Substituting poplar for cherry

[Chris Leverett]

My new bedroom suit is cherry, however its furniture store cherry. You probably know the color it is already, that real dark purpley red that shows very little grain. I was wandering if I were to build some nightstands out of poplar with birchply for the sides would it look ok? There is so little grain that shows through the factory stuff that it would be a shame to waste expensive cherry on it. You know that stuff is almost more like paint than stain anyway. While I've got you here does anyone know a good recipe for this color? I have a couple things in mind but havent really tried anything yet.
Thanks, Chris

[Mitchell Andrus]

Welcome to the Creek, Chris.

One of the mysteries of the ages... what's cherry,,,, Really??? For me and you, it's actually cherry (with a clear finish on mine, thanks).

Woodworkers Supply and others have tinted finishes in spray bombs. They are a passable way to tint if you don't have a compressor/gun and gobs of time to mix/test finishes and tinting dyes.

If you do tint/spray, watch out for color migrating out of the finish. Allow the tinted finish to outgas for a while then top coat really well. I know of a small maker who replaced a bedroom carpet because the color outgassed into the new carpet which was outgassing itself. Eight orange circles where the legs rested. Swell!

Test on a few woods, try a few colors, seal the surface first. You'll get passable results if it's just for you and the Mrs.

[Tim Malyszko]

One of the mysteries of the ages... what's cherry,,,, Really??? For me and you, it's actually cherry (with a clear finish on mine, thanks).


I'm working on building a TV stand out of solid cherry. Once I got the top glued up, a relative said to me "that's not cherry." Of course the only thing he had to go off of was the cheap venerred furniture he owned. All Cherry needs is a good clear coat. In my opinion, it's such a beautiful domestic wood and probably my favorite to work with.

As far as an answer to your question, I've had some pretty good luck with General Finishes Gell Stains on poplar. They make a "Georgian Cherry" that may work for you, buy you may have to buy more than one color and do a little mixing until you find the perfect match.

Good luck. You may also have better luck posting your question in the finishing forum.

[Jim Becker]

I quite often use Yellow (Tulip) Poplar and use dyes to bring it to where I want it to be. I've done a cherry look as well as a pine look in that manner, for example. For that "dark furniture store" color, however, you'll need to use a combination of dyes, toners and glazes to get where you want to be, especially if you want to match something that already exists. Or...you could choose to go with contrast... ;)

[Howard Acheson]

I'm a big proponent of "if you want it to look like cherry, use cherry". That said, let me warn you that mixing poplar and birch will greatly compound your finish problems if you want to mix up a stain to match your "factory" finish. The two wood are quite different in grain structure but the biggest problem is that they are greatly different in how they absorb stain. Poplar if quite absorbent and birch is quite non-absorbent. You will have to develop a different stain mixture for both.

As it turns out, poplar is a pretty good mimic for cherry as far as grain pattern. But, you must choose your boards carefully avoiding any green streaks. You can generally find some poplar veneered plywood at some of the big boxes. It's not great plywood but for what you want, it's probably OK.

Finally, most factory finishes are applied in many steps. There can be anywhere from 5-6 to 15 or more. Generally it starts with a bleach to remove all color. Then there is a dye, sealers, pigment stains, sealers, toners and final finish.

[Jim Becker]

Howie, the green heartwood will brown out with exposure and I haven't had any issue with it with regard to finishing. (Mineral stains would be a different issue, but I avoid that stuff anyway)

[David DeCristoforo]

It is unlikely that your "cherry" furniture is "cherry". I'll bet it's sold as "Cherry Finish" and that if you read the fine print, no where will is say that "solid cherry" was used. Just my guess....

All that aside, I would buy a can of oil based stain that is as close in tone as you can find. Then pick up a few small tubes of universal tints (most paint stores have them). Get a red, a brown and a black. Use these to "tint" the stain. More than likely, by the time you get the color close, you will have a very heavy, opaque stain that will resemble the stuff on your existing pieces which is more likely a heavy "glaze" applied to the surface and not really a stain at all.

