Large cherry head board and footboard Best finiishing suggestions

[Richard Bistline]

I am in the process of making my first cherry bed. My greatest concern is not to mess up the finish. I hear that cherry blotches. What do you fellows use and how do you prevent blotching. I love the natural color of this cherry, and I really don't like stained cherry. I am considering using BLO with a shellac coating--BLO first, and then the shellac. What about wipe on poly?

[Steve Schoene]

Yes, cherry does "blotch" but it is really just a part of being cherry. It's best to think of it as "nascent figure" and not worry about it. It is worst when you try to apply an oil based pigmented stain. BLO will enhance the color and seems to hasten the natural darkening. Shellac, garnet shellac in particular also gives a nice look to cherry.

I would not use wipe on poly on cherry (or for that matter on any furniture) On a bed, shellac is perfectly adequate as a top coat. If you want overkill for some reason, use a wipe on traditional resin varnish. You can either thin a full strength varnish such as Behlen Rockhard or Pratt and Lambert 38 or you can use a preformulated varnish such as Waterlox, in any of its three gloss levels.

[Dennis Peacock]

Richard,

Looks like Steve has some great info for ya there, especially if you decide to go with a resin varnish. If it were mine, I'd put on some BLO (thinned 50% with mineral spirits) rub that in real good and let that dry. I'd then top coat with either Shellac or Lacquer.

[Jim Becker]

I celebrate the "blotch"...it's just the figure of the wood that has absorbtion rates that vary. You can avoid it altogether if you seal the wood with blond de-waxed shellac before proceeding with your clear coats if you prefer. My cherry finish regiment is BLO, garnet shellac and then the appropriate top coat for the project.

[Richard Bistline]

I made some turning chisel handles a month ago and I finished them on the lathe with BLO and shellac, sort of a french polish thing. They were beautiful. I have never tried Waterlox, but I believe I will get some and experiment with it. I will test out several methods on some other cherry before I start on the back of the head board. The cherry has air dried since 1983 and is drop dead gorgeous. Again, thankyou for your advice. Richard

[Craig D Peltier]

Please inform me what BLO is, a google search didnt come up with what I was looking for?
I hear people using this product alot.

[Jim Becker]

Craig, BLO is boiled linseed oil...not really "boiled"...that's just the name and refers to the product that has dryers added so it will cure, unlike raw linseed oil. You can buy it at the 'borg in a gallon can quite inexpensively. It's also the main ingredient in many oil-based varnishes.