Several months ago, I was researching the best way to finish a purpleheart shelf I made. I came across one of your videos and got the desired result by following your advice. I just started a project that's going to be made mostly of cherry and hickory and this video helped answer a few questions on what to do with the cherry. Thanks for making this (and the purpleheart!) video, it really has helped me!
I’m working with cherry for the first time and I was getting worried about it being a pale pink. I even put a sample in the sun for a few hours but didn’t see a change. So I looked up how to darken it. This video gives me the confidence to just make the project like normal and eventually it will be the medium tone I’m looking for in a few months / a year without needing to do anything fancy. I know for certain I have heartwood as one of the boards had a bit of sapwood on the end for comparison.
As a novice, long time noobie, This was very informative and much appreciated. I know very little about wood, you helped me become more knowledgeable. It is videos like this which will help new woodworkers take their craft to the next level. Thank you for sharing.
It's always great to see your videos, Mark! You ought to do these once a week! lol I'm sure you have other responsibilities, but I'd sure like to see it happen! 😁
This morning I started to stain a cherry furniture piece I had built. I had previously applied a de-waxed shellac sanding sealer to try to avoid some of the "blotchiness" that occurs when finishing cherry. After applying a coat of oil stain, there's some uneven color, but certainly better than if there wasn't a shellac base coat. Just after finishing the stain coat (with somewhat disappointing results), I now see this video and I'm kicking myself for not just letting the beautiful natural color darken a bit by itself before applying a topcoat with no stain.
Good video, Mark. I had to approach this issue from a different angle. I had to match Cherry cabinets that had aged for 17 years. As you noted, the color changes pretty fast and then change a lot slower over time. Well, I was able to achieve the 17 year mark by applying boiled linseed oil, wiping it dry, and then set in the sun for 7 hours. I applied a finish of Arm-R-Seal, and it matched the cabinets perfectly. If I tried to stain to match, the colors would start to deviate after a while. Parting note: If making a contrasting cutting board, do NOT use cherry and walnut. - Cherry Darkens, Walnut lightens, and eventually both are the same color.
Great info. Reported some spammers. Play with exposure compensation a little when you wear black or white. The white long sleeve towards the ends definitely overexposed.
So much appreciate your informative videos, Mark. You always manage to answer the questions I have by the time you finish and so easy to follow and understand. Thank you!
I have some Cherry that has been in a warehouse for 40 years. It's rough sawn reclaimed and hard to even distinguish from looking at it. My guess is that it was harvested may be 100 years ago from the sawmill markings. When I ran a couple boards through the planner I couldn't believe what I discovered. These cherry boards are darker than most African mahogany. Many have figured curls along with a very distinctive grain pattern. So far I've only made small projects from select boards like urns and keepsake boxes. I predominantly use hard wax oils for my finish and the results are stunning. I have a new appreciation for cherry and its potential. Too bad we have to wait so long to achieve its maximum potential but the same can be said for just about every species. I really enjoy your channel and I look forward to every video that you post. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and I hope you have a great weekend.
Wow! What a treasure you’ve got, Ron 👍 We didn’t even consider what happens with material like yours that’s a century old. Unusual for sure, but what a thrill!
Hi watched your video. First great video, loved it. I just wanted to point out to you something that not many who do not restore cherry know. If you take a mason glass jar (Quart size) fill it with distilled water with a teaspon to tablespoon of Lye then mix it. This solution pre ages cherry and several other wood species. This is how old timey guys would age cherry to repair furniture. I always sand the piece then use rubbing alcohol to raise the grain then sand with steel wool. I then add the lye solution to the piece, you will see it darken instantly. Then after it dries sand again with steel wool (lightly) and add your top coat as want. becareful Lye is caustic. Oh and the more Lye you use the darker it gets. so start very light with adding lye then add as you prefer. the soultion chemically burns/oxidizes the wood quickly. I never see people use this method I suppose I show my age....LOL take care again great video.
I have found that if you really want the deep, rich cherry color then give a Cherry Danish Oil a try. It has pigment that really accentuates the color and gives the wood that aged look without the wait. Plus it has all the benefits of a Danish Oil. I usually come back a week or two later and hit the wood with some lacquer to give it a bit more protection.
I'm exposing my newly purchased boards to ambient light for a few weeks. Then I'll save a cutoff with that darker color, so I know what the color will go back to after the project is complete. Then I can test my finish on the cutoff so it's not too dark.