[Tom Sontag]

Like some of the others, I think cherry looks most like cherry. At the risk of sounding like the wood snob I suspect I am, why would you want to perpetuate an inferior look? I think you'd enjoy real cherry better than matchy-matchy. As it darkens, casual glances from the doorway will not offend snoopers from the Its Gotta Match Just So club. Use your skills to make something to be proud of!

[Raymond Fries]

I have had very good luck matching furniture pieces by using a local paint store to mix a custom stain for me. I simply take a piece of wood that I am staining and if available a piece of what I want matched. It costs me $15 a pint but this guy is awesome.

The guy even matched the stain for an herb garden frame I made (Posted elsewhere on the forum) from a picture of the window sill. I had to take the stain back once so he could tweak it a little with yellow but it was a perfect match after that.

Good Luck...

[Chris Leverett]

Wow, thanks for the large volume of replies everyone. I will try to address some of the concerns that have come up.


It is unlikely that your "cherry" furniture is "cherry". I'll bet it's sold as "Cherry Finish" and that if you read the fine print, no where will is say that "solid cherry" was used. Just my guess....



Its real cherry, it was not a cheap-o furniture store. Of course it is mostly veneers, but its real veneers ;)


I'm a big proponent of "if you want it to look like cherry, use cherry". That said, let me warn you that mixing poplar and birch will greatly compound your finish problems

This is a great point, if I do this... and its still an if, I will not use the birch ply.


At the risk of sounding like the wood snob I suspect I am, why would you want to perpetuate an inferior look? I think you'd enjoy real cherry better than matchy-matchy

I'm not a wood snob, yes I like quality stuff, but this furniture was chosen more for color, style and size. Whether it was cherry or not never was a part of it.

My only reason for trying this is that I have almost filled the house with furniture I have made, which can be a bummer. But here was an excuse to build something else! :) I just hated to use cherry, EXPENSIVE cherry, when so little of the woods true grain would show. This stain is quite dark and shows very little wood grain. I agree that cherry looks great with a clear finish on it, but I have a very picky customer (wife) and this has to be identical to what I already have.

Chris

[Michael Schwartz]

Arrgghh I hate it when they take cherry venner and stain it 10 times darker than the wood, and glaze it to cover up sanding marks, and to hide that "Rustic Wood Grain Look" that people from the city reserve for their cabin in the mountains. :D :D :D

Seriousy, No offense meant for anybody who doesnt like to see their woodgrain ;) Somebody needs to keep the MDF, and Paint companys in business.

Might as well take some plain mdf (don't even bother with MDF crotch burl :D) and stain the heck of that and glaze it.

You are correct to use a cheap wood to get this look and not butcher cherry. Poplar should work well, and the grain should match up nicely. You can buy 12mm (3/4") Poplar veneered hardwood plywood at many Home Depots now, although I will warn you that it is meant to be a paint grade hardwood plywood so pick through it carefully to get nice sheeets, and that it also splinters easily. So use a good blade if you don't want tons of tearout.

Another possibility is to make everything out of partical board (Is it against the TOS to say particle board? ;) ) and veneer it with a cherry veneer, and maybe a hardwood edge-banding sawn from a peice of cherry.

[Howard Acheson]

Howie, the green heartwood will brown out with exposure and I haven't had any issue with it with regard to finishing. (Mineral stains would be a different issue, but I avoid that stuff anyway)

That's true Jim, but the brown does not stain the same as the surrounding wood. I have used poplar to imitate some cherry where real cherry was a waste of money. If it contained any green, I used an A/B bleach to remove the color. Doing that and using a heavy stain and/or toner could work to produce any color.

[William Bachtel]

Never stain Cherry, I said Never. Welcome on board, and once you go with Cherry and a clear finish, you will be glad you did. As for the old furniture you will get rid of it piece by piece, and replace with the real stuff. Some day you will have a house full of real wood, with clear finish

[Jeff Raymond]

Never stain Cherry, I said Never. Welcome on board, and once you go with Cherry and a clear finish, you will be glad you did. As for the old furniture you will get rid of it piece by piece, and replace with the real stuff. Some day you will have a house full of real wood, with clear finish



YEAH! Awright, someone else got it!

(You could sneak in a few piece with rubbed linseed oil and still stay in the club, tho). :D