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#1
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Color of cherry
I felled a black cherry tree in my yard and now I'm milling the wood
from it. I am finding all of this wood to be about the color of Maple, maybe a wee bit darker. How come whenever you see any Cherry furniture or cabinets it is a dark reddish brown in color? Is it always stained? -Jim |
#2
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Color of cherry
On 11/12/2010 5:00 AM, jtpr wrote:
I felled a black cherry tree in my yard and now I'm milling the wood from it. I am finding all of this wood to be about the color of Maple, maybe a wee bit darker. How come whenever you see any Cherry furniture or cabinets it is a dark reddish brown in color? Is it always stained? A lot of the "cherry" furniture you see is indeed stained to get a jump on the natural darkening process due to exposure to sunlight, or is not cherry and has been stained to look like cherry after it has been exposed to sunlight. Cherry will naturally darken with exposure to sunlight. So much so that it will become as dark as walnut over time. -- www.e-woodshop.net Last update: 4/15/2010 KarlC@ (the obvious) |
#3
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Color of cherry
On 11/12/2010 5:00 AM, jtpr wrote:
I felled a black cherry tree in my yard and now I'm milling the wood from it. I am finding all of this wood to be about the color of Maple, maybe a wee bit darker. How come whenever you see any Cherry furniture or cabinets it is a dark reddish brown in color? Is it always stained? -Jim Because we live in a world of instant gratification and people can't stand to wait the six months to a year it takes for Cherry to darken on its own. And stained Cherry never looks as good as it would if it were just left alone. -- See Nad. See Nad go. Go Nad! To reply, eat the taco. http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/ |
#4
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Color of cherry
Try this one
http://www.finewoodworking.com/Mater....aspx?id=33618 "jtpr" wrote in message ... I felled a black cherry tree in my yard and now I'm milling the wood from it. I am finding all of this wood to be about the color of Maple, maybe a wee bit darker. How come whenever you see any Cherry furniture or cabinets it is a dark reddish brown in color? Is it always stained? -Jim |
#5
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Color of cherry
How come whenever you see any Cherry
furniture or cabinets it is a dark reddish brown in color? *Is it always stained? -Jim Yes usually stained but you can darken Cherry "quasi" naturally using chemicals. Potassium dichromate specifically. It is in Drano, etc. but you can buy it full strength in powder form on ebay real cheap. It is a bit dangerous but works fantastic. If you leave it long enough it will go almost black, yet leave the variations of the underlying color. I did some testing with Red Devil drain cleaner and the outcome was awesome. I have in the near future an "antiqued" Cherry bedroom set for myself and I'll probably build an extra set for sale. I just love the deep rich redish brown. Read some about it here. http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=27343 |
#6
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Color of cherry
"SonomaProducts.com" wrote in
: How come whenever you see any Cherry furniture or cabinets it is a dark reddish brown in color? *Is it always stained? -Jim Yes usually stained but you can darken Cherry "quasi" naturally using chemicals. Potassium dichromate specifically. It is in Drano, etc. but you can buy it full strength in powder form on ebay real cheap. It is a bit dangerous but works fantastic. If you leave it long enough it will go almost black, yet leave the variations of the underlying color. I did some testing with Red Devil drain cleaner and the outcome was awesome. I have in the near future an "antiqued" Cherry bedroom set for myself and I'll probably build an extra set for sale. I just love the deep rich redish brown. Read some about it here. http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=27343 I'm not an expert in wood finishing, far from it. However, as a (bio)chemist I have had experience with potassium dichromate. Specifically, we used to use it dissolved in concentrated sulfuric acid to make a really, really powerful cleaning agent for our glassware. That takes advantage of the extremely powerful oxidation capabilities of the combination of 2 powerful oxidizers. It hurts when you get it in the eye. Later, we were forbidden to use it because chromium (chromate is an anion derived from chromium) is a carcinogen. So, be careful with potassium dichromate - an oxidizer and a carcinogen. I surmise that drain cleaners darken wood because of their very high pH. Be careful with lye etc. At high pH your skin and other proteins are dissolved quite effectively, and the lye wil keep eating away until it is either exhausted or really rinsed away. Acids are bad for you too, but at least they denature the protein and form something of a protective layer; lye just dissolves everything. If yoy follow any directions for the use of chemicals, know what you are doing and understand and follow the directions. Universal paid for healthcare isn't yet available for everyone here in the US ... -- Best regards Han email address is invalid |
#7
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Color of cherry
Don't know if it's a combination of heat (Josepi's link?) and the