Thank you so much. Could we possibly see the updated version of the cherry a few months later? I want to build a chair out of cherry and finish it in shellac, but I want to see if I need to put a little bit of a red aniline dye in my shellac to get that really red wine, red color I’m looking for.
Great video. While watching I went over and picked-up a cherry keepsake box I made a couple months ago out of some lumber I bought from you guys when it was on sale a few months ago or so. It's really starting to look nice. I used Rubio Monocoat Pure to finish it. Still looking for something to do with the leftovers.
I can confirm cherry will continue to darken over a time. My papa built alot of furniture in my home 30 to 40 years ago. I've lived here 20 years now and it has darkened significantly in that time.
Thanks for the information. Maybe try a plant grow light to speed up the darkening. I put Purpleheart under one for a few days to really darken the color. Might work with Cherry as well. I think it is related to UV light and the oils within the lumber.
Try wiping walnut oil on raw cherry. It turns it a deep red/brown like you see on antique furniture. You will see a fair darkening in about 24 hours. Go ahead and wipe on another good coat. Let it sit a couple of hours before wiping it off really good . In about a week it’s ready to finish any way you want. All the oil should have evaporated. Good pretty wood!
Get video , I literally just made 2 cherry pic. Frame finished it with tried and true finish. Came out good except dang glue stain. Mine has got darker just over a week. Now I know why thanks
Mark, Enjoy your videos. I am searching for wood that I can use to replace the cabin sole in my old sailboat. It needs to be thing enough to fit the contours and durable enough to withstand to wear and tear of lots of foot traffic. Not to mention the influx of salt water. Can you help?
Ive got a spot in the middle of a darkened aged cherry table that got damaged from abuse and had to be slightly sanded in an area. Im using a wiping polyurethane which matches the old finish perfectly but some color mismatch between the old cherry and the area that had to be sanded. It sounds like time might fix the color mismatch.
Hei Mark! Nice to see you posting as always. Cherry is a nice candidate for fuming with ammonia as a build item, however the same caveats with sapwood apply plus any stray glue on the workpiece can leave lighter areas. Fume darkened woods look great under oil. Ammonia isn't something to be messed with lightly though, so definitely not one I would recommend anybody but a cautious professional to do.
@@internetuser691 Great to hear that! Sapele is my favourite for this method, and that it gets into all of the nooks and crannies that UV cannot is critical for more complex workpieces. I'm still on the fence about whether I want to do our new kitchen in Cherry, Ash or Sapele though. Hmm.
@@internetuser691 Serious setup, then! The largest I've fumed was a dresser, which went smoothly just a medium shade in. Instant 30-40yr, or at least instant as in 16hrs.
@@internetuser691 That's not the first story I've heard along those lines. A friend in the US made decorative wheelbarrows as a niche item that forced itself onto him. It wasn't something he particularly found satisfaction in, however the mortgage and guitar addiction thing likely enjoyed it more. I couldn't agree further about quality chicken coops, rabbit hutches and outdoor cat runs. Perhaps we're seeing a rebound from the decimation of these things by cheap flimsy imports that wiped out the woodworkers that made a living out of such work previously. Those people have moved on in some manner, but people still recognise and pay for quality after being burnt by crap. I can't help but glare at IKEA for this cheap disposable mindset and the damage done.
Great informative video! Question, how do you roast walnut lumber? I saw your diy sushi board video made from shedua none of the boards had “roasted walnut” but that’s all the info on that 😂. Just wondering if perhaps there’s a video out there that I missed where you might have covered it. Thanks and glad to see you back on YT!
I’ve built a desktop with cherry boards that are a lovely mix of hardwood and sap wood and have a conundrum about finishing! 1. I have a family member that is allergic to most odors so it cannot have a lasting odor inside. 2. My desk will be actively used and have stationary objects on it and will also be near a window that gets a lot of light. 3. I want the colors to be vibrant but not really dark and definitely don’t want the objects sitting on it to leave undarkened marks. How should I finish this? 😅
I was going to use oven cleaner on cherry for the first time to give it an antique look, which darkens it. Now I'm wondering if time will make it even darker. Do you know anything about that process?
I love working with Cherry. Made my bed and headboard out of it. I know on youtube everyone is using white oak or walnut but I love cherry however my new fetish is sapele so nice!
Mark, your videos on finishing and wood species are the best on YT. Always full of information, but brief. If you are still reading these comments, I hoped to get your advice on finishing cherry. I want to make a dresser for my son. I have cherry-veneered plywood for the sides and solid cherry for face frames and the top. I'm new to cherry and want to avoid blotching. I considered using Seal-A-Cell first, followed by three coats of Arm-R-Seal (he's only 3 and can be rough on furniture). Should I start with dewaxed shellac, then go straight to AR? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for the education!
