Finishing and Surface Checks

[Trevor Walsh]

I'm building a table, from Cherry. the top has some surface checking. It's going to be stained and coated in several layers of shellac and then waxed. I was thinking about using some two part epoxy and sawdust as a filler, but I'm not sure how the stain will look on top of that.

Should I stain first, then fill the cracks with clear epoxy, no sawdust? Then shellac and wax or is there another way to do it?

Thanks for you input,

[Phil Phelps]

Just curious. Why are you staining cherry?

[Trevor Walsh]

To match the client's interior which appears to be some old/dark mahogany.

[Prashun Patel]

If you're coloring, I'd fill first. The epoxy won't accept color once cured. If the checks aren't that big, you might dye the filler black, that will tend to match the natural black marks in cherry.

[Scott Holmes]

Trevor,

Shellac should not be built up to a thick coat as you can do with varnish or lacquer.
Shellac that is too thick will alligator (crack, craze, whatever you want to call it).

The perfect shellac finish is the thinnest possible film that is flawless.

[Trevor Walsh]

Scott I'm not sure how that helps me with this situation. I just want to know what is the better sequence is.

Prashun, do you think I will have issues where the epoxy soaks in and prevents sections from staining?

[del schisler]

I'm building a table, from Cherry. the top has some surface checking. It's going to be stained and coated in several layers of shellac and then waxed. I was thinking about using some two part epoxy and sawdust as a filler, but I'm not sure how the stain will look on top of that.

Should I stain first, then fill the cracks with clear epoxy, no sawdust? Then shellac and wax or is there another way to do it?

Thanks for you input,

Watch this video by charles neil on shellac . On the clear epoxy once it is the serface crack's it will take no stain . If it were me i would stain let the stain go into the check's . Than i would use shellac this should fill the crack's ?? i havent seen them. But look at this video it will show you lot's about shellac http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=...51/OQZ-JueEqz0

[Casey Gooding]

Fill checks prior to staining. Tape off the edges of the checks, then fill with epoxy. That will help the epoxy from creeping over onto areas it doesn't belong. I agree with Prashun about tinting black. If you stain first, you will remove it when you sand or plane off the excess epoxy, so that's not a good idea.

[Steve Schoene]

I'm confused about several things. Why would you use defective lumber (checked) for a client piece? Why would you try to match mahogany with cherry? The two are not alike in any way. There are substitutes that are cheaper than cherry--at least cheaper than non-defective cherry.

[Trevor Walsh]

The client told me it was cherry before they sent the color sample, they wanted a cherry table and they wanted a COLOR that went with the built-ins. I matched to that and sent them a pallet to chose from. I never implied the two were the same, when their sample showed up it didn't look to be cherry to me, but that is irrelevant. I used what they wanted.

There are two small checks, they aren't ruining the piece. I didn't ask your opinion on our wood selection, color choice or anything. Just in which order to do my finishing.

I've got my answer so this thread is pretty much moot now, thanks everyone for their replies. As always there's a wealth of knowledge and view on here.