Lye on cherry

[Emmanuel Weber]

I am going to experiment staining cherry with lye tomorrow.
Do you guys have any advices on quantity and duration. Is neutralizing with vinegar necessary?
One other question I am having is can I spray a waterbased urethane directly over it or do I need to put a barrier coat of shellac.

Thanks in advance,
Emmanuel

[Ralph littlebear]

Whats the reason for this? Does it darken the wood?

[Emmanuel Weber]

Yes that is the idea. It is supposed to "age" the cherry over night.