Author Topic: Wood finish for cherry (Read 12643 times)

wet willy · « **on:** October 28, 2012, 04:57:18 AM »

I'm completing an 18th - early 19th American flint pistol stocked in cherry. The wood appears to have some curl, at least when splashed with water. I know cherry can be tricky to finish, especially to bring out any curl.

I know that cherry will darken with exposure to sunlight. My concern is a stain may so darken the wood the curl will not be seen.

I'd welcome suggestions on how to proceed: shellac sealer, stain, tung, etc?

pathfinder · « **Reply #1 on:** October 28, 2012, 05:24:18 AM »

If the curl is there,it'll stand out unless you "fume" the wood. I personally like Minwax stains. I know,no where near "authentique"but I like the Jacobean on Cherry. As the stain begin's to fade from the light,the same process is making the Cherry darken up,so you'l really not see much of a change over the years. Just my experiance from a life time of furniture refinishing.

I like a sealer of thin shellac,then either tung oil or boiled linseed oil. Everyone has their method and 99% of them are perfectly fine. As many way's to finish wood as there are stars in the sky!

volatpluvia · « **Reply #2 on:** October 28, 2012, 05:45:32 AM »

A coat or two of BLO will bring out all the color you will need on cherry. It will deepen and become more rich as it ages. It will not hide anything but will let you 'see' into the grain. I like tung oil over the BLO.
volatpluvia

mjm46@bellsouth.net · « **Reply #3 on:** October 28, 2012, 04:46:53 PM »

I just built a rifle in curly cherry. I stained it with with LMF Lancaster Maple then overstained it with LMF American Walnut both full strength and wiped on. I really like the color and the curl still shows through just fine.

Vomitus · « **Reply #4 on:** October 28, 2012, 05:23:50 PM »

Does anyone use lye to pull the figure up?

wmrike · « **Reply #5 on:** October 28, 2012, 06:46:50 PM »

I just made some kitchen molding using cherry that is lightly figured in part. I hit it with Easy Off (not all oven cleaners contain lye - read the label) and got a very even finish that was initially darker than I thought I wanted. My wife graciously told me it was perfect. The figure is still there, but with everything being X-degrees darker, the figure is muted a bit.

To my mind, cherry is an elegant wood and on a gunstock the tasteful, slightly muted figure from lye staining is consistent with that mindset.

Dr. Tim-Boone · « **Reply #6 on:** October 28, 2012, 07:00:14 PM »

I used lye first to stain then dewaxed Garnet Shellac in a 1# cut to seal. Then varnish. ........ and inside the gun looks dark like antique furniture, but out in sunlight all of the figure jumps out at you!! I like the way it works

pathfinder · « **Reply #7 on:** October 30, 2012, 02:38:12 AM »

Lye is used in fuming. that's how we finished Libraries and Banks "back in the day".

blackdog · « **Reply #8 on:** October 31, 2012, 06:47:05 PM »

This curly cherry turkey gun is washed in lye and finished in beeswax

Blackpowder Barbie · « **Reply #9 on:** October 31, 2012, 08:12:07 PM »

We use Lye here in the shop. 1 teaspoon lye to 1 quart of water. Test in a hidden place (i.e. barrel channel). If too light add more lye, too dark add more water.

pathfinder · « **Reply #10 on:** October 31, 2012, 10:16:21 PM »

I once finished an upright piano in beeswax,I swear I lost 15lbs before i was done! I'm kinda surprized that this many folk's use lye as a finish! Thought I was holding a "secret" recipe! Just goes to show that nothing is new with this here inter-web thing.

Great looking firearm Blackdog! LOVE the luster the beeswax gives,really soft.

blackdog · « **Reply #11 on:** October 31, 2012, 10:21:08 PM »

It sure looks good on cherry, but I've used both lye and beeswax on maple with good results too.

Ionian · « **Reply #12 on:** November 03, 2012, 03:41:19 PM »

When I was working in a cabinet shop some years ago, as a general rule, it was a sin to stain cherry. We only applied a clear coat to protect the wood and a couple of times the shop owner even lied to the customer about their furniture being stained and they loved the look!

