By registering, I acknowledge and agree to Active Interest Media's (AIM) Terms of Service and to AIM's use of my contact information to communicate with me about AIM, its brands or its third-party partners' products, services, events and research opportunities. It is key to 2 popular stain mixtures below for Brazilian cherry, because it cancels out red. Blotchy Cherry Finish. Stain colors on cherry wood flooring. So, what do you do then if you want that deep rich color cherry is known for? So how do you achieve that deep rich color cherry is known for if you don't stain the wood? In my opinion, the best way to achieve this amazing color is by just using a little patience and let nature do her thing and naturally darken the wood over time. Use a Clear Base to add transparency or cut color concentration.
Use Tobacco, a very dominant, opaque stain that can be applied on its own. That's to say, fresh sawn cherry might surprise you just how pale it is, while a 5 year old cherry dresser would hardly resemble the same wood. When a contractor is faced with a Brazilian cherry floor, painting it black or bleaching it seem like the only options. To get a brown color without a red undertone, use 2 parts of Onyx mixed with 1 part Yellow. Traditional cherry wood stain. Contractors can stain a Brazilian cherry floor to obtain the new color their customer wants by using the color wheel and our wide variety of HyperTone™ Stains. This will allow for more stain to penetrate into the floor. Because dark wood stains like Onyx have deep black pigments that derive from a dominant blue base, mixture with yellow will create a green tone. Interested in your own piece of furniture, contact me to get started! Using a pre-stain conditioner helps to seal off some of the deeper, more absorbent, grain so that the stain goes on more uniformly.
Putting your piece in the sun for a while will give you a nice head start on the aging process. My name is Derik VanVleet and I am the owner/builder of VanVleet Woodworking llc. Conclusion - Have Patience. Marketing Manager – Woodworkers Source. This causes some areas to be darker, some lighter and that causes the blotchy look. Stain on cherry wood. There is another technique, that I've never really used, but tested and it does work. As seen in the image on the right, the primary colors and complementary colors sit opposite on the color wheel.
The color wheel is a useful tool to determine what color masks the red of the Brazilian cherry the best. I even like plain shellac in some cases. Unlike the distinct pale white of maple, or the rich dark of walnut, cherry exists in a constant state of flux. And, most often, they ask me if I can stain it to quicken the darkening process. Adding a small amount of white can assist in covering the red if needed. What a difference right?! As you can see, this table is very light with a nice cream color and with a hint of orange/red to it. Yellow and 1 part of Blue. Cons – Multiple coats required for good protection. For floors with a heavier red color, add 1 part Slate or.
He's a sucker for dark hardwoods like Walnut and Wenge, yet has a soft spot for Canarywood. Tobacco to the mix to help mask the red even more. I hope you find this blog useful and insightful. Finishing Cherry Wood - How to... How Do you get the best finish for cherry wood?... PROs – Provides a warm or aged, reddish look on cherry; can be top coated with a clear finish to improve protection; simple wipe-on/off application. So, you don't have a lot of patience huh? Black may not be the first choice for a customer's new floor, and bleach is an extra step that will increase time, work, and. By manipulating HyperTone Stains and the color wheel, Brazilian cherry can be masked and transformed into a different color. When cherry is first milled, it has a lighter, creamy color.
What this means is, the grain in the wood absorbs different amount of stain color at different rates and depths. This color variation isn't a bad thing though. Thank you for your support! By simply placing the cherry in the sun, you can significantly speed up the amount of time it takes to color the cherry. Sanding a floor will determine if more or less pigment will penetrate the wood. I believe that by the use of stains and chemicals, you are messing with the natural beauty and process and it ultimately turns into something that is not cherry; it looses its character. Corey oversees marketing in-store and online for Woodworkers Source. Cheating Father Time. Read more about sanding and other procedures on exotic floors here. Feel free to leave a comment in the bottom. Below is a photo of a Shaker end table I took right after I finished it. Add 60 parts of White to 1 part green. Cherry is a peculiar wood. For reference, the drawer front is tiger maple.
This technique involves diluting baking soda in water and applying it to the cherry wood. Pro Tip: If your normal abrading sequence does not allow the stain to penetrate and adjust color effectively, try lowering grit size for final pass/preparation. Curious about red oak floors or tinting? You end up having to raise the grain with water, then sand things back down, then apply this diluted solution, let it dry, wipe everything real good, then put your top coat on. Disclosure: Some links in this article are affiliate links meaning, I may get a small commission if you purchase anything from these links. A gray color naturally covers color well, which is why it is often used as a primer on dark-painted walls as opposed to white primers. PROs – Gives cherry a natural look; dries crystal clear; any finish can be applied over it for a tougher top coat; easy to apply.
From the mid-1990s to around 2005, Brazilian cherry—also known as Jatoba—was extremely popular and installed in many homes built or renovated during that time. This is the exact same table as in the first photo, no changes to the finish at all, but about three years later. While cherry may be pale when fresh cut, choosing how to age and finish your project can greatly affect the color down the road. Cons – Not a durable finish by itself. For example, if 120 grit is your normal final grit size, try keeping it at 100 grit. This creates a chemical reaction with the wood and causes it to darken very quickly as well. So, after heeding our GnR friends advice, what does the table look like now?
Again, easy to apply, easy to repair. What do you think of the results? Let's take a look at the payoff. Cherry wood is one of my all-time favorite woods to work with; I think that goes for a lot of people. For many however, finishing cherry is a tricky wicket. That wide range of color is all thanks to cherry's sponge-like effect with the sun.
Coatings Regional Manager will reach out to you. Create a bleached color floor without the bleach. The Brazilian cherry wood floors and rich red, orange, and cherry tones trend has. Watch a webinar here and check out our blog post about tinting with HyperTone Stains here. To achieve the bleached look. The finish on this table is simply two coats of tung oil and a few thin coats of clear shellac, nothing else. So, other than staining; which we never do right? Clear Dewaxed Shellac. It is the color that most of my clients, that want to use cherry wood, desire as well.
The colors directly across from each other will "cancel out" when applied over the other. For me, this is just too messy and complicated. AIM's use of the information I provide will be consistent with the AIM Privacy Policy. General Finishes Arm-R-Seal. Click here to read more about using a test area to determine if the color is correct. See, one of the "problems" with finishing cherry is, too many people are used to store bought furniture and, as I have mentioned before, that furniture is misleading because they use a multi-step process to artificially age cherry. Like Gun's and Roses said, "have a little patience". The second picture is the deep, dark color that cherry wood is famous for and so sought after. Kind of like "don't fruit the beer", "don't stain the cherry wood".. don't do it. Will alter the color.
Mix 6 parts White with 1 part Slate to create a paint-like tone that will mask the red.