Peter,
I am building new kitchen cabinets from a wild cherry tree that came off of my property. The wood is very nice but is particularly prone to blotchiness. I am using the “hot rodded varnish” from a recent FWW and am curious if using some dye to tint the finish might help with the blotches. I don’t want to add too much color because I am very fond of plain oil finishes on cherry. Would a wash coat of shellac before adding the oil be a better choice?
Thanks in advance————- gbeard
Replies
gbeard
Adding color to an oil will do nothing for the blotches.
I don't remember exactly what Roland's varnish was but you can certainly add a wash coat to help control the absorption of the oil.
I am going to echo Gary Rowgowskis sentiment on the "blotching" issue. He gave a great answer to someone a while back in his folder.
Cherry has what some find a problem in the blotching. It's a natural part of the look of the wood as is the ribbons in some mahogany and the stripes in tiger maple.
For some reason lately there is some upheaval against this as a major defect. IT IS NOT.
As the wood mellows it just becomes part of the character. I have a very large cherry unit that was built for me a few years ago. It has some great character (blotching) and color to it.
Make a couple of samples with light wash coats prior to adding the oil. It may be just enough for you.
Good luck.
Peter
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