anvilheadmarty Posted October 22, 2011 Report Share Posted October 22, 2011 Hi, my name is Marty Szaniszlo,(don't pronounce the "Z's"), I have a question about materials for Arts & Craft style furniture. I aquired a lot of rough sawn cherry lumber from a friend. It filled half of my basement. My wife and I are fans of Mission style furniture. My question is, would it be a terrible sin to jump protocol and make Mission furniture out of cherry instead of white oak? With all that wood in my basement now and then to tell my wife I need to go and get white oak to,oh boy. She would have to make a serious decission. Whether to shoot me at sunrise or hang me at sundown. Wives just don't understand political correction when it comes to woodworking details like that. Or a least my wife anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregory Paolini Posted October 22, 2011 Report Share Posted October 22, 2011 Marty, I don't think it would be a sin to create Arts & Crafts inspired furniture out of cherry - I Make my Arts & Crafts inspired furniture out of many species - I've done Greene & Greene out of Maple & Walnut; Limbert from Curly Cherry, and Quarter Sawn Sycamore; and Stickley from Walnut and even Movingue. Heck, half of the modern day L&JG Stickley's catalog is in Cherry. I think the only real sin would be if you made Arts & Crafts furniture, while neglecting the philosophy which makes it popular. Hope this helps! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted October 22, 2011 Report Share Posted October 22, 2011 hahahahahahaha sorry but i find this topic supper funny its your furniture make it anyway you want to as long as you make it correctly, right joints, hard enough wood, etc...... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteJr Posted October 22, 2011 Report Share Posted October 22, 2011 Marty, I agree with Greg and he's someone who speaks with professional experience. Staying true to the design elements of Arts & Craft gives you the liberty to use most species of wood with wonderful results. My personal experience though is Cherry reveals my limitations in finishing. For me Oak is much more forgiving when it comes to the final finish. I believe it's the open grain of Oak that hides some of my finishing flaws while Cherry seems to reveal much more. That doesn't discourage me from using Cherry but for high end items I rely on a professional finisher. Pete 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tombuhl Posted October 22, 2011 Report Share Posted October 22, 2011 Marty, I'd say cherry is wonderful for Arts & Craft styles. It will be a different look than oak, but well suited to my eye. I love how cherry rapidly warms in color and it warms a room. I find a varnish (or poly) thinned with mineral spirits (around 50-50) with a bit of linseed or tung oil added used as a wiping finish is easy to apply and forgiving. I don't see it mentioned much, but I wet sand through grits as I apply. Probably slows the build but has marvelous rubbed look and feel. It is always satisfying to use material you have on hand. Enjoy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvilheadmarty Posted October 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2011 Thanks a lot guys. I apreciate your comments. I'm new to the computor part of woodworking. I didn't these websites existed untill recently. I hope we all can be friends. I don't have anybody close to talk woodworking with.Around my area if you don't talk sports all day everyone looks at you as if you are from another planet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 well marty keep em coming my family have no inturest in my obsesion so i have to spill out on here. if you feel like chating let me know just sending me a message on my name and we can bounce idea off one another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darnell Hagen Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 Mahogany, White Oak, and Cherry are all traditionally appropriate species for AC furniture. Of the three, Cherry has the most feminine aspects, and tones down the masculine AC form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CessnaPilotBarry Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 DO NOT USE THAT WOOD! Send it to me, and buy quartersawn white oak or walnut... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenaissanceWW Posted October 24, 2011 Report Share Posted October 24, 2011 I just built a Limbert style table out of Cherry. So far no lightening bolts have struck me down! Sometime in the 1950s the L & JG Stickley company produced an entire catalog of furniture in Cherry. It was the same exact designs from the heyday of the A&C period but done in Cherry. As Gregory said, this species still is rampant today from the same company. They style is unmistakable and the philosophy is what is important, not the species. Knock yourself out and make it in Cherry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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