Dark spots on cherry

[jeffrey bailey]

I have some fairly clear cherry that is flat sawn and air dried. I am getting dark spots on the wood. Kind of like shadows. There is no figure at all and I haven't put any finish on it. Any ideas as to what is causing it and how I can deal with it?

[Mike Heidrick]

Cherry darkens with time and faster in UV light exposure. Embrace it. Stains and finish that block UV will slow the process but not stop it.

[jeffrey bailey]

This is immediate. As I am sanding.

[Richard Coers]

You are pretty vague with your questions. What grit, what sanding machine (thickness sander, hand held, random orbit?) And of course, a picture would REALLY help. With little information given, you are only going to get guesses for help.

[jeffrey bailey]

Sanded to 220 with ROS. I don't have a picture, but like I said it looks like dark shadows. They wont sand out. Open to any and all responses even if they are guesses.

[Yonak Hawkins]

Jeffrey, can you show some pictures ? There are several different types of coloring inherent to cherry. It could be a foreign substance, such as oil or mold, or it could be naturally occurring.

[Dave Zellers]

I think it's just in the wood. Cherry can have gray and even greenish streaks and areas in it.

[Earl McLain]

Cherry also burns/scorches easily. Hard to tell with no photo, but if you don't keep the sander moving--it could scorch. Don't ask how I know.

earl

[Thomas love]

Sounds like sticking stains from the drying process

[Prashun Patel]

You should post some pictures. There's a couple possible explanations here. 'Shadows' on cherry, in my short experience are because of uneven light exposure. That shadowing stays pretty close to the surface, but it is possible that it won't sand out and either needs to be milled out or (my preference) left in, in which case it'll blend with time. But I'm making assumptions without a pic.

[jeffrey bailey]

This picture is of a box I made using some of the cherry. If you look at the top piece you can see some of the shadowing I am talking about just left of center. The cherry used was milled from air dried lumber and sanded to 220 with a ROS. This is just one example and the only picture I have. Jons Box 3.jpg

[Keith Hankins]

I use a lot of cherry. I don't see anything wrong with your piece. I looked at it numerous times an it looks good. Cherry, has degree's of shading most of the time. If it does not sand out, it's just there. I've see a lot more pronounced density differences (especially with flat sawn) that what you have there. Really nice piece. Only way to make cherry perfect, (TIC) use maple and color it to look like cherry. Kidding of course. Nice piece, and I again, I don't see a think wrong.

[Brian Kent]

I agree with Keith. That looks well within the range of what is right and normal for cherry. Very nice piece.

[J.R. Rutter]

If your lumber has dark lines going across the grain at regular intervals, then that is sticker staining. No remedy other than to cut around it. If the dark patches seem to follow the grain, then this is just how the tree grew and isn't a defect so much as an idiosyncrasy. Nice lid!

[jeffrey bailey]

I guess I just wanted it to be clearer. I see that same shadowing in most of the cherry I have so I guess it is normal. I don't think it is sticker staining because the piece used on this lid was sliced and milled from 3/4. Thanks for the compliments on the lid. It is made from walnut, cherry, bloodwood and holly. Thanks everyone