[OP]
Member
I am making a desk for my shop with Cherry Plywood. Just wondering what forum members favorite finish would be. It will see the odd cold glass, but generally won't be an eating surface. Does the thin veneer require a different finish than the solid Cherry edge pieces I am making?
Last edited by Bob Slater; 10-02-2008 at 12:07 AM.
Member
It may prove difficult to get the two to match exactly, but that's really just a design feature. I would keep it simple--cherry does great things over time just about all by itself. You can enhance the coloration subtlely with one coat of BLO applied and then thoroughly wiped off. Over that I would put either wipe on varnish sucj as Waterox or garnet shellac. If you omit the BLO first step you might notice the difference over time, but only if you keep a sample board of the same wood on the desk to make direct comparisons. While the shellac will be scratched a bit more in a shop, it will be fixed in an instant. But you will be writing on it in a lot less time than waiting for varnish to dry.
[OP]
Member
Thanks, Steve, what is BLO? Should I lightly sand the cherry covered plywood first?
Contributor
Boiled linseed oil. As for sanding, only hand sand if necessary - and very lightly with 220 would be my plan. The veneered plywood sold these days has a very thin veneer layer that is not consistent in its thickness. It is real easy to sand through the veneer.
I would probably do the standard finish schedule of BLO, one or two coats of dewaxed shellac, with light sanding after each coat to knock down the fuzz, etc. Then a top coat or coats of your choice. I assume you do not want to change the coloration? If so, obviously that comes first. I have not played much with dyes as many creekers have. But from the limited amount of work I have done with cherry, getting even color is difficult, particularly with plywood and solid stock in the same piece. Gel stain may work better.
Just some thoughts from a guy that doesn't play much with cherry!
You can search the creek for finish schedules, etc., although I have found that a Google advanced search limited to the SMC domain is more effective in getting what I want.
[OP]
Member
Any idea how long the BOL should dry before the shellac? I have all my products lined up for test samples.
Last edited by Bob Slater; 10-08-2008 at 5:17 PM.
Moderator
Bob, most folks will let the BLO cure at least over night or 24 hours or so before proceding with the shellac. But you can actually move forward after just a couple hours if need be. Jeff Jewitt illustrated this in a Fine Woodworking article awhile back and I've used that technique to do start-to-finish finish on face frames for built ins in a single day with great success. (Oil application very light, followed by the shellac, followed by water borne...all in the same day)
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
[OP]
Member
Thanks Jim, will proceed with this info.
Member
Sorry for reviving this thread, but I have a related question. I am currently working on a cherry coffee table for the house (solid wood, not plywood) and am a mid level beginner, if that makes sense.
What I was planning to do was apply blonde (dewaxed) shellac in 2-3 layers, then either varnish or poly over that. No dye or stain, as I don't want to cloud the wood appearance. I understand cherry will darken with time, and actually I'm not in a hurry to darken it ahead of time.
What is the purpose of the BLO? I am going as light as reasonably possible to bring out the cherry's own natural grain; does the BLO actually enhance it much, or is it a way to slightly darken it ahead of time?
I used BLO on some figured maple, with NGR dye and shellac and found that I probably didn't need the BLO at all.
Hopefully my question made sense for my first post.
Member
This is purely a matter of personal taste, but I think that cherry in it's natural color is a really attractive wood. It will darken in time like all woods do. I just like it natural. It's like a honey color.
As for finish, I only spray a quality furniture grade lacquer. Dries dust free in about 5 minutes and tack free in less than 10. It is a very durable finish. It is what most furniture manufacturers use so you know its durable.
The plywood takes the same finish as the solid wood. As someone mentioned earlier, don't sand agressively on the plywood.
When you spray lacquer, you can give it five good coats in an hour and that's all you need. No need to tie your shop up for days. Also, the overspray dries to dust before it hits the floor.
Retired, living and cruising full-time on my boat.
Currently on the Little Tennessee River near Knoxville
[OP]
Member
I found the shellac darkened the wood quite a bit more than the BLO. With just BLO the Cherry looked very nice and natural.. I put two coats of amber shellac on it after. I think I should have stopped at 1. I rubbed down the shellac with steel wool prior to final finishing. The solid cherry does not really match the plywood. Hopefu;;y with time it will . For the varnish, I used three coats of Lee Valley gel poly cut down with 0000 steel wool between coats. Tomorrow morning I will rub it down with the steel wool and baby oil, then clean with varsol. I am very happy with how this wood has a life to it. Will post photos when I test fit the desk. (Really, it is just a piece of plywood that I have spent many hours on now.
Last edited by Bob Slater; 10-13-2008 at 12:52 AM.
Moderator
Not all woods darken over time. Walnut, for example, gets lighter. But most do. I share your appreciation for cherry...it's my favorite species to work with and enjoy!Originally Posted by Tony Bilello
Current manufactured furniture tends to catalyzed products these days, rather than "just lacquer". That aside, most folks do not have the right environment to safely spray solvent-based lacquers safely. This is why we talk so much about water borne finishes in the forums...they are safe and easy to use and the current generation of products are very, very good.As for finish, I only spray a quality furniture grade lacquer. Dries dust free in about 5 minutes and tack free in less than 10. It is a very durable finish. It is what most furniture manufacturers use so you know its durable.
Absolutely true. Water bornes take a little longer, but you can be done in a day no problem.When you spray lacquer, you can give it five good coats in an hour and that's all you need. No need to tie your shop up for days. Also, the overspray dries to dust before it hits the floor.
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Moderator
It used to be used as a protecting topcoat, but it's historical popularity is believed to be exaggerated, and even if it was, it's only because better materials were not available.
People use it primarily today for aesthetic reasons. They say it 'makes the grain pop'. I find that it makes some species (cherry/mahogany) appear (almost) 3D. Personally, I like the look.
Further, on open-grained woods, some people use it to create a pore-filling sanding slurry. Not applicable on cherry, though.
Member
If the plywood panel is lighter than the solid wood, or the other way around, you can put the panel ( without the solid wood) out in the sun for a few hours to darken the cherry until you have a close match. The sun will darken cherry considerably so keep an eye on it.Then assemble the panel with the solid wood and it should age evenly from there. I'm not much of a fan for stains, and the sun will help you even things up. Then apply a finish of your choice. Hope that helps.
Member
I like that a lot, too. I found with maple that shellac alone seemed to do the best for me, rather than BLO then shellac on top. The BLO seemed to darken it a TAD too much and reduce the iridesence.
With the maple, however, I also used a dye. With the cherry I have, I will not be using a dye at all. It's either going to be blonde shellac plus protective varnish on top of that OR BLO, then shellac, then varnish. Factoring in darkening of cherry over time, I worry that the BLO might eventually obscure the grain anyway.
Yes I know how obsessed I am. I figure, if the finish looks awesome enough no one will notice it ain't perfectly put together.
Moderator
Who isn't? That's what finishing is all about
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