hour, wipe off the excess and let it cure for a week. Then apply your varnish in the number of coats necessary. And let the varnish cure for at least a month before heavy plants get placed on it...