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How To Finish Cherry Without Blotches

If the cherry boards or veneer you are using include blotchy areas, you are going to get blotching. The only way to avoid blotching is to use boards or veneer that don’t blotch, or cut out the blotchy areas from boards or veneer that do blotch. You can test if the wood is going to blotch by wetting it.

How do you fix a blotchy cherry?

Pine, cherry, maple, birch, and alder are the most likely to blotch. If the surface is very blotchy, you’ll have to remove the stain by stripping, sanding, or both, and start over. This time, apply a washcoat of shellac and then the stain.

Why is cherry wood blotchy?

The main problem with finishing cherry wood is that it has a tendency to blotch with any kind of stain or tinted oil. What this means is, the grain in the wood absorbs different amount of stain color at different rates and depths. This causes some areas to be darker, some lighter and that causes the blotchy look.

What’s the best finish for cherry wood?

5 Sublime & Simple Cherry Wood Finishes To Make Your Project Pop Boiled Linseed Oil. Tung Oil Varnish Blend. General Finishes Arm-R-Seal. Clear Dewaxed Shellac. Clear Dewaxed Shellac w/ Dark Brown Glaze.

How do you keep cherry wood from turning dark?

If you want to give cherry a dark color right away, don’t use oil stain. It colors cherry’s pores and makes it look unnatural. Sealing the surface and then applying coats of colored glaze is the way to go.

How do you finish a cherry table top?

Ideally, it’s best to simply enhance the natural beauty of cherry by applying an oil based varnish of some type. Oil finishes penetrate the surface, bringing out the maximum depth and beauty as the cherry oxidizes over time, revealing a desirable rich deeper colored patina.

Can you sand cherry wood?

Cherry wood comes in various finishes, and it is best to choose one that works for your project. I have used it in more than one project, and it is fun to work with. It is best to sand it down with a random orbital sander, take your time when cutting, and use some quality glue.

Can you stain cherry wood lighter?

When you use a water based polyurethane, such as Bona Traffic HD, you can significantly lighten the redness of your Brazilian Cherry (or American Cherry) hardwood floors. Bona Traffic HD is the best water-based poly, and since it’s water borne, it’s lighter than oil based poly and it doesn’t darken or yellow so much.

Can you stain cherry cabinets darker?

Cherry wood can be stained with any number of different colors however, just like any other wood species, and this can lead to confusion. Kitchen cabinetry can appear dark brown, grey, yellow, etc.

Can cherry wood furniture be refinished?

If a cherry wood gets worn or scratched, it can lose its inherent beauty, but can be brought back to life by refinishing.

How do you apply polyurethane to cherry wood?

Here I am laying on the first coat of poly onto a sample board of cherry. Just lay it on gently, and go back over it maybe once to smooth it down. Everyone always warns you not to “overwork” a waterbased finish. My perspective is that there is just no need to do much working.

How do you make cherry wood shine?

Things You Will Need Wipe the entire piece of cherry wood furniture with a dry, lint-free cloth. Moisten another cloth with water. Wipe the cherry wood using another dry cloth. Spray the entire furniture piece evenly with aerosol furniture polish. Buff the entire cherry wood surface with another dry cloth.

How long does it take for cherry wood to darken?

It will take about six to 12 months to reach that rich dark hue that so many people have come to expect with cherry, depending on light exposure, and this reddish tone will only continue to deepen as time goes on.

Does tung oil change the color of wood?

For the light-colored ones, pure tung oil gives a yellow or light yellow ochre color. While dark tung oil significantly darkens the wood color. The color of the wood does not change much. This is because the base color of the wood is similar to the base color of the dark tung oil.

How do you darken cherry stain?

It’s light, especially sunlight, that causes cherry to darken. You can get a running start on the darkening by putting your sanded parts in the sunlight for a couple of days. Or you can finish the object (without stain) and put it in the sunlight.

Can you stain cherry wood GREY?

The trick to getting gray is complimentary colors. If you bleach first to get the wood as light as possible you will introduce some yellow into the color and will need to explore the violet shades. Make the stain very thin and apply slowly until you get gray. Then you can seal and tone to get an exact color match.

What does stained cherry wood look like?

Cherry Wood stain is light pink to rich reddish-brown. Even sometimes, color changes from board to board on the same tree. In the beginning, it can be light pink in color and gets darker over time due to sunlight. Finally, it becomes a reddish-brown color.

How does tung oil work?

Tung oil hardens upon exposure to air (through polymerization), and the resulting coating is transparent and has a deep, almost wet look. Used mostly for finishing and protecting wood, after numerous coats, the finish can even look plastic-like. Related drying oils include linseed, safflower, poppy, and soybean oils.

How do you restore old cherry wood?

Clean the Wood Pour a small amount of mineral spirits into a glass jar. Dip a piece of 0000 steel wool into the mineral spirits and gently rub the wood. Apply denatured alcohol to the wood with a clean cloth to remove the mineral spirits.