chemical agent, but using K2Cr2O7 in direct sunlight will darken your wood a heck of a lot faster and with a darker shade, than applying it in a non-sunlit shop/environment. My uncle would apply it and, while still wet, flash it in direct sunlight for about 30 to 60 seconds and you could watch the darkness evolve in that time frame... darker and faster darkening, than when not exposed to sunlight. Sonny |
#8
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Color of cherry
On Fri, 12 Nov 2010 05:31:19 -0600, Swingman wrote:
On 11/12/2010 5:00 AM, jtpr wrote: I felled a black cherry tree in my yard and now I'm milling the wood from it. I am finding all of this wood to be about the color of Maple, maybe a wee bit darker. How come whenever you see any Cherry furniture or cabinets it is a dark reddish brown in color? Is it always stained? A lot of the "cherry" furniture you see is indeed stained to get a jump on the natural darkening process due to exposure to sunlight, or is not cherry and has been stained to look like cherry after it has been exposed to sunlight. Cherry will naturally darken with exposure to sunlight. So much so that it will become as dark as walnut over time. Or you can "gas" or "fume" the cherry to speed up the darkening - I believe ammonia does the trick pretty well. |
#9
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Color of cherry
"jtpr" wrote in message ... I felled a black cherry tree in my yard and now I'm milling the wood from it. I am finding all of this wood to be about the color of Maple, maybe a wee bit darker. How come whenever you see any Cherry furniture or cabinets it is a dark reddish brown in color? Is it always stained? It may be that your garden cherry is not the same cherry that is normally felled for timber. I am no expert on cherry species but istr in europe at least that the timber from a fruit bearing orchard tree was indeed pale in colour. Tim W |
#11
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Color of cherry
On Nov 12, 2:32*pm, "SonomaProducts.com" wrote:
*How come whenever you see any Cherry furniture or cabinets it is a dark reddish brown in color? *Is it always stained? -Jim Yes usually stained but you can darken Cherry "quasi" naturally using chemicals. Potassium dichromate specifically. It is in Drano, Sodium hydroxide, aka red devil lye, and aluminum filings. Add water, and it gets boiling hot, hopefully also boiling out whatever muck is clogging the drain. Pouring in a kettle of boiling water is cheaper, safer, and just as effective. Potassium dichromate is used to photosensitize certain printmaking emulsions. Red crystals, no odor. Skin contact can result in ulcers. As with Drano, use common sense. etc. but you can buy it full strength in powder form on ebay real cheap. It is a bit dangerous but works fantastic. If you leave it long enough it will go almost black, yet leave the variations of the underlying color. I did some testing with Red Devil drain cleaner and the outcome was awesome. I have in the near future an "antiqued" Cherry bedroom set for myself and I'll probably build an extra set for sale. I just love the deep rich redish brown. Read some about it here.http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=27343 Flexner recommends orange shellac to warm up cherry or walnut's usually cold tone. I'd lean toward that solution, since it won't age too dark. |
#12
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Color of cherry
On Nov 12, 2:53*pm, Han wrote:
I surmise that drain cleaners darken wood because of their very high pH. *Be careful with lye etc. *At high pH your skin and other proteins are dissolved quite effectively, and the lye wil keep eating away until it is either exhausted or really rinsed away. *Acids are bad for you too, but at least they denature the protein and form something of a protective layer; lye just dissolves everything. Reason bases feel slippery is they react with skin oils to form soap. |
#13
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Color of cherry
On Nov 12, 4:00*am, jtpr wrote:
I felled a black cherry tree in my yard and now I'm milling the wood from it. * Jim Please comment, if you will, about the sizes of the wood after milling. Please include the height of the main trunk if possible. Thanks Bob AZ |
#14
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Color of cherry
"Father Haskell" wrote: Sodium hydroxide, aka red devil lye, and aluminum filings. ------------ Sodium hydroxide, AKA: "Caustic", "Caustic Soda". Nasty stuff. 50% caustic is most common strength used to make soap as well as other basic products. Definitely not something to screw around with unless you have training, especially when Mother Nature darkens cherry in 6-9 months or less just using normal daylight. Patience is a virtue. Lew |
#15
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Color of cherry
On 11/12/10 8:00 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:34:42 -0600, Martin Eastburn wrote: I can just see it. The Court takes the cabinets off to store for the trial. In storage, the cabinets darken. Get a red faced customer and a happy vendor. Martin They won't ever turn the color of cherry stain, which is the color of the fruit, not the wood. People like the customer in this story think that the wood of a cherry tree is the same color as cherry stain. These cabinets have been clear coated. I imagine they will be light colored for many years. I want some grape cabinets. -- -MIKE- "Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life" --Elvin Jones (1927-2004) -- http://mikedrums.com ---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply |
#16
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Color of cherry
I want some grape cabinets.