Jim Kibler · « **Reply #13 on:** November 03, 2012, 04:32:53 PM »

Unless cherry has darkened appreciably from time and the sun, I find it to be generally pretty unappealing if left unstained on a gunstock.

Vomitus · « **Reply #14 on:** November 03, 2012, 10:07:48 PM »

Quote from: Blackpowder Barbie on October 31, 2012, 08:12:07 PM

We use Lye here in the shop. 1 teaspoon lye to 1 quart of water. Test in a hidden place (i.e. barrel channel). If too light add more lye, too dark add more water.

Thanks Babs!

Good info on where to start with Lye/Water mixture.

Dr. Tim-Boone · « **Reply #15 on:** November 04, 2012, 08:33:01 PM »

Babs?

Vomitus · « **Reply #16 on:** November 05, 2012, 03:53:58 AM »

All the Barbies,Barbara's, Barbs I've called Babs,no offense intended.Thanks again Barbie.

pathfinder · « **Reply #17 on:** November 06, 2012, 04:49:22 AM »

Quote from: Ionian on November 03, 2012, 03:41:19 PM

a couple of times the shop owner even lied to the customer about their furniture being stained and they loved the look!

I sure hope you dont work for HIM anymore. You NEVER NEVER lie to a customer! EVER! Sorry,pet peave of mine. Had a Restoration shop for 30yrs,and i have let valued employe's go for lying to my customers.

Depending on WHEN the Cherry was cut seem's to have a bearing on what color it's going to turn. And that's just from my experiance from cutting our own wood for our business. Summer cut seem's to turn dark quicker than winter cut.Maybe sap content? All was dried at least 4 years inside. Where it's from probably has a lot to do with it to. One of the wondrful thing's about working with wood!

Rootsy · « **Reply #18 on:** November 06, 2012, 05:33:42 PM »

On this topic, does anyone have photos they would be willing to share of aquafortis stained cherry?

Dr. Tim-Boone · « **Reply #19 on:** November 06, 2012, 06:46:43 PM »

Quote from: Rootsy on November 06, 2012, 05:33:42 PM

On this topic, does anyone have photos they would be willing to share of aquafortis stained cherry?

I have piece of test scrap i may be able to find..it just turned it soot black.

wet willy · « **Reply #20 on:** November 06, 2012, 10:09:47 PM »

Many thanks for all the suggestions on finishing a cherry stock. I will try the lye method, and also thanks to Barbie for proportions. Found some "drain cleaner 100% lye" at the local big-box store. I've scrap maple and will try it.

I'm thinking of trying the lye mixture, then a wash coat of thin shellac prior to the final surface finish to seal the grain. Will the lye raise more whiskers that need to be removed, even after the typical water/dry/light sanding routine?

Dr. Tim-Boone · « **Reply #21 on:** November 07, 2012, 01:19:09 AM »

yes... But after you shellac and sand back to bare wood, then burnish and you will not have any whiskers.

MarkEngraver · « **Reply #22 on:** November 07, 2012, 03:38:59 AM »

I just did a cherry stock with AF yesterday, and Dr. Tim-Boone is right, it turned it soot-black !

I then hit hard with 4-0 steel wool, sanding-polishing-carding till I got a nice red-brown color and some figure that I didn't realize was there showed up ! Bonus !

As soon as I can get everything finished and back together and presentable I'll post pics

Mark

Vomitus · « **Reply #23 on:** November 07, 2012, 04:50:04 AM »

Mark,Please do. I've got an old TOTW precarve in what looks to me as being rather plain cherry. Lots of grain showing but no visible curl.
It's probably 20+ years old. Look forward to your pix.
Path, good info. Makes sense that the summer wood would darken with a higher sap content. I wonder if the winter cut wood will eventually darken with just sunlight? or stain,finish and sunlight?

Dr. Tim-Boone · « **Reply #24 on:** November 07, 2012, 11:04:23 PM »

her is cherry after lye and Chamber's Oil Varnish

Red!! ya think??

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Author Topic: Wood finish for cherry (Read 12643 times)

wet willy

mjm46@bellsouth.net

Vomitus

Ionian

Vomitus

Vomitus

Rootsy

wet willy

MarkEngraver

Vomitus