Bill Waller wrote:
I have just finished construction on my first real piece of "fine"
furniture.
It is a small chest of drawers made of solid cherry.

Now begins the part of woodworking that I really do not enjoy:
finishing.

My choices a
Shellac:
Lacquer:
Polyurethane:
BLO:
But when all is said and done, what kind of finfish does BLO provide?
What is the proper prep for BLO?
Does it buff out to a nice sheen?
How long does it take for the smell to go away?
How durable is it?

Don't have a clue how BLO will make cherry look; however, I used it
along with bees wax after the BLO on some white oak pieces and am
quite happy with the results.

Instructions are on the can. Cut with turps and wipe on with a rag.
From memory, 3-4 coats.

As far as the beeswax was concerned, mixed my own concoction.

2 parts bees wax, 2 parts turps, 1 part BLO all melted together in a 1
lb coffee can setting in a pan of water on the stove.

Trick is to create a soft gooey wax which can be wiped on and buffed
out, once it has cooled.

Would I use the above on a bar or other potentially wet location? NO.

A fine furniture location? Absolutely.

YMMV

Lew