Staining cherry with sapwood (Finished pix added)

[rich pierce]

I bought a cherry blank sight unseen with “a little” sapwood. I think some will remain after I lay out the profile. If I use lye as a stain, will the sapwood show?

[FALout]

Yes it will show, more then likely.  I don’t have any cherry with heartwood that I could experiment with or you.  I’ve worked with walnut that has been steamed to basically color the heartwood to match the rest of the boards.  It worked so as to make lower grade of lumber to be more useable, but eventually the difference in color would show in time.  I guess experimentation would be the only course of action.  Where would this heartwood end at on your stock layout?

[rich pierce]

Bob, cherry is mostly heartwood. This one is “musket grained” (bad thru wrist) but it’s for a musket, so..... :-)

I’m thinking with a chemical stain the results may be different than with dyes. Guess I will test a piece.

[FALout]

Whoever sold that to you wasn’t being totally honest.  I’m not sure how that will darken with sunlight/time.

[Nordnecker]

I'd be pretty disgusted if I paid good money and got something like that. There's only one thing I'd build with that piece of wood, a fire.

[smart dog]

Hi Rich,
I am not sure there is much you could do to blend the light wood.  Dyes might help and you could try some ferric nitrate on the light wood.  I also do not like the grain through the wrist.  I don't understand the term "musket" grained since ordnance inspectors would have rejected a blank with grain like that.

dave

[Jim Kibler]

Without having the stock in hand, it's hard to tell the grain direction, but I would caution you to not make an assesment based on the "cathedral" patterns resulting from the growth rings emerging from the side of the stock.  These have nothing to do with grain direction and are a result of a slab sawn piece cut at an angle relative to the stacked up growth rings.  Look closely at the wood pores (magnification may help) and try to see the direction of the grain.  You can also cut a small piece from the stock and split it to see the orientation.

As far as blending, I would consider staining the entire stock with iron nitrate.  It will probably go fairly dark, but it can the be selectively rubbed back.  The added benefit of this is that you can create contrast, leaving recesses darker.

All the best,
Jim

[bama]

This is the reason that I don't buy stock blanks sight unseen any more. I hope you did not spend a ton on the stock and if possible return it for a refund. Life is to short to work on anything but a decent piece of wood.

[Robby]

rich, try steaming it before you stain. That should equalize the colors.
Robby

[Dennis Glazener]

I bought a cherry blank sight unseen with “a little” sapwood. I think some will remain after I lay out the profile. If I use lye as a stain, will the sapwood show?

Yes, I have tried lye water, cherry stains and some stain made from hickory ashes/water (basicly lye water) and none of it looked anything like the heart wood. I have not tried aqua fortis maybe that would work.
Dennis

[Scota4570]

IF it were me I'd request return postage and send it back for refund.  I agree that I would not spend any time trying to make a stock of it.  I'm guessing the supplier does not know anything about stock wood.  IF that is so, is the wood dry?  Also what is the strength of the white wood?  With walnut the sap wood is punkie, does this hold true for cherry?  Is that bark on the right side of the foreend?

[rich pierce]

I’m hoping I can wrangle a stock out of it avoiding the sapwood.  I’ll work on my pattern today then hope to get to a bandsaw soon.  Meanwhile I will practice staining.

[Sawfiler]

Sapwood on cherry may or may not be structurally sound depending on the piece. I'd also worry about gum pockets/bark inclusions that cherry sometimes has with wood that changes grain direction alot. They are hidden weaknesses that will open up at the wrong time.

Don't worry about trying aqua fortis. It will turn cherry black as tar. The chemicals in the wood are different from maple. Speaking from experience.

[DHS]

The sapwood will not stain the same color as heartwood and the grain will always look different and rather ugly.  That piece needs to go back.  Don't waste your time.

[skullcap]

If you char the surface of the whole stock then rub it back just a little to get the dust off then stain with a cherry stain like laurel mountain. It will look pretty decent.   But I would not use as a gun stick.    You could get a couple war  clubs out of it     Rick

[rich pierce]

Thanks guys. Regarding the grain, Jim Kibler was right. It’s solid as a rock with growth rings running up and down through the butt. Plank sawn and probably as strong as quarter dawn or better.

Lye staining doesn’t work on the sapwood but with LMF red, the sapwood and heartwood look almost identical.

I bought this a year or more ago, stuck it in a corner, and pulled it out just recently, so am not going to return it. The blank cost me less than $100 if I recall and so it’s not worth hassling over. Nuff said. I’ll make a back story and be as happy as if I was in my right mind, as my dad used to say.

Now to turn the corner on this let me share pix of the original I will base the build on. An auction gun was listed as a French gun. Once that was in my mind I apparently went blind. Yes it was made with 100% French fusil ordinaire parts but it’s stocked in cherry and almost certainly an early New England gun. I have a partially built TRS fusil ordinaire and hate the stock architecture. Too much drop and I could not shoot it with a cheek weld. So I’ll use those parts. Sometimes procrastination pays off. I find the gun below elegant in its lines.

[flinchrocket]

The LMF stains can be mixed with there finish and sealer, so that may be something to consider.

[Bigmon]

Hi Rich,
I went back and looked thru my records as well as my related photo files.  I believe that is a blank that you purchased from me.  If you are unhappy with the pc I will gladly refund your money.  I believe it was $75 for the blank, I do not recall the shipping agreement?
I believe that I sent pics of several different blanks to chose from?  I sold several at that times to various folks.  And one fella, maybe you, bought a walnut blank also at the same time.
I remember that there was a lot of sap wood on that pc as can be seen in the photo, but also that it was solid and pretty hard for cherry. I'd try an alcohol based stain.  Still if yer not pleased just say so.
Attached is a photo of a rifle that I completed from a Jim Kibler kit that he used my wood from the very same tree.
Regards,  Brad Foust

[rich pierce]

Brad, no worries, I think this is going to work out fine for me especially at the price! I was not bashing just looking for best way to use it.

This is the sapwood/ heartwood boundary stained with LMF vs AQF. pretty sure I can work with it. Kudos to you for chiming in. I’d forgotten where I got the blank. You’re a stand up guy.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Forgot to add the pics Rich.

[Stophel]

Perhaps a good candidate for aging.     A darkened and worn finish appropriately done could hide any color difference in the sapwood, which looks like it will pretty much only be in the fore end.

[rich pierce]

Forgot to add the pics Rich.

Running a fever, Taylor. It’s not that I’m old and forgetful!

[Bigmon]

OK Rich, that's up to you.  I just didn't want ya to think I misled you when I sold it to ya.
Good luck with it.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Rich:  may our health improve in 2020.

[flinchrocket]

Sounds like it's time for the onion soup