Replies

1. 
   WayneL5 | Feb 28, 2004 01:37am | #1

   I think you're better off with the wood in your shop.  If you darken it now, the areas you cut and sand will be lighter and have to be darkened anyway.  It's better to acclimate the wood to your shop, or the room you intend to use the furniture in, then darken the whole piece when it's assembled.

2. 
   JohnWW | Feb 28, 2004 02:20am | #2

   You should bring the wood inside, into the heated area of the house, and let it dry down to the very low indoor moisture levels that are common in New England this time of the year.  If the wood was stored in an unheated area before you bought it, the wood will have a much higher moisture content than wood that has been in a heated area.  

   These low indoor moisture levels are the levels that the wood will eventually be exposed to once it is made into a table top, so you should allow the wood to get down to that level to see whether there are going to be any boards with especially bad twist or cupping problems.  Don't make the assumption that the finish applied to the table top will prevent the wood from drying out in the future because no finish is moisture proof over the long term. 

   Seal the ends of the boards with paint or a strip of tape to prevent end checking and give the wood at least a couple of weeks to dry out before starting to work with it.  The boards should be away from direct heat or sun and should have air circulation around both faces of each board. 

   Ideally, when you begin working on the boards, the air in your shop should be similar in temperature and relative humidity to the air in the house to prevent the wood from changing dimension as you cut and plane it to size.  If the air in your shop can't be warmed up, try to joint and glue up the top and get it back into the house fairly quickly to prevent the wood from changing dimension before the glue joints have fully cured.

   If you want to darken the wood, expose it to the sun after the top is glued up, but be aware that intense sun can very quickly, within just a couple of hours, severely dry out the exposed face of the table top and cause warpage that wouldn't occur under ordinary conditions.

   Hope this helps, John W.

   
   

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   Edited 2/27/2004 6:23:20 PM ET by JohnW

1. 
   dave_in_london | Feb 28, 2004 02:56am | #3

   Cherry  that has been steamed will carry the colors of the tannin in a consistent manner through the wood. I'm building a bedroom suite with steamed cherry and it will indeed be dark when it is completed.

   There's also an old recipe that creates a similar effect using common lye (sodium hydroxide). This reacts with the tannin as well.

   With cherry's color adventures, as suggested, you probably want to get it inside and accustomed to the environment in which the piece will reside.

   Edited 2/27/2004 7:17:04 PM ET by Dave

   Edited 2/29/2004 2:13:21 PM ET by Dave

3. 
   Paul_Snyder | Feb 28, 2004 05:20am | #4

   Bill,

   After you complete the desktop, place it near a window in the house that gets southern light. The cherry will darken considerably in about a week. More time has a lot less effect than the initial week. After a week or so, keep it away from direct sunlight because the UV will eventually start to fade the wood (it takes months). This is a sample that I exposed to the sun for a week (the top section was covered);

   View Image
   "Suntanned" Cherry

   An option, like Dave suggests, is to treat the wood with lye before applying the finish. Mix 3 tablespoons of lye with a quart of water and brush it on with a synthetic bristle brush. There are some drawbacks to this technique: lye is very caustic and you need gloves and goggles; the treatment will have more effect on the boards that contain the most tannin; and it will not color sapwood like the heartwood. The wood will be too red for a while, but then will settle down to a nice, very aged color. Here's a sample treated with lye;

   View Image
   Lye on Cherry

   Paul

1. 
   brnaclbil | Feb 28, 2004 06:02am | #5

   Thanks for all of the suggestions.

   This desktop will be an "L"  92" by 48", so I can't get it all in front of a window.

   I don't like the chemical idea, so I'll just let it get some late winter sun outdoors on the deck for a few hours after the glue has dried. I plan on taking it to a local cabinet shop to be initially sanded, which I will follow with my RO and hand sanding.

   I plan to put a cove chamfer on the edge. I assume that I should wait until machine sanding is done, right?

   I thought about scraping it but have no experience with scrapers / scraper planes.

   I don't have either a jointer or a planer, but I do have a brand new CMT 40T combination blade (recommended for ripping this cherry by the sales guy at Woodcraft) and I have a sharp Stanley #7 jointer plane.

   Bill

4. 
   stancalow | Feb 28, 2004 07:27am | #6

   B-Bill   I'm not an expert but I have seen cherry blotch with BLO

1. 
   brnaclbil | Feb 28, 2004 07:39am | #7

   Stan,

   After reading Thomas Mosers book, I think this is why he heats his BLO to 130 degrees. He says it soaks it up like a sponge when it is heated. I haven't figured how I will heat it, though. I may try the mocrowave first, since I don't have a hotplate in the shop. Or maybe just do it on the stovetop.

   I am concerned about whether a sanded finish will contribute to blotching.

   I don't have a scraper plane. Maybe I should go with a new carbide blade in my Sanvik. I don't have any experience with a card scraper and hesitate to start on something this large.

   I'll be sure to test the BLO on some scraps and plan to oil the back before I tackle the front.

   Thanks,

   Bill

1. 
   dirtstirrer | Feb 28, 2004 09:08pm | #8

   Bill,

   To heat my BLO, I set it on on of those oil filled electric radient heaters, in a metal coffee can.  Seems to maintain a good temp, and the wood does really take it better, lower viscosity I'm guessing.  Don't forget to take it off the heater when you're not using it.  Had a grocery burn down a few years ago here, due to BLO soaked rags in a pile.Steve

1. 
   brnaclbil | Feb 29, 2004 02:01am | #9

   Thanks, Steve.

   My only source of supplimental heat in the workshop is one of those oil filled heaters.

   Maybe I'll preheat the BLO in the kitchen and bring it down onto the electric oil radiator to maintain the temp.

   Bill

1. 
   dirtstirrer | Feb 29, 2004 04:49am | #10

   Sounds like my heating system Bill!  You'd be suprised how fast it heats up, you may not need the extra stove time.  Have a good evening,Steve

5. 
   aew | Feb 29, 2004 10:52pm | #11

   I normally expose cherry furniture to sunlight to darken them.  The other replies are correct, you don't want to do this until the very end after you have it ready to finish.  Normally I expose surfaces to 3-5 days of sunlight (I'm also in NH and at this time of year it will take a longer time). 

   I have never used lye on cherry.  I am a chemist by training and caustics are dangerous.  Also, if you do decide to use lye, make sure it is neutralized before you try to finish it.  This can be done by rinsing with water or application of a weak acid (vinegar will work) but again, the residues must be removed. 

   I've not used BLO on cherry.  I either use a gel urethane finish for furniture that gets a lot of use or an oil-varnish mix.  I've been using a mixture of varnish, tung oil, and turpentine that works really well on cherry.  The only downside is that the turpentine odor lasts a long time and if you don't like the smell, it gets old. 

   I'd recommend buying some card scrapers and learning to use them.  It takes awhile but is much quicker and more satisfying than sanding.  I HATE sanding!

   Good luck with the desk.