Cherry changing color?

[Jim Guy]

I have made a few things from cherry and I have quite a bit of it. I have always used stain since I like darker wood. Will cherry continue to darken on its own even after 4 or 5 coats of shellac?
Thanks,
Jim Guy

[Dick Parr]

From my experiance cherry will continue to darken with time and if you put it out in the sun, it will speed up the process.

[Roger Barga]

I'll second Dick's suggestion - if you put your project out in the sun for one or two afternoon tanning sessions, preferably with a coat of oil on it, then continue with your finish (shellac, etc) then it will darken quite a bit faster. I picked up this tip from a finishing book and it has proven to be effective.

[Rick Lasita]

Will cherry continue to darken on its own even after 4 or 5 coats of shellac?

Jim, I agree with the "sun tan" approach, and since shellac has no UV blockers I am aware of, it should continue to darken naturally. I built a bench some years ago, and wanting to get the darker finish faster, I used Watco Oil - Cherry and it deepened the color initially, but not so much that the cherry has turned "black" with time.

Rick

[Lee Schierer]

In my experience, which is somewhat limited, Cherry will darken with age even if finished. It is true that it will darken quicker with exposure to sunlight, but this can be done before or after the finish is applied. Cherry will darken naturally to a deep brown color.

You would be best advised if you were to make a cherry table, not to set a lamp or any other object that isn't moved on it for the first 6 months or so, otherwise a "shadow" could develop under the object.

[Kurt Aebi]

My kitchen cabinets show a "Tan" line everytime you open up one of the doors. It is lighter where the sunlight doesn't reach, (I like the Natural effect, so I am not going to cahnge anything). It will darken to a certain state and remain that color for a long time. I relate it to copper roofing that will green up on you, but won't become forrest green.

Anyway, I agree with all of the above gentlemen with their suggestions. Either let it get a suntan then shellac or give it a coat of stain and then shellac. Either way I think you will like the results.

[Jim Stastny]

Cherry will darken for years to come. The more it is exposed to sunlight the faster it will happen. I can think of nothing that will stop the darkening, although some products may slow it. The recent issue of Fine Woodworking has an article dedicated to cherry. It's worth the read