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Cherry coffee table

2K views 8 replies 8 participants last post by  conifur 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hello, I am new to the forum so I hope I have posted this in the appropriate area! I am about to glue and screw a cherry coffee table project I have been working on and have tested a few finishes on scrap and looking for some thoughts from others. So far I tried danish oil topped with shellac but will more then likely use rub on poly so it had a little more durability as this will be used in the "man cave" which probably means spills. I like the way the oil looks on the wood but I am seeing the "blotchy" areas or "figure". Otherwise the color and grain looks impressive. I have also tried minwax cherry gel stain which has no blotch but the color is similar to the oil an looks fake or artificial to me. I have let both "suntan" for 12 hours. As this will be In a basement will its darken as much as it would in front of a large window? Also does the color of BLO differ much from the danish oil? Thanks in advance for your thoughts. I have attached a photo of the table dry assembled upside down

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#3 ·
If it were me I would use Waterlox original. Wipe on about six coats, let it cure for 30 days and rub it out. Waterlox will make it "pop" as it has Tung oil in it. Waterlox will provide a durable finish for a man cave. The cherry will darken over time even in a basement.
I do not like poly as it gives the wood a plastic look
 
#4 ·


That piece came from what I could salvage from an old twisted/checked/bowed chunk of what was a beam. I used a Zar product in cherry finish. Was very light when I made it but a few years later it has developed a darker patina. Given all the worm-holes/tracks on that piece it looks more like an antique now.
 
#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
I was just experimenting with cherry and pine who both are prone to blotching for a piece I am about to finish.

Indeed gels will eliminate blotching but they change the color. Another option which works well enough is to first use a coat of wax-free shellac diluted to 1lb cut or less. Let it dry and very lightly sand with 320 to remove the nibs. Apply your oil stain on top of that. The shellac will partially seal the cherry (but not completely since its a very diluted one) and allow for the oil stain to penetrate evenly rather than blotch.

I did not come up with this idea, it is a technique that is described by Bob Flexner in his book "Flexner on Finishing".

Once you are satisfied with the look of it, lock in the stain by another few coats of dewaxed shellacs, making sure its dry between coats and using 320 grits each coat. After that's dry, you can apply any kind of polyurethane or other varnish to make it durable.
 
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