* -MIKE- ..... and use Fruit-of-the-Loom cloth to buff them out. Sonny |
#17
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Color of cherry
"Bob AZ" wrote in message ... On Nov 12, 4:00 am, jtpr wrote: I felled a black cherry tree in my yard and now I'm milling the wood from it. Jim Please comment, if you will, about the sizes of the wood after milling. Please include the height of the main trunk if possible. Thanks Bob AZ Since he felled it, the height of the main trunk is equal to the diameter. |
#18
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Color of cherry
On 11/12/2010 7:24 PM, Lew Hodgett wrote:
"Father Haskell" wrote: Sodium hydroxide, aka red devil lye, and aluminum filings. ------------ Sodium hydroxide, AKA: "Caustic", "Caustic Soda". Nasty stuff. 50% caustic is most common strength used to make soap as well as other basic products. Definitely not something to screw around with unless you have training, especially when Mother Nature darkens cherry in 6-9 months or less just using normal daylight. Patience is a virtue. Lew Ed Zachary! I just don't understand all this yap about forcing Cherry to darken using noxious chemicals, and it goes right back to what I said about us living in a world of instant gratification. I don't know that I've ever seen "forcibly" darkened Cherry, but I'd be damned surprised if it looked anywhere near as good as Cherry that's been left alone to do its own thing. -- "Our beer goes through thousands of quality Czechs every day." (From a Shiner Bock billboard I saw in Austin some years ago) To reply, eat the taco. http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/ |
#19
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Color of cherry
On 11/12/2010 10:14 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
"Bob AZ" wrote in message ... On Nov 12, 4:00 am, jtpr wrote: I felled a black cherry tree in my yard and now I'm milling the wood from it. Jim Please comment, if you will, about the sizes of the wood after milling. Please include the height of the main trunk if possible. Thanks Bob AZ Since he felled it, the height of the main trunk is equal to the diameter. Groan :-) -- See Nad. See Nad go. Go Nad! To reply, eat the taco. http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/ |
#20
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Color of cherry
On Nov 12, 6:19*pm, -MIKE- wrote:
snip I want some grape cabinets. Use purpleheart. But then it might turn brown. -) Luigi |
#21
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Color of cherry
In article ,
says... On 11/12/10 8:00 PM, wrote: On Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:34:42 -0600, Martin Eastburn wrote: I can just see it. The Court takes the cabinets off to store for the trial. In storage, the cabinets darken. Get a red faced customer and a happy vendor. Martin They won't ever turn the color of cherry stain, which is the color of the fruit, not the wood. People like the customer in this story think that the wood of a cherry tree is the same color as cherry stain. These cabinets have been clear coated. I imagine they will be light colored for many years. I want some grape cabinets. Dunno where Salty gets the idea that cherry stain is the color of the fruit. I wonder of what he believes "oak" stain to be the color. I had occasion to stain a piece of poplar with "cherry" the other day and hadn't installed it yet, so just for hohos I set it on top of a cherry turning square that's been laying around for five years or so and when you allow for the dust on the turning square it's pretty close--the poplar has taken on several different shades in different spots and I can find spots on the turning square that are pretty close to matching all of them. Some are a bit pinkish. And clear coating doesn't automagically prevent color changes. Depends on the chemistry and the coating. |
#22
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Color of cherry
On Nov 12, 6:00*am, jtpr wrote:
I felled a black cherry tree in my yard and now I'm milling the wood from it. *I am finding all of this wood to be about the color of Maple, maybe a wee bit darker. * How come whenever you see any Cherry furniture or cabinets it is a dark reddish brown in color? *Is it always stained? -Jim For cherry wood that I buy from local hardwood vendors I use boiled linseed oil, next day a coat of shellac(sanding sealer style, no wax) and then poly or lacquer or whatever. The BLO instantly gives the hi pro glow. In a couple of years the color is absolutely stunning. RP |
#23
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Color of cherry
On Nov 12, 11:26*pm, Steve Turner
wrote: [snipperized] *I don't know that I've ever seen "forcibly" darkened Cherry, but I'd be damned surprised if it looked anywhere near as good as Cherry that's been left alone to do its own thing. Amen, brother, amen! |
#24
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Color of cherry
"Martin Eastburn" wrote in message ... I can just see it. The Court takes the cabinets off to store for the trial. In storage, the cabinets darken. Get a red faced customer and a happy vendor. Not likely to darken in storage unless exposed to the sun. |
