staining cherry ?

[Jon]

Are there any proper procdures to staining cherry? I would like to use the cherry color stain, Or well the minwax cherry color. is there something I should use thats better?

 

[DaveO]

Why do you want to stain Cherry? Depending on your answer to that there could be better ways of obtain the results you are looking for. Dyes are one way and tone topcoats are another.
Dave

 

[jeff...]

I'll sit down and be quite now.

 

[Jon]

Why do you want to stain Cherry? Depending on your answer to that there could be better ways of obtain the results you are looking for. Dyes are one way and tone topcoats are another.
Dave

Well while I dont understand this I will answer. I worked in a cabinet shop where we made Kitchen Cabinets mostly. that was 16 years ago and they would stain Cherry cabinets with Minwax Stain useing the Cherry Color and then use Polyurethane on top of that and I always really liked that combination. Also would like to protect the Cabinet I am building.

 

[Nativespec]

I have been building a lot of cherry bedroom furniture and I have tried staining by using sanding sealer first as an attempt to get a uniform coverage. This led to sanding the finish off and reapplying the sealer over and over again. On my current piece, a seven drawer chest with mirror, I am going "au natural" and will only put a clear finish on it, in fact, I don't plan on using stain again but on certain woods (not very many). I will let the cherry darken itself over time.

 

[DaveO]

The reason that I asked is sometimes people want to blend the sapwood with the heartwood, dye is better for that. Some colors that people would like their Cherry to be can be better obtained with a toned top coat in conjunction with a dye.
But seeing as you like the results produced by the Minwax stain and poly, then there is no reason to consider anything different.
I would consider using a very light coat of ½# shellac, either mix you own and dewax it or use Zinssers Sealcoat (you'll have to cut it) to help prevent any potential blotching . And practice your finish schedule on some scrap before hand to make sure it achieves the results that you are desiring. Also I prefer a wipe on poly to brush on, it takes a few more applications but it's easier to apply without drips brush marks and sags. I make my own by thinning regular poly with MS.
Dave

 

[Jon]

The reason that I asked is sometimes people want to blend the sapwood with the heartwood, dye is better for that. Some colors that people would like their Cherry to be can be better obtained with a toned top coat in conjunction with a dye.
But seeing as you like the results produced by the Minwax stain and poly, then there is no reason to consider anything different.
I would consider using a very light coat of ½# shellac, either mix you own and dewax it or use Zinssers Sealcoat (you'll have to cut it) to help prevent any potential blotching . And practice your finish schedule on some scrap before hand to make sure it achieves the results that you are desiring. Also I prefer a wipe on poly to brush on, it takes a few more applications but it's easier to apply without drips brush marks and sags. I make my own by thinning regular poly with MS.
Dave

I will probably us Minwax and wipe On poly. not sure about the Shelac. Ive nevr used it and would not know where to start. If I understand it right you can thin Poly with Mineral Spirits is it half and half?

 

[Travis Porter]

FWIW, I have stained cherry with Minwax, and have had pretty good results after I learned how to correct the screwups I always seem to incur.

First, always uses a wood conditioner. Cherry wood likes to be blotchy. Once you stain it, let it dry for a couple of days and put on a coat of dewaxed shellac. Reason for this is even when the stain dries, if you go straight to the poly you will get some of the stain coming off still. As for the shellac, I have used Zinnser and what is commonly referred to as sanding sealer and had good results. After the shellac dries, lightly sand it smooth and go to th poly.

 

[DaveO]

Jon, this article explains what I was talking about with the shellac better than I can. I was mentioning it use as a pre-stain "conditioner" like Travis mentioned. I have had better luck using it than the commercial Wood Conditioners.

http://www.woodworking.org/WC/GArchive99/7_17mcnamarart.html

HTH,
Dave

 

[Jon]

Jon, this article explains what I was talking about with the shellac better than I can. I was mentioning it use as a pre-stain "conditioner" like Travis mentioned. I have had better luck using it than the commercial Wood Conditioners.

http://www.woodworking.org/WC/GArchive99/7_17mcnamarart.html

HTH,
Dave

that is a great link thank you very much. maybe we Need a FAQ section for stuff links lik that at the top of each section. Some boards have Sticky's at the top of the page