Bevans Posted April 12, 2016 Report Share Posted April 12, 2016 Hi Folks i have a question or two about finishing a top of a bookcase that is "figured" cherry and walnut. Not really sure if the board is figured or not. The top is made of a 12' board I cut in half and glued together and is now 6' by 12" with a walnut trim and will have breadboard ends. I have not used cherry before but have done some research on finishing cherry but could use some advice. I attached a picture of the wood but not sure it really gets to the various colors that are apparent. After sanding I can see a hint of pinkish, whitish curly figuring and some lighter brown areas. I am leaning toward either just spraying on a polyurethane topcoat or using a Danish oil. The sides and shelves of the bookcase are cherry plywood. Not an expert on finishing and would like to keep it simple yet get to the beauty of the wood. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bevans Posted April 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2016 Yes, I used loose tenons with the slots on the breadboard end larger than the dominos on the top mating end. I have had pretty good luck with spraying Arm r seal but always get streaks when I wipe it on with a cloth. I am guessing that Danish oil will be a lot easier to apply. Do you know if Danish oil will darken the walnut substantially? I want to keep the walnut lighter but also highlight the grain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjtboy Posted April 12, 2016 Report Share Posted April 12, 2016 I've used Danish oil on walnut, and it does darken, but I think it looks awesome. It will darken the cherry too (or any wood for that matter). Really brings out the figure though - and you have some really nice figure in those boards. Can't beat applying some to cut offs from those boards to see if you like it. Danish oil is super easy to apply too. I like the oil finishes like this as I don't run into streaks like you mentioned with Arm r seal wiping (which I get too), and I like that you can still feel the wood vs. more plastic like a poly type finish. Oil doesn't offer as much protection, so I tend to just use it for everything that won't take a beating. I've also done Danish or other curing oil/varnish mix under a film finish to bring out the grain but still offer protection with film finish. Post pics once done, looks awesome so far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dknapp34 Posted April 12, 2016 Report Share Posted April 12, 2016 Danish oil darkens walnut quite a bit, in my experience. It doesn't get much easier to apply than Danish oil, though. As long as you don't use too much and let it sit in the surface, it's pretty foolproof. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeslayer Posted April 12, 2016 Report Share Posted April 12, 2016 great looking top bruce, welcome to the forum and be sure to post some pictures of that project as you go along, looking forward to seeing it come together Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted April 12, 2016 Report Share Posted April 12, 2016 ARS satin on cherry below. Gloss and semi-gloss tend to streak badly, satin not so much. If you still find you're having streaking problems, you're probably over-working the finish (wipe on, move on) or your pad is possibly not thick enough or it's not folded neatly (creates pressure points that cause streaks). Something I like to do is for my final coat, thin the ARS 50/50 with mineral spirits. This allows for a thin, well-leveling coat that goes on easy and dries fast. I've decided that I don't really care for Danish oil. ARS brings out the richness of cherry and walnut just as well or better than Danish oil, it dries (much) faster, and it offers protection. If you stop at three or four coats with ARS, it does not look plasticky. ARS for the win. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjtboy Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 35 minutes ago, Eric. said: ARS for the win. Looks awesome - think I need to work on my Arm r seal application. I hear many talk about how foolproof it is, but wiping on hasn't worked well for me to date. Last time I tried thin coats with the light touch wipe out in direction of grain and it wasn't terrible but streaks were noticeable (semi-gloss). First coat or 2 were fine, but then it started tacking up super fast before I could wipe it down, hence the streaks. Do you wipe off your final coat as part of application (or the earlier ones?)? I've read some don't wipe off and just let it settle out, others do wipe off. Thanks for the ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bevans Posted April 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 Beautiful work Eric. I am also partial to satin as a finish. I have read that some folks will take their projects outside into the sunlight all day for several days to hasten the darkening process. I'd like to see what happens as the sun does its magic but already have a slight warp in the wood and fear it might be more of a problem than it is worth. Thanks for the responses all, much appreciated! I believe I am leaning toward ARS and will post some pics as I get a little closer to the finish line. Hey treeslayer, I lived in Dubuque for 15 years and coached at the Sr. High so know eastern Iowa pretty well. What town do you live in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 1 hour ago, cjtboy said: Do you wipe off your final coat as part of application (or the earlier ones?)? I've read some don't wipe off and just let it settle out, others do wipe off. Thanks for the ideas. I don't wipe off any finish except for after the very first coat, if needed, which usually isn't because the wood is thirsty and drinks up every last drop. But I will go around and sop up any drips or pools that settle in corners or detail areas. I flood the first coat on pretty heavy. Everything changes after the first coat. Subsequent coats go on moderate to thin. I wipe with long, deliberate strokes until the entire surface is evenly covered, then I move on. I don't over-work the finish or need to wipe off any excess because I apply with a very controlled amount that does not require cleanup afterward. Wiping off is not only a waste of finish, but it definitely causes streaking. Unlike oil, ARS will dry withing 24 hours almost regardless of how thick you apply a coat. I don't recommend thick coats but it does still dry, so there's no reason to wipe back like with oil. 1 hour ago, Bevans said: Beautiful work Eric. I am also partial to satin as a finish. I have read that some folks will take their projects outside into the sunlight all day for several days to hasten the darkening process. I'd like to see what happens as the sun does its magic but already have a slight warp in the wood and fear it might be more of a problem than it is worth. I've left smaller projects out in the sun and it does change the color. The blanket chests were too huge to consider doing that, and frankly I don't mind letting Mother Nature take her sweet time with it...I think it's beautiful at every shade of the darkening process. If you're having warping issues I think you're wise to keep it out of direct sunlight. Put it near a window after you get it into your house and it will still darken quite quickly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronn W Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 Please, someone correct me if I am wrong but isn't a major cause of streaking w/ Armor Seal uneven pressure - your fingers transmitting pressure points through your applicator? Be sure your applicator is quite thick - a rag folded over several times. Mostly though I prefer to use sponge-on-stick - work fast and not too thick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjtboy Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 53 minutes ago, Eric. said: Wiping off is not only a waste of finish, but it definitely causes streaking. Yes and Yes. Seems this is my issue with ARS in particular (or likely any wipe on). I'll give your method a go next time, thanks for this. So much conflicting info on finishing and different techniques (I recently watched Cremona's finishing video using ARS which is great, but he wipes off each coat and it looks great! Go figure). Nice to have a simple plan to try out! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddclippinger Posted April 14, 2016 Report Share Posted April 14, 2016 On April 12, 2016 at 5:59 PM, Eric. said: ARS satin on cherry below. Gloss and semi-gloss tend to streak badly, satin not so much. If you still find you're having streaking problems, you're probably over-working the finish (wipe on, move on) or your pad is possibly not thick enough or it's not folded neatly (creates pressure points that cause streaks). Something I like to do is for my final coat, thin the ARS 50/50 with mineral spirits. This allows for a thin, well-leveling coat that goes on easy and dries fast. I've decided that I don't really care for Danish oil. ARS brings out the richness of cherry and walnut just as well or better than Danish oil, it dries (much) faster, and it offers protection. If you stop at three or four coats with ARS, it does not look plasticky. ARS for the win. Those chests are gorgeous! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob493 Posted April 20, 2016 Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 Keep in mind, drying oils have oxidizers that will darken any wood. Cherry finishes very very similarly to maple, and I think a nice satin clear coat of some kind would work wonders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.