Make any sense to use cherry if you plan to stain?

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Hi All,
What I should have asked is what wood/plywood do you use when you know you're going to use stain? It's not that I like to stain cherry; it's just that I've worked with it a lot. And sometimes I just wanted a different look to the project. So I'm looking for a good wood/plywood for projects I'm going to be staining. Sorry about the confusion. Alan

[Steve Roxberg]

Putting stain on cherry would be like putting a burlap sack on Shania Twain

Wait, Shania Twain would look good in a burlap sack or anything else for that matter.

[Ernie Hobbs]

It looks like I am in the minority here. I agree that cherry looks best in it's natural form. That's great for shaker or more modern types of furniture. But, for an 18th century reproduction, a little stain is necessary to blend with other period pieces. Cherry is a beautiful wood, stained or not, if done right. I don't agree that you should use a secondary wood and stain it "cherry". If you want it look like cherry, then use cherry. You should use the the wood appropriate for the job.

[Dave Avery]

While not a religeous person, I do like to think there are some deeds that get punished.. I'll have to agree with Jim on this one.. I don't know about utilizing the word "sinful" but I did once hear a quote by Kelly Mehler that might be applicable. He said something along these lines..

"There is a special place in hell for people who rip cut wide boards and glue them back together to keep them from warping."

Similarly, I think perhaps cherry is best left alone... Special terrible place for people who stain cherry? I don't know..



Alright, I'm just playing devil's advocate here.. While I don't color anything that leaves my shop, I think you should go with what feels best and or what your client is asking for.

-Markus


By the way, what's a Shania Twain?

Agree with your sentiments, Markus......

And to answer your question, Shania Twain is a particularly "well turned" country music singer.

[Aaron Heck]

I've never understood the whole thing of adversity to staining cherry. I think it's the same as everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon to bash bose and microsoft. Maybe they just feel better being a follower?

Me, I like working with cherry a lot. I love the grain pattern. Sure, it's very nice with only an oil finish. But I also think it's very nice with a stain or colored shellac, too. Just personal preference, but I think it gets old the whole "I think it's wrong to stain cherry" thing. You don't see anyone telling you not to dye curly maple, do you? Just don't understand it.........

Aaron

[Robert Beaumont]

I am new to sawmill creek I want to thank the post that I read about not staining cherry. I have made a Travern Drop Leaf Table out of Ohio Cherry and I did not stain only used a lacquer finish. It is turning a nice tone.

Thanks for the help in the finish.

Robert Beaumont
Ohio

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Decide for yourself.
fmr

[Frank Drew]

Don't dye curly maple.

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[Al Navas]

Expose cherry to sunlight for several days in a row, even if it already has a topcoat. Watch it develop a wonderful suntan! Nothing on cherry for this guy. OR on Shania...

.

[Tony Bilello]

We all see things differently so here is how I see things.
If you take desireable woods like cherry or mahogany they will look good whether stained ot not. All the stain usually does it darken it somewhat.
If you take some of the less desirable woods like birch or poplar you are still just darkening it to make it look better, but they still lack the 'character' of the more expensive woods.
You can never give pine the same appeal as walnut no matter what you do to it. Walnut also speaks fopr itself whether stained or not.

[Chris Padilla]

I though I'd point out to everyone that this is a 5 year old post revived. Good thread...just a tad old....

[Al Navas]

By the way, I believe you want to use a dye, not a stain. I see the two used interchangeably, but they are not:

• Dyes are transparent, with all the solids in solution - NO solids in the liquid. And using dyes also ensures you can see the grain structure, etc.
• Stains have solids in them that do NOT dissolve, and therefore tend to differentiate the pores in woods like oak. The solids do not penetrated the fiber like the dyes do, as they basically will sit on the surface looking like...solids. Stains obscure the grain, and will even hide it.

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[Al Navas]

I though I'd point out to everyone that this is a 5 year old post revived. Good thread...just a tad old....

Thanks, Chris! It is a good thing to re-visit old friends, and re-establish the connection. Good for the newbies, and for the soul.

.

[Chris Padilla]

Al,

You want to differentiate between pigment and dye.

[Chip Lindley]

I am new to sawmill creek I want to thank the post that I read about not staining cherry. I have made a Travern Drop Leaf Table out of Ohio Cherry and I did not stain only used a lacquer finish. It is turning a nice tone.

Thanks for the help in the finish.

Robert Beaumont
Ohio

Some woods are bland and beg for a stain. Case In Point--hard maple. The fiddle-back or birdseye figure is quite nice, but the background is a bland off-white! Maple cries out, "Stain me Please!"

Not so with cherry. It is a rich reddish-brown from the gitgo. UV rays darken it quite nicely in a relatively short time. Real patina is something which cannot be achieved with stain or dye.

If you insist upon the individualistic approach to color cherry at your whim, at least do it right. Research how to best achieve the tone you want. It's a little more than brushing on MinWax!!

I will finish my cherry kitchen in progress with a clear coat. I will enjoy watching the patina darken and become more enriched.