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Thread: Need a suggestion on getting cherry a little darker

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Grand Forks, ND
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    Need a suggestion on getting cherry a little darker

    I'm building an island for my kitchen from cherry, I've done some samples and the most desireable finish I've found is BLO and then wipe on poly over it, but I need it just a little darker, so do I stain, blo and then poly or should I blo, stain and then poly.

    I'd appreciate a suggestion on a darker cherry stain color and mfg. also if someone has any suggestions.

  2. #2
    I would try blo, orange shellec, then poly; blo, kusmi shellac, then poly; blo, shellac with med. transtint dye added, then poly; or leave the piece out in the sun for a few days followed by one of the above. As always test your entire finishing schedule on scrap first.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
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    Give it a sun tan! It is really amazing how well that works on cherry.
    Larry J Browning
    There are 10 kinds of people in this world; Those who understand binary and those who don't.

  4. #4
    Heavy coat of General Finishes Seal-a-Cell CLEAR followed by wipedown and several hours out in the sun. I've had very good results with this process.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2004
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    N Illinois
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    4,602
    Agree w all above. You could try garnet shellac (a darker pigment) after the BLO and before the varnish. This will deepen/darken it. Also, time in the sun works. Combo of the 2 should get your results.
    Jerry

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
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    South Carolina
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    Jeff,
    If you have to add color, I would try to do it by using dark shellac. The common answer in all these replys is to avoid stain if at all possible. The results are not predictable leading to splotching. If a suntan or garnet shellac won't work, you could try glazing with gel stain over shellac since you can wipe off most. ALWAYS try out the entire process on scrap first. DAMHIKT!

    Mark

  7. #7
    Check out the latest issue of Fine Woodworking. They had an article in there about using a dye and then staining over it. Their cherry sample came out pretty good.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Thomasville, Georgia
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    Jeff,

    The best finish for cherry is a suntan, as others have mentioned. That said, you're at a disadvantage being so far north. Here in Florida, I can take freshly milled cherry, wipe on BLO/Naphtha in a 1/1 ratio while the piece is sitting in the Sun, then continue to wipe off the excess every few minutes as it sits in the Sun for several hours. Some pieces take several hours on two or three different days, but the result is worth it. Up your way, I'd probably opt for a dye to give it some color for starters, then let nature take its course over the next few years.

    Regards,
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] Bill Arnold
    NRA Life Member
    Member of Mensa
    Live every day like it's your last, but don't forget to stop and smell the roses.

  9. #9
    Jeff, another way to darken Cherry in an instant is to use a Lye/Water solution. It works like magic on Cherry. Of course, Lye is very caustic and MUST be used with caution. It only takes a bit mixed with water to do the trick. (Last time I use this method, I think I used about 1/2 tsp. to a quart of water, and it did fine.) The stronger the solution, the darker the Cherry will get. I bought a container of Red Devil Lye at the local Ace Hardware store. (Look for it where the drain cleaner products are located.)

    Just use a damp rag with the solution, and wipe it on evenly. Wear GLOVES, EYE PROTECTION and work in a WELL VENTILATED AREA!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Austin, TX
    Posts
    180
    Jeff,

    I working on a cherry bookcase right now. The first picture (with shelves) shows the bookcase without any finish. The second picture (no shelves) has two coats of 1 1/2# cut garnet shellac on top of BLO. I just shot the shellac today. I'm going to finish up with lacquer.

    You can adjust the color as needed by adjusting the cut of the shellac.

    The lighting in my shop doesn't do justice to the finish.

    Mark
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    Last edited by Mark Duksta; 03-10-2006 at 10:11 PM.

  11. #11
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    Mar 2003
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    Time will do it!
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    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

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