If you’re going to use seal a cell, I don’t think adding dewaxed shellac does much. Both of those do pretty much the same thing in terms of the initial sealing. You’re on a good path, though
What if I wanted to go the opposite way? I have cabinets that have aged and have that darker copper and I want them to be lighter. If I strip / sand and bring back to natural tone, can I somehow freeze it to stay light?
My problem is that my project is a Flintlock rifle stocked in Cherry. I (of course) want the deep dark finish. The kit hasn’t arrived yet so I have time.
If you want to darken cherry as thought it is old the way is to take a glass mason jar a uart size add distilled water with a teaspoon of Lye. Becareful Lye is caustic. First sand the wood then rub it down with rubing alcohol to raise the grain then use steel wool to saned again the put the water mixture on the cherry. Once it dries in a day sand it lightly with steel wool again. This finish is what old timey furniture guys do to age cherry. The more lye you use the darker the wood gets. Hope this helps. Take care.
The Russia situation is putting a serious pinch on it. There are a few alternatives for the 18mm and even 12mm. But the thin 3mm has yet to see an alternative
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 88 | คู่เอก "ป้อมเพชร vs อัสลามจอน"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1ZqTVVbMgbo/mqdefault.jpg)
Several months ago, I was researching the best way to finish a purpleheart shelf I made. I came across one of your videos and got the desired result by following your advice. I just started a project that's going to be made mostly of cherry and hickory and this video helped answer a few questions on what to do with the cherry. Thanks for making this (and the purpleheart!) video, it really has helped me!
I’m working with cherry for the first time and I was getting worried about it being a pale pink. I even put a sample in the sun for a few hours but didn’t see a change. So I looked up how to darken it.
This video gives me the confidence to just make the project like normal and eventually it will be the medium tone I’m looking for in a few months / a year without needing to do anything fancy. I know for certain I have heartwood as one of the boards had a bit of sapwood on the end for comparison.
Nice! We’re so glad it helped 👍
As a novice, long time noobie, This was very informative and much appreciated. I know very little about wood, you helped me become more knowledgeable. It is videos like this which will help new woodworkers take their craft to the next level. Thank you for sharing.
Always love watching this guy explain more about wood.
It's always great to see your videos, Mark! You ought to do these once a week! lol I'm sure you have other responsibilities, but I'd sure like to see it happen! 😁
100% agree.
This morning I started to stain a cherry furniture piece I had built. I had previously applied a de-waxed shellac sanding sealer to try to avoid some of the "blotchiness" that occurs when finishing cherry. After applying a coat of oil stain, there's some uneven color, but certainly better than if there wasn't a shellac base coat. Just after finishing the stain coat (with somewhat disappointing results), I now see this video and I'm kicking myself for not just letting the beautiful natural color darken a bit by itself before applying a topcoat with no stain.
I love the depth you go into as well as the lengths you go to for giving us the best info you can. I have learned so much from you.
Good video, Mark. I had to approach this issue from a different angle. I had to match Cherry cabinets that had aged for 17 years. As you noted, the color changes pretty fast and then change a lot slower over time. Well, I was able to achieve the 17 year mark by applying boiled linseed oil, wiping it dry, and then set in the sun for 7 hours. I applied a finish of Arm-R-Seal, and it matched the cabinets perfectly. If I tried to stain to match, the colors would start to deviate after a while.
Parting note: If making a contrasting cutting board, do NOT use cherry and walnut. - Cherry Darkens, Walnut lightens, and eventually both are the same color.
Great info. Reported some spammers.
Play with exposure compensation a little when you wear black or white. The white long sleeve towards the ends definitely overexposed.
Fantastic videos. Probably my favorite on YT…no hype, no gimmicks. Just good, thorough, informative videos.
So great to see you back on the tube. You have an amazing delivery of accurate information.
So much appreciate your informative videos, Mark. You always manage to answer the questions I have by the time you finish and so easy to follow and understand. Thank you!
Glad to help, thank you
I have some Cherry that has been in a warehouse for 40 years. It's rough sawn reclaimed and hard to even distinguish from looking at it. My guess is that it was harvested may be 100 years ago from the sawmill markings. When I ran a couple boards through the planner I couldn't believe what I discovered. These cherry boards are darker than most African mahogany. Many have figured curls along with a very distinctive grain pattern. So far I've only made small projects from select boards like urns and keepsake boxes. I predominantly use hard wax oils for my finish and the results are stunning. I have a new appreciation for cherry and its potential. Too bad we have to wait so long to achieve its maximum potential but the same can be said for just about every species. I really enjoy your channel and I look forward to every video that you post. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and I hope you have a great weekend.