#25
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Color of cherry
wrote in message ... On Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:34:42 -0600, Martin Eastburn wrote: I can just see it. The Court takes the cabinets off to store for the trial. In storage, the cabinets darken. Get a red faced customer and a happy vendor. Martin They won't ever turn the color of cherry stain, which is the color of the fruit, not the wood. People like the customer in this story think that the wood of a cherry tree is the same color as cherry stain. These cabinets have been clear coated. I imagine they will be light colored for many years. Unless exposed to sun light. |
#26
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Color of cherry
"jtpr" wrote in message ... I felled a black cherry tree in my yard and now I'm milling the wood from it. I am finding all of this wood to be about the color of Maple, maybe a wee bit darker. How come whenever you see any Cherry furniture or cabinets it is a dark reddish brown in color? Is it always stained? -Jim I often find it difficult to distinguish cherry from maple in a lumber yard especially of the some of the maple has dark spots. Chery tends to be a tad more tan than maple when new and darkens greatly with exposure to sunlight. |
#27
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Color of cherry
Just put the Cherry wood in sunlight for a day or so , it darkens up nicely
or finished project in sunny room. Most cherry furniture you find in stores is stained or coloured maple ect. to look cherry. The Chatoyancy of oiled cherry is it's own thing, nothing quit like it "jtpr" wrote in message ... I felled a black cherry tree in my yard and now I'm milling the wood from it. I am finding all of this wood to be about the color of Maple, maybe a wee bit darker. How come whenever you see any Cherry furniture or cabinets it is a dark reddish brown in color? Is it always stained? -Jim |
#28
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Color of cherry
On 11/13/10 12:22 AM, Luigi Zanasi wrote:
On Nov 12, 6:19 pm, wrote: snip I want some grape cabinets. Use purpleheart. But then it might turn brown. -) Luigi You just run the doors through the planer every 6 months. -- -MIKE- "Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life" --Elvin Jones (1927-2004) -- http://mikedrums.com ---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply |
#29
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Color of cherry
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#30
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Color of cherry
On Nov 13, 11:54*am, -MIKE- wrote:
On 11/13/10 12:22 AM, Luigi Zanasi wrote: On Nov 12, 6:19 pm, *wrote: snip I want some grape cabinets. Use purpleheart. But then it might turn brown. -) Luigi You just run the doors through the planer every 6 months. I understand the planer blades make a mess of the hinges though... What turns it brown is oxidation. Seal off the air, and it stays purple. If you don't seal it, it will rust......like oak. |
#31
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Color of cherry
On 11/13/10 4:12 PM, Robatoy wrote:
I want some grape cabinets. Use purpleheart. But then it might turn brown. -) Luigi You just run the doors through the planer every 6 months. I understand the planer blades make a mess of the hinges though... What turns it brown is oxidation. Seal off the air, and it stays purple. If you don't seal it, it will rust......like oak. Ahh crap, you beat me to it. -- -MIKE- "Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life" --Elvin Jones (1927-2004) -- http://mikedrums.com ---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply |
#32
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Color of cherry
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#33
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Color of cherry
On Fri, 12 Nov 2010 08:42:56 -0600, Steve Turner
wrote: On 11/12/2010 5:00 AM, jtpr wrote: I felled a black cherry tree in my yard and now I'm milling the wood from it. I am finding all of this wood to be about the color of Maple, maybe a wee bit darker. How come whenever you see any Cherry furniture or cabinets it is a dark reddish brown in color? Is it always stained? -Jim Because we live in a world of instant gratification and people can't stand to wait the six months to a year it takes for Cherry to darken on its own. And stained Cherry never looks as good as it would if it were just left alone. Not to mention that it's a MORTAL SIN to stain and poly cherry. Yea, though I walk through the valley of death, I shall use neither stain nor poly on cherry. -- To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. -- J. K. Rowling |
#34
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Color of cherry
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#35
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Color of cherry
I always assumed most wood darkening was from UV exposure. Clear coats do
