Bleaching cherry

[Skelp]

I want to make a small table out of cherry which I want to look a little bit faded and old. I tried some 2 part bleach on some American cherry, but it doesn't bleach too well. Has anyone have any experience bleaching European cherry? Does it bleach OK and what sort of bleach should I use?

 

[Ironballs]

I thought cherry darkened with age and exposure to air/sunlight?

 

[Skelp]

You've been reading too many US forums. :roll:
European cherry does fade to a beautiful honey colour. A lot of antique French country furniture is cherry and can be a beautiful pale colour. That is what I am looking to copy.

 

[Ironballs]

Nope, I've been looking at my maple and cherry table and the difference between the wood sanded a couple of months ago and the bits I planed the other day :wink:

Old is darker and browner, new is lighter and pinker. This is american rather than english cherry though

You can also dig out a copy of F&C from the last year that was looking at UV resistant finishes and how the wood changed over time, I think cherry was in there

 

[Skelp]

The pale honey colour of the table in the foreground is the colour I am looking for. The two tables in the background are also cherry but they are what I would describe as dark cherry.

This is a faded French cherry armoire...

and this is a dark French cherry armoire...

There are lots more examples of faded cherry here

 

[Woodfinish Man]

I don't have any experience of bleaching cherry of any species - it's not especially oily so I would have expected it to bleach fairly well.

To satisfy my curiosity I'll do a quick test tomorrow on a spare piece of mdf veneered with cherry that I have here using Vitableach.

I'll come back with the results.

WM

 

[wizer]

I've never been a fan of Cherry, but bleached Cherry looks very nice. Might try it myself one day.

 

[Ironballs]

I'll pretend I didn't hear that :lol:

 

[Skelp]

To satisfy my curiosity I'll do a quick test tomorrow on a spare piece of mdf veneered with cherry that I have here using Vitableach.

I'll come back with the results.

WM

Thanks, I look forward to the results.

 

[Jake]

Stick it in the sun? Having said that, the plane fare will be more than some A+B bleach.

 

[Philly]

Don't try putting cherry in the sun - it makes it go darker! A great way to make a new project look a little older :wink:
Philly

 

[Jake]

Initially.

UV is a great bleacher of wood - I don't believe cherry is immune, and I'd be willing to bet (a small amount) that it explains the hue differences Skelp was pointing at.

Having said that, it wasn't exactly serious, as it might have to stay outside for a good few months and the rest of the piece might suffer.

 

[Philly]

I made some cherry furniture a couple years ago - it's still getting darker. If I recall, Norm made a replica of a cherry nightstand that was a hundred years old - and almost black!
I've found walnut to get lighter with age - the cherry (well, US Cherry) to keep getting darker. Not a bad thing, as the orange colour of freshly planed cherry is a bit urghhh.... :wink:
Hope this makes sense?
Philly

 

[wizer]

yubbbut norm uses his standard prison grade gravy finish on all his projects....

 

[Jake]

I suspect a lot of it is due to the sheer difference in the amount of UV exposure you get inside, as against outside in full blazing sun.

That's why the leaving outside for an hour or two trick works in the first place, to give a similar degree of change that takes months if not years at indoor UV levels.

And why garden furniture takes *so* much more upkeep to keep it from fading out to silver-grey - I've never seen an indoor piece of furniture get anywhere close to beginning to do that.

I'm speculating, though, not having tried it, but I'll bet after a week or month or four, even US cherry would begin to fade again. I've never heard of any wood that doesn't go silver in the end, exposed to enough UV.

I suspect the A+B bleach is infinitely more practical.