Wow! What a treasure you’ve got, Ron 👍
We didn’t even consider what happens with material like yours that’s a century old. Unusual for sure, but what a thrill!
I bought a piece of cherry today and this video helped me alot!
Thanks, Mark.
Hi watched your video. First great video, loved it. I just wanted to point out to you something that not many who do not restore cherry know. If you take a mason glass jar (Quart size) fill it with distilled water with a teaspon to tablespoon of Lye then mix it. This solution pre ages cherry and several other wood species. This is how old timey guys would age cherry to repair furniture. I always sand the piece then use rubbing alcohol to raise the grain then sand with steel wool. I then add the lye solution to the piece, you will see it darken instantly. Then after it dries sand again with steel wool (lightly) and add your top coat as want. becareful Lye is caustic. Oh and the more Lye you use the darker it gets. so start very light with adding lye then add as you prefer. the soultion chemically burns/oxidizes the wood quickly. I never see people use this method I suppose I show my age....LOL take care again great video.
Great tip, thank you!
Thanks, I am about to make a kitchen table with cherry. My first real serious build. This was some great tips
I have found that if you really want the deep, rich cherry color then give a Cherry Danish Oil a try. It has pigment that really accentuates the color and gives the wood that aged look without the wait. Plus it has all the benefits of a Danish Oil. I usually come back a week or two later and hit the wood with some lacquer to give it a bit more protection.
Great video Mark
I'm exposing my newly purchased boards to ambient light for a few weeks. Then I'll save a cutoff with that darker color, so I know what the color will go back to after the project is complete. Then I can test my finish on the cutoff so it's not too dark.
Great information to know......thanks for sharing all the tips on cherry!
Thank you so much. Could we possibly see the updated version of the cherry a few months later? I want to build a chair out of cherry and finish it in shellac, but I want to see if I need to put a little bit of a red aniline dye in my shellac to get that really red wine, red color I’m looking for.
Great video. While watching I went over and picked-up a cherry keepsake box I made a couple months ago out of some lumber I bought from you guys when it was on sale a few months ago or so. It's really starting to look nice. I used Rubio Monocoat Pure to finish it. Still looking for something to do with the leftovers.
I can confirm cherry will continue to darken over a time. My papa built alot of furniture in my home 30 to 40 years ago. I've lived here 20 years now and it has darkened significantly in that time.
Another winner Mark. Always enjoy seeing your videos. Thank you for sharing. 👍🏻
Good video. Oil is great. I also get good results with shellac + dye.
Great tip!
Lots of good info here! Thanks for doing this!
Thanks for the information.
Maybe try a plant grow light to speed up the darkening. I put Purpleheart under one for a few days to really darken the color. Might work with Cherry as well. I think it is related to UV light and the oils within the lumber.
Try wiping walnut oil on raw cherry. It turns it a deep red/brown like you see on antique furniture. You will see a fair darkening in about 24 hours. Go ahead and wipe on another good coat. Let it sit a couple of hours before wiping it off really good . In about a week it’s ready to finish any way you want. All the oil should have evaporated. Good pretty wood!
where do you get walnut oil?
Get video , I literally just made 2 cherry pic. Frame finished it with tried and true finish. Came out good except dang glue stain. Mine has got darker just over a week. Now I know why thanks
As always. Informative, practical and entertaining. Thanks!
Thanks for another great video, Mark. Don't make us wait so long for the next one. :)
More to come!
Mark, Enjoy your videos. I am searching for wood that I can use to replace the cabin sole in my old sailboat. It needs to be thing enough to fit the contours and durable enough to withstand to wear and tear of lots of foot traffic. Not to mention the influx of salt water. Can you help?
Ive got a spot in the middle of a darkened aged cherry table that got damaged from abuse and had to be slightly sanded in an area. Im using a wiping polyurethane which matches the old finish perfectly but some color mismatch between the old cherry and the area that had to be sanded. It sounds like time might fix the color mismatch.
Hei Mark! Nice to see you posting as always. Cherry is a nice candidate for fuming with ammonia as a build item, however the same caveats with sapwood apply plus any stray glue on the workpiece can leave lighter areas. Fume darkened woods look great under oil. Ammonia isn't something to be messed with lightly though, so definitely not one I would recommend anybody but a cautious professional to do.