not stop UV penetration well, at all. "Leon" wrote in message ... Unless exposed to sun light. wrote in message ... They won't ever turn the color of cherry stain, which is the color of the fruit, not the wood. People like the customer in this story think that the wood of a cherry tree is the same color as cherry stain. These cabinets have been clear coated. I imagine they will be light colored for many years. |
#36
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Color of cherry
"Robert Haar" wrote in message ... On 11/13/10 8:42 AM, in article , " wrote: Well, duh, Sherlock. If a customer comes to a custom cabinet maker and says they want a particular type of wood and they want a clear coating, they obviously want the color of the wood to be a certain color to match the rest of the kitchen decor. A PROFESSIONAL cabinet maker would not want those cabinets finished in a way that the color would change. If the customer wanted an aged look, the cabinet maker would age it before protecting it to prevent further aging. I would say that any professional would listens to the customer and make sure that he understands what the customer wants. Sounds like the fantasy world of IT analysts talking to the business... huge gaps seems to be the norm! In this case "cherry with clear finish" seems to lack any ambiguity but they were talking two different languages... like IT and the business. John |
#37
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Color of cherry
"Josepi" wrote in message ... I always assumed most wood darkening was from UV exposure. Clear coats do not stop UV penetration well, at all. Sun light will darken most woods and eventually turn them grey if exposed long enough. Sun light will also lighten some woods. |
#38
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Color of cherry
On Nov 13, 5:47*pm, Larry Jaques
wrote: Not to mention that it's a MORTAL SIN to stain and poly cherry. I agree.....with a caveat. I love working with cherry. I have a bunch in stock, the origin of which is known to me. I like the smell, the way it takes detail, relatively stable and it this case not too expensive. So my last project was made with cherry and I blew 3 coats of MinWax Polyshades all over it. I got the Japanese dark red colour Angela wanted and my therapist thinks I stand a chance to be back on solid food within 3 weeks when he'll sign for a weekend pass. The only other thing I had handy was 14" wide poplar, flat and straight and 12 feet long and 6/4, so no way was I going to hurt those boards. oops, time is up, I must join the group and cut out some paper dolls... |
#39
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Color of cherry
Sunlight has darkened my Tiger Wood (not golf related) hardwood floors a
lot. I doubt they would ever go grey, though. ALl the matching and prep for this floor ..about 1200 sq. ft. and now it is all deep red with the black stripes and swirls in it. We think we will start lifting up the carpet in the middle on vacations. The lines are so distinct it may never fade evenly...LOL After finishing the floor area I threw a wrecked piece out on the deck (rain, direct sun on south side and snow) for a year and a half now. The wood colour has darkened a lot, the urethane finish looks a bit duller but not cracked, split or harmed, as far as I can tell. I cconsidered doing the deck in exotic hardwoods after reading about it's durability. Drilling every deckscrew hole would have been a bitch though. Stuff is so friggin' hard though. "Leon" wrote in message ... Sun light will darken most woods and eventually turn them grey if exposed long enough. Sun light will also lighten some woods "Josepi" wrote in message ... I always assumed most wood darkening was from UV exposure. Clear coats do not stop UV penetration well, at all. .. |
#40
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Color of cherry
On Sun, 14 Nov 2010 17:40:21 -0800 (PST), Robatoy
wrote: On Nov 13, 5:47*pm, Larry Jaques wrote: Not to mention that it's a MORTAL SIN to stain and poly cherry. I agree.....with a caveat. I love working with cherry. I have a bunch in stock, the origin of which is known to me. I like the smell, the way it takes detail, relatively stable and it this case not too expensive. Secret Stash time, wot? So my last project was made with cherry and I blew 3 coats of MinWax Polyshades all over it. I got the Japanese dark red colour Angela wanted and my therapist thinks I stand a chance to be back on solid food within 3 weeks when he'll sign for a weekend pass. Glad to hear of your recovery, but DON'T do it again, capice? The only other thing I had handy was 14" wide poplar, flat and straight and 12 feet long and 6/4, so no way was I going to hurt those boards. Grok that. I'da made a Borg run and come back with some nifty termite barf. And I wish I'd sprayed that last bit of polyshades I put on a client's rolling kitchen cabinet. They had it and said "Use this, period." 3 years of therapy later, I'm still having bad dreams about it. oops, time is up, I must join the group and cut out some paper dolls... Weave a basket for me, will ya, big guy? xox -- To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. -- J. K. Rowling |
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