Tips: Suntan cherry, and make your own buttons

[Al Navas]

I just posted a short video at my blog:

In this episode I show:

* Why you should give cherry a good suntan, followed by a gorgeous and easy finish,

and

* How to make your own buttons, to attach a stool top or a table top to the base

Why suntan cherry?
I love working with cherry, because it machines beautifully, and it is plentiful here in the Mid-West. But it also takes on a gorgeous color as it ages -even if it takes a long time to develop the deep color we normally associate with antique pieces. However, we can help help Nature do its thing on cherry, by simply exposing our work piece to the sun for a several hours over the span of several days. Follow that with a nice protective finish, and you have a wonderful piece to show!

Make your own buttons
I did not have figure 8s to attach the top to the base of the little stool I made for Sierra. But I was anxious to let her use it as soon as I completed it, so her instructor could assess whether the 16-inch height was suitable. If it was, it would allow her to spend 30 minutes during her lesson as comfortable as possible. What to do to attach the stool top to the base, while allowing for the cross-grain expansion of the top without problems? Make my own buttons! In this episode I show the machining of the buttons with tongue & groove router bits, and discuss the advantages of using height-matched bits to do the job easily, and quickly.

I wish everyone a wonderful 4th of July. And may everyone have a safe Independence day with your families and loved ones!

Contrast between just-sanded cherry, and cherry with a nice suntan:




Buttons I made to attach stool top to the base:




Enjoy!


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[Cary Swoveland]

Thanks for the video, Al. I was really surprised at how much the color of the cherry darkened after relatively little exposure to the sun. I'll try it with parts of a cherry bed that are in my shop right now, awaiting finishing. For those dark and rainy times of the year, do you know what sources of artificial light would produce similar results?

Cary

[Chris Friesen]

If it's dark and rainy, just get some minutes at the local tanning salon...

[Al Navas]

Thanks for the video, Al. I was really surprised at how much the color of the cherry darkened after relatively little exposure to the sun. I'll try it with parts of a cherry bed that are in my shop right now, awaiting finishing. For those dark and rainy times of the year, do you know what sources of artificial light would produce similar results?

Cary

Cary,

I believe the main agent in light that makes the cherry acquire such a gorgeous suntan is the ultraviolet component. Even in my shop, with a bunch of T-8 lights in it, cherry will get a very nice color, too! So, just leave the light(s) on overnight, and you will be surprised.

The darker days, without sun, might not make too much difference, as the cherry will also tan. I am always amazed by how badly people will burn and tan even on a cloudy day, if they are not careful.

If it's dark and rainy, just get some minutes at the local tanning salon...

Chris,

I got a good chuckle out of this one! Certain types will look at you funny if you walk into a tanning booth with a bunch of boards in tow. Please, let us know what happens when you do it, though .


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[Douglas Brummett]

Good stuff Al. I actually caught that this morning on your blog. I was questioning your bit setting approach until you explained the grommet in the collet. That is a good little mod. Thanks for the tips.

[Bill Arnold]

I've used the suntan approach for cherry for many years. In my case, part of the process is to apply a 50/50 mix of BLO/Naphtha while the piece is in the sun. The sun warms the mixture, allowing it to penetrate the wood more easily. I apply a liberal amount, let it soak in for a few minutes and begin to wipe it off. I continue to wipe occasionally until no more oil seeps back out of the wood. This process helps reduce the blotching that happens with cherry. The combination of oil and suntan gives cherry a great appearance in a matter of a few hours.

[mark page]

Thanks Al for the tip on cherry. Also thanks for the video showing how your "buttons" are made after the discussion at the creeker meeting about it.
I hope more video "how-to's" are in order for the future!!!

[Al Navas]

Good stuff Al. I actually caught that this morning on your blog. I was questioning your bit setting approach until you explained the grommet in the collet. That is a good little mod. Thanks for the tips.

Great catch, Douglas!

Credit for use of the rubber grommet belongs ALL to the source of the router bits, Marc Sommerfeld. I believe he found this solution while developing his height-matched router bits for cabinetry applications. I am simply a user of the bits .

I've used the suntan approach for cherry for many years. In my case, part of the process is to apply a 50/50 mix of BLO/Naphtha while the piece is in the sun. The sun warms the mixture, allowing it to penetrate the wood more easily. I apply a liberal amount, let it soak in for a few minutes and begin to wipe it off. I continue to wipe occasionally until no more oil seeps back out of the wood. This process helps reduce the blotching that happens with cherry. The combination of oil and suntan gives cherry a great appearance in a matter of a few hours.

Bill,

I am interested in the BLO/naphtha mix, as I have never had the success I have with Waterlox. In my opinion, BLO tends to blur the wood, so I have stayed away from it.

By contrast, Waterlox pops the grain in ways you can not imagine are possible, including plain, blah grain. I do have to apply multiple coats of Waterlox, as I apply with a cloth, and remove after only a few minutes. Then I use 0000 steel wool in between coats, to remove any nibs or dust particles that might accumulate in the 12 hours since applying the last coat.

The finish I get is baby-butt smooth, and truly gorgeous!

Thanks Al for the tip on cherry. Also thanks for the video showing how your "buttons" are made after the discussion at the creeker meeting about it.
I hope more video "how-to's" are in order for the future!!!

You are welcome, Mark! Glad you like these little tips that tend to make our lives a little easier. I do have more planned, which I will document as I work on all my upcoming projects.


.

[Bill Arnold]

Bill,

I am interested in the BLO/naphtha mix, as I have never had the success I have with Waterlox. In my opinion, BLO tends to blur the wood, so I have stayed away from it.

By contrast, Waterlox pops the grain in ways you can not imagine are possible, including plain, blah grain. I do have to apply multiple coats of Waterlox, as I apply with a cloth, and remove after only a few minutes. Then I use 0000 steel wool in between coats, to remove any nibs or dust particles that might accumulate in the 12 hours since applying the last coat.

The finish I get is baby-butt smooth, and truly gorgeous!

Al,

In general, I use the 50/50 mix because it's usually plenty warm in the South. In cold weather, I'll mix it around 20/80 or 25/75 BLO/Naptha to keep it thinner. When I first started using BLO years ago, I used it straight from the can, which proved to be way too thick. Originally, I used MS to thin the BLO but switched to naptha because it dries quicker.

To be real honest, I've continued with the BLO mixtures because it's much cheaper than tung oil products. Unless you spring for 100% tung oil, any of the products that claim to be "tung oil" have little if any tung oil. For instance, Waterlox is about 20% tung oil and the rest is solvents and driers. Apparently, calling a product a tung oil "finish" avoids any issue with honesty in advertising. I ran across one product calling itself "Tung Oil Finish" because the developer's name is supposedly "Tung".

Having said all this, I understand that true tung oil is clearer than BLO, so I don't doubt its value. Using the thinned versions of BLO as I have described gives good penetration and clarity.