@@internetuser691 Great to hear that! Sapele is my favourite for this method, and that it gets into all of the nooks and crannies that UV cannot is critical for more complex workpieces. I'm still on the fence about whether I want to do our new kitchen in Cherry, Ash or Sapele though. Hmm.
@@internetuser691 Serious setup, then! The largest I've fumed was a dresser, which went smoothly just a medium shade in. Instant 30-40yr, or at least instant as in 16hrs.
@@internetuser691 That's not the first story I've heard along those lines. A friend in the US made decorative wheelbarrows as a niche item that forced itself onto him. It wasn't something he particularly found satisfaction in, however the mortgage and guitar addiction thing likely enjoyed it more. I couldn't agree further about quality chicken coops, rabbit hutches and outdoor cat runs. Perhaps we're seeing a rebound from the decimation of these things by cheap flimsy imports that wiped out the woodworkers that made a living out of such work previously. Those people have moved on in some manner, but people still recognise and pay for quality after being burnt by crap. I can't help but glare at IKEA for this cheap disposable mindset and the damage done.
Great informative video! Question, how do you roast walnut lumber? I saw your diy sushi board video made from shedua none of the boards had “roasted walnut” but that’s all the info on that 😂. Just wondering if perhaps there’s a video out there that I missed where you might have covered it. Thanks and glad to see you back on YT!
I’ve built a desktop with cherry boards that are a lovely mix of hardwood and sap wood and have a conundrum about finishing!
1. I have a family member that is allergic to most odors so it cannot have a lasting odor inside.
2. My desk will be actively used and have stationary objects on it and will also be near a window that gets a lot of light.
3. I want the colors to be vibrant but not really dark and definitely don’t want the objects sitting on it to leave undarkened marks.
How should I finish this? 😅
I was going to use oven cleaner on cherry for the first time to give it an antique look, which darkens it. Now I'm wondering if time will make it even darker. Do you know anything about that process?
Great video. Thank you.
Beautiful wood.
How’s it going I have some English speakers that a cherry veneer wood and been in our lounge with sunlight will it go darker or fade thanks .
Have you ever tried to burn Cherry with a lite torch? Comes out beautiful
I love working with Cherry. Made my bed and headboard out of it. I know on youtube everyone is using white oak or walnut but I love cherry however my new fetish is sapele so nice!
Thank you!
Do you remember the model number of you mic? The sound quality is great!!!
Rode Go II. We’ve screwed around with a lot of different mics, a garage environment is less than ideal. This mic hits the sweet spot
Mark, your videos on finishing and wood species are the best on YT. Always full of information, but brief.
If you are still reading these comments, I hoped to get your advice on finishing cherry. I want to make a dresser for my son. I have cherry-veneered plywood for the sides and solid cherry for face frames and the top. I'm new to cherry and want to avoid blotching. I considered using Seal-A-Cell first, followed by three coats of Arm-R-Seal (he's only 3 and can be rough on furniture). Should I start with dewaxed shellac, then go straight to AR? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for the education!
If you’re going to use seal a cell, I don’t think adding dewaxed shellac does much. Both of those do pretty much the same thing in terms of the initial sealing. You’re on a good path, though
What if I wanted to go the opposite way? I have cabinets that have aged and have that darker copper and I want them to be lighter. If I strip / sand and bring back to natural tone, can I somehow freeze it to stay light?
My problem is that my project is a Flintlock rifle stocked in Cherry. I (of course) want the deep dark finish. The kit hasn’t arrived yet so I have time.
If you want to darken cherry as thought it is old the way is to take a glass mason jar a uart size add distilled water with a teaspoon of Lye. Becareful Lye is caustic. First sand the wood then rub it down with rubing alcohol to raise the grain then use steel wool to saned again the put the water mixture on the cherry. Once it dries in a day sand it lightly with steel wool again. This finish is what old timey furniture guys do to age cherry. The more lye you use the darker the wood gets. Hope this helps. Take care.
Thanks for the video Mark! Side question: are you having a hard time getting Baltic birch plywood, and if so have you found an alternative?
The Russia situation is putting a serious pinch on it. There are a few alternatives for the 18mm and even 12mm. But the thin 3mm has yet to see an alternative
My cherry I bought was red as red
Good video… too bad the peeps over at the Tucson location don’t have as much passion as you.
Minecraft condition me to think that it would be pink God damn it