Cherry Finish in Detail

[Khb1526]

I have been reading old post about finishing cherry. I don't have much experience except with your typical stain and brush on poly. I just finished up a cherry writing table and don't want to do the same thing. I have read that mixing ms, blo & poly is a good & easy choice from DaveO.

I could use some more details of the whole process though. Finish sand with 180, 220 or 320? I think this is a rub on formula, but do you sand in between coats? do you need to rub hard or just wipe it on? Typical drying time? etc...

What about the waterlox product, is that the same as DaveO's mix? Other suggestions are welcome also. Sorry to be such a newbie, but any details would help.
Thanks,
Keith

 

[DaveO]

Keith I just finished a Cherry stereo cabinet. I used Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish (a Tung Oil, and phenolic resin/varnish blend) on it. It was sanded to 320 grit by ROS and hand. The Waterlox was wiped on, 6 applications, and then I topped it with some Minwax paste wax for the heck of it.

I have been shying away from the home brew Danish Oil mix (1/3 MS. 1/3 BLO, 1/3 gloss Polyurethane) as it gives a more plastic feel to the wood and is harder to repair. It's still a great finish and I still use it for economy and great protection, but I am leaning more towards the semi-gloss/satin "in -the-wood" finishes lately.

For any wipe on finish, you just wipe it on. Use a cloth as a brush, the lack of brisles takes away the potential brush marks. I generally sand after 2-3 coats as it applies thinner and you don't want to cut through the finish. I give ~24 hours dry time between coats for both finishes. It doesn't need that long for re-coating, but it works well with my schedule. 24hrs. is important before the sanding stage to let the finish harden enough to be abrased.


HTH,
Dave

 

[Bryan S]

Here is a cherry entertainment center I did last year.

I sanded to 220 and applied BLO before the finish BLO may give you a bit more amber tone than you want and you can skip that step if you want.

The finish was Waterlox Original that I thinned 50/50 with mineral spirits to make a wiping varnish, very easy to apply and about as foolproof as you can get. I applied 6 coats all total, see this thread and scroll to the last 2 post for a little more info on wiping varnish.

With wiping varnish you do not need to sand between the first and second coats but you will want to sand between all further coats lightly with 320. The final step after a week of curing I waxed lightly with paste wax using very fine steel wool. I saw this on a woodworking online podcast and it really made a difference

 

[JimD]

My recent cherry projects have been finished with Resisthane by spray. This is a water based simulation of a pre-cat Lacquer. This is my kitchen island. If you look in my pictures in the gallery, you can see a kitchen table and chairs of cherry, finished the same way.

Jim
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/500/medium/island_drawers_Large_.jpg

 

[Khb1526]

Great looking work guys! I bought some waterlox today and getting ready to try it out now on some scraps. Thanks for all your great advise again!

 

[Jeff]

I like Waterlox Original too. And it is so easy to apply. You might consider pre-sealing the wood with a dilute wash-coat of Zinsser's dewaxed shellac to prevent the blotchiness that cherry is notorious for.

Has anybody tried applying these finishes with a 3M grey abrasive pad to give a more satin appearance? :icon_scra

Good luck.