Recommendations for small Cherry Cabinet Finish

[Jason Zahn]

Hi all,

Getting ready to start on a small cherry wall cabinet, and I'm trying to think about how to finish it.

My initial thought was a coat or two of a wiping varnish, such as Waterlox or Formby's, on both interior and exterior surfaces, but I'm getting some conflicting info as to whether or not it'd be wise to use either of these products on the interior of the cabinet due to the possibility of lingering fumes/smell.

The cabinet won't see any 'hard' use, so now I'm thinking about scrapping the idea of a wiping varnish altogether, and just simply doing a coat or two of shellac both inside and out. The catch is I've never really worked with shellac, and my only concern is whether I'll be able to achieve a decent, even coat due to the fact that : 1) I'm inexeperienced with shellac, and, 2) given the nature of the cabinet, I'll be tackling corners/ tight spaces.

Anyone have any opinions either way?

Thanks in advance...

[Frederick Rowe]

I don't use Formby's Tung Oil because I'm not sure what's in it, and from what I've read it's combination of varnish and linseed oil. It may be a decent product, but I won't use a product without knowing what it comprises.

Waterlox, a penetrating oil varnish, would be an excellent choice. Easy to apply and build up, you won't go wrong. Shellac will also yield an excellent finish, but while I wouldn't consider it difficult to apply, does require a moderate level of care in it's application.

Either will work well, but will have distinctively different looks. An oil finish will pop the wood grain, but won't have a high gloss finish. The shellac will provide high gloss, but not do much to enhance the grain. Best to test on offcuts and see which you prefer. If you go with shellac, practice first and buy a quality shellac - I'd recommend mixing your own from flakes. Read up, plenty of resources available, not difficult.

As with any oil based finishing schedule for cherry, consider a wash coat if your wood appears to be prone to blotching.

[Jason Zahn]

Thanks for the reply. Would you think there'd be any residual smell from the Waterlox that would linger on the inside of the piece if I finished the interior with Waterlox?

Also, would you use a wash cost under the Waterlox, and if so, what have you had good experience with?

Thanks!

I don't use Formby's Tung Oil because I'm not sure what's in it, and from what I've read it's combination of varnish and linseed oil. It may be a decent product, but I won't use a product without knowing what it comprises.

Waterlox, a penetrating oil varnish, would be an excellent choice. Easy to apply and build up, you won't go wrong. Shellac will also yield an excellent finish, but while I wouldn't consider it difficult to apply, does require a moderate level of care in it's application.

Either will work well, but will have distinctively different looks. An oil finish will pop the wood grain, but won't have a high gloss finish. The shellac will provide high gloss, but not do much to enhance the grain. Best to test on offcuts and see which you prefer. If you go with shellac, practice first and buy a quality shellac - I'd recommend mixing your own from flakes. Read up, plenty of resources available, not difficult.

As with any oil based finishing schedule for cherry, consider a wash coat if your wood appears to be prone to blotching.

[Steve Schoene]

Formby's is just an alkyd varnish, not a mixture with oil. It will be lighter than Waterlox, since the phenolic resin in Waterlox is quite dark, and also does yellow considerably over time. It is also a very tough resin. I still wouldn't use it on cabinet interiors. If you need finish on the interiors, shellac works well and is quick. Waterborne finishes also work and don't bring lingering odors.

[Jason Zahn]

Thanks for the replies. I prob should've phrased my question differently. What I'm most concerned about is residual lingering smell from finishing the inside of the cabinet. Maybe that wouldn't be an issue from either Formbys or Waterlox, and rather would be more of an issue with something like BLO; I just wasn't sure. I knew it obviously wouldn't be an issue with shellac, which is why I threw that out there.

[John TenEyck]

What's the cabinet going to be used for? Yes, solvent based varnishes will out gas for weeks/months. You wouldn't want to use it where clothing, liquor, or food would be stored. For other applications, however, it's fine. But shellac won't smell after the alcohol evaporates, and is fine for anything that won't get exposed to liquids or hard use. It's not that easy to apply with a brush, but it sprays beautifully. If it's going to see liquids, you could topcoat the shellac with a WB clearcoat. Another excellent look on cherry that's dead simple to apply is an oil finish follow by wax.

