I have a cherry poster bed that was badly faded at places and had some other finish issues also. I had it stripped and now want to finish it. My plan is to top coat it with lacquer but first I need to restor some of the color.
After doing some research, I thought that I would seal the cherry with a wash coat of shellac to prevent blotching and then add the color where needed. My thought is to use a glaze to for that purpose (Blotch-Free Cherry by Mark Schofield, FW #200).
What are your thoughts and do you have a better sugestion? I don’t want to have the above problem repeated for my children or grandchildren so should I avoid dyes?
Thank you in advance.
Replies
The first thing I'd do is wipe it all down with mineral spirits and see what the color is when wet. That is the color you'll get with a clear finish. You may not need to do anything else. BUT it will also show if you are going to have "blotching" and the extent. In wise words, "don't worry, it might not happen".
And if it has been stripped, and I assume at least lightly sanded, you are back to some bare cherry wood which will naturally darken with some time.
Thank you for those wise words. If I need to add color what method would you recommend?
Hello
Cherry wood darkens + finishes yellow over time - you can't control aging.
Anyway - since you mention lacquer -
Suggest seal with sanding sealer - followed by japan or wiping stain mixed into the lacquer top coats - upon reaching desired uniform color - top coat with clear lacquer.
Good Luck
SA
Thanks, I appreciate your input.
The problem with staining is that while you might be able to make color even overall, it will become uneven again as it is exposed to sunlight.
The first thing I would do it to sand the surfaces to 180 grit. Then do as Gretchen suggests and wipe on some mineral spirits which will highlight any uneven color that the wood will take on when finished. Remember that it is natural for cherry to color unevenly. It's an attribute to many folks.
Personally, if this is an old item, I would tend to "celebrate" its age. Don't do much to change the affects of age. It's going to continue to age no matter what you do.
If you want to attempt to even out the color with stain, use a gel stain. First, apply a wash coat of 1# dewaxed shellac. Then wipe or brush on the gel stain. Wipe it on and then judiciously lightly wipe it off working toward and even color. If it's not working out, you can dampen a rag with mineral spirits and wipe off the stain and start over.
Thank you Howie, your comments make a lot of sense. The head board, when it was glued up, has some boards in it that are significiently lighter than the others. I would like to even out the color with a glaze as you recommended. Do you favor a certain type or brand of glaze?
I tend to like Bartley's but Minwax makes gel stain too. It's a matter of finding a color that gives you want you want.Howie.........
Thank you again Howie, I look forward to finishing this project and seeing the final result.
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