# Stain for cherry?



## Mojo1 (Jan 13, 2011)

I am building a crib with cherry , I want it to be as dark as I can, any suggestion for stains ?


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## stnich (May 24, 2010)

When you say dark are you looking for a dark cherry color or just dark? I've used Zar's Dark Mahogany on cherry and it turns reals dark almost like a burgundy.


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

The best stain for cherry is time. The older it gets, the better it gets.


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

why would anyone stain cherry??

if you want to darken it naturally, set it out in bright sunlight over the course of a few days.


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## ChuckC (May 13, 2010)

Another vote for no stain. Let time stain it.


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## AZMac (Jan 10, 2011)

On Cherry I use No stain. 
AZMac


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## mathom7 (Jun 6, 2010)

Let me commiserate. Sometimes the wife, or mother-in-law, wants the cherry to be dark.

I just made some sliding drawers for my mother in law for christmas and had to match her dark cherry wet bar.

Ended up following an article from a great local supplier for making popular look like cherry, only I was masking cherry with cherry.

http://www.hardwoodlumberandmore.com/Articles/ArticleViewPage/tabid/75/ArticleId/11/Poplar-to-Cherry.aspx

I used the water based dye from Woodcraft, but, had to mix it at a much higher concentration then they suggest.

Good luck.


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## Mojo1 (Jan 13, 2011)

Thanks for tips, after I build it I will set it in the sun to let is darken and see how it goes. I made it out of Cherry mainly becasue of the selection at the wood store.This is my first real project with hard wood, I have made a few cutting boards but thats different to me. I would love it to be as naturaly dark as I can get it, I was really un aware that cherry is so light, I am a newbie with hardwood projects.


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

I'd add that with most finishes, if you get the color to match now, it will darken over time and won't match in the future. That's one of the challenges of matching new cherry with old.


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## Mojo1 (Jan 13, 2011)

i put a scap in the sun yesterday after a coat of BLO, to see how it comes out, to late now but I wish I had gone with another wood.


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## agallant (Jul 1, 2010)

Potassium dichromate

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=27343


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## Mojo1 (Jan 13, 2011)

agallant,thank you , I just ordered some of that. I get my new table saw Monday, I have 3 days off work next week so I hope to finish or get a lot done on the crib then. I ordered the hardware kit yesterday so it should be here in plenty of time. This forum is a great source of knowledge to learn the trade. After the crib I plan on some beds for the grownups.


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## khays (Aug 16, 2009)

here is a nice site looks like for cherry finishes and techniques.

http://www.finishwiz.com/cherry.htm

Kevin


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## horsefly (Oct 1, 2010)

I appreciate, and respect what everyone above has said about staining cherry. However, I recently finished a clock case made from cherry and used a piece of scrap to test a stain that really impressed me. Looked great with no blotching and blended the heart and sap beautifully. Looked so good, I did the entire clock in the finish, the customer was delighted and I plan to use it again in the future. It was General Finishes, Georgian Cherry Jel Stain, and no, I have no vested interest in this product. Additional coats makes it darker. 
As always, try anything like this on some scrap pieces first to see if it meets your requirements.


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## fge (Sep 8, 2008)

Cherry is a great wood and i love to work with it and admire the natural beaty after completion. Cherry will darken up out in the sun but i think that technique is self defeating unless all parts are machined, such as face frame, doors and drawer faces and all assembled before leaving outside. This is because after sanding and finishing you reveal new fresh cheery under the stuff that may have been sun tanned. I suggest you stick with cherry as that is a very nice.choice. i never stain cherry but i do toner coat the wood depending on my customers persinal taste.


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## Dandog (Oct 21, 2010)

yes I agree with AZMAC Don"t stain just leave it in the sun it'll given a darker look. I read in the woodworking magazine that I guy wanted to put some wood in the sun. But the weather was crappy. So his wife suggested, too bad you can't take it to the tanning booth. So he did. A quick way to age cherry….remember that most oils are going to dark in the wood.


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## therookie (Aug 29, 2010)

polyurethane only. I did a checker board with nothing but poly and wax and the woods were cherry and walnut, and it came out great.


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## Mojo1 (Jan 13, 2011)

Thanks for all comment, Horsefly, I will pick up a can of that, they sell that brand at my wood store.


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## 489tad (Feb 26, 2010)

I just stained cherry "dark" a few weeks back for bathroom cabinets. Here's what I noticed. After getting the right color on scrap the stained cherry took a different look on different boards. The drawers and doors were made from a more figure wood that the mirror frame. The drawers and doors look a little blotchy. Good luck.


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## newwoodbutcher (Aug 6, 2010)

I've had great success using Potassium Dichromate to instantly age cherry followed up with Liberon Finishing oil (about six coats ) makes the cherry look ten years old and fantastic. However any sapwood will look a little green unless you dye or stain it first, which I have also done successfully although I'm not sure how the dyed or stained sapwood will age.


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## Mojo1 (Jan 13, 2011)

Thanks, I am not to far off from the staining stage. I have some molding to make, then a lot of sanding and will staing after that. I have been sunning it when given the chance.


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

How about this guys…anyone ever wetsanded cherry with a tinted Danish Oil? Walnut tinted Danish Oil is my most favored finish but I've never used it on cherry. I've had the bad experiences mentioned above with pigmented tints.


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Trying to bump the discussion. Anyone ever used tinted danish oil on cherry?


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## NathanAllen (Oct 16, 2009)

I'm going to go on record that Potassium dichromate is not a viable solution for a crib. The chemical remains on the wood after the coloration is finished.


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## Mojo1 (Jan 13, 2011)

NathanAllen
I never thought of it being a toxin, you might have a very good point! I will look into this more before staining. On a side note, no pun intended, I am not happy with sides of the crib and I am going to rebuild them, they are to flimsy for me, I need a break from this project so it will be a couple of weeks before I finish it up.


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## littlebear (Mar 23, 2011)

Cherry will become a nice deep red in a two year period. I myself would never stain cherry..

Good luck.


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## GMotichka (Oct 31, 2010)

For those that have had bad luck staining cherry - have you tried some blotch control before you stained?


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## eric122 (Feb 27, 2010)

boiled linceed oil is great


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