John

[Jason Zahn]

John/Steve:

The cabinet is just a small cherry wall cabinet that I'm making for a friend. It might house some vases, a picture or two, a few small collectibles, etc., bug no food, clothes, etc..

I just didn't want to give them something that reeked of solvent!

Now that you all bring of up, maybe the interior doesn't necessarily need a finish. I'm new to all of this, and the few pieces I've made, I've coated all sides you on the advice of others that it can help aid in equal moisture absorption and limit wood movement. But...in a roughly 29x11 cabinet that's only 6-7" deep, maybe it's not that important. I figured it'd be a better look on a piece that would be opened often.

John, as far as oil and then wax, I'm guessing you mean maybe a BLO and then paste wax?

Jason

[John TenEyck]

Jason, no, I didn't mean BLO. I now the purists will hunt me down for saying this, but I find absolutely no use for that stuff. It takes forever to cure, if it ever really does. I meant something like GF's Seal-A-Cell, which looks great on cherry. Tung oil would work well, too. Here's another one I'll get burned in hell for saying. I don't like Johnson's paste wax. After I found Butcher's Bowling Alley wax the can of Johnson's hasn't been opened again. Butcher's wax is pure white and much harder. Just my opinion, but I'm sticking with it.

And you're right about not needing to finish the inside, unless you want to for appearance sake. Finishing all sides as a means of keeping wood from warping is highly overrated. OK, I better sign off now. Three blasphemous statements per entry is the limit.

John

[Frederick Rowe]

Also, would you use a wash cost under the Waterlox, and if so, what have you had good experience with?

Thanks!

You can use a wash coat under virtually any finish. If you have some offcuts, test them without a wash coat and check the results. Blotching is subjective in terms of desirability. In some cases, it highlights attractive figuring, other times it just looks blotchy. If testing is not practical, a thin wash coat will prevent "excessive" blotching. Use a 50/50 mix of shellac and DNA.

[Jason Zahn]

Haha, John...well I'm certainly not going to banish you to the depths of Woodworking Hell...I'm at the very beginning of the learning curve!

I appreciate the info. I've never used the Bowling Alley Wax, always just Johnson's. I'll have to give it a go.

Thanks again.

Jason

[Jim Becker]

Jason, any oil based product is going to off-gas over a very long period of time and that will be noticeable if it's applied to "inside" spaces of your project.

I'm a fan of shellac for projects like this and would likely use that, but I can understand your apprehension since you haven't used it. But consider that shellac is inexpensive so you could practice quite a bit for a relatively low cost before tackling your real project. Alternatively, Zinsser offers shellac in spray bombs (it's even de-waxed) and that format works very well for small projects. The trick is many, many light coats to avoid drips if you choose to go that route. If you keep the cabinet back off until after finishing, it will be easier work, too.

[Jason Zahn]

Jim-

Thanks a lot...much appreciated. I'm leaning towards a simple coat of shellac and then wax.

I'm hoping that with a little practice, and very very thin coats, I'll be OK. I'll definitely leave the back off until after finishing, and I was even considering pre-finishing the parts before glue up do that I could deal with flat surfaces and hopefully make my life easier.

[Jim Becker]

I'm actually a fan of pre-finishing interior surfaces before assembly when it's practical to do so. It's a lot easier and often much more pleasant to work with the parts "flat"! I find that the time spend masking glue surfaces pays out in the end.

I think you'll enjoy working with shellac once you get the hang of it. You can't brush it like varnish nor "work" it like varnish. Get it on, one or two quick strokes to smooth it and then move on to the next area so you can keep a wet edge. Make sure you "break" your corners with a few strokes of 320 or 400 paper to avoid finish piling up next to them, too. Shellac must be applied very thinly. Any re-coating is merely to even things out...not to build up a finish like with varnish.

[Jason Zahn]

Jim- thanks again for the added info...I'm going to try to pre-finish what I can on the project, and then finish the outside once it's glued up. Thanks!