Expert: Jamie Yocono - 6/16/2007

Question
I bought cherry wood and constructed a fireplace mantle which looks like a box. The only cherry wood that was available was two different colors(dark and light). When I started staining, the dark was fine but the light did not absorb the color. To solve this problem I had to leave the stain on those parts instead of wiping it. The result is not what I expected. Although the grain is still visible but i can see a thin layer covering it. If you have any advise on solving this problem please let me know.
My second question is what is the best way to finish it. They advised me on polyurethane (satin or semi gloss). What is you advise.

Answer
Hi Nesreen,

The light wood that you're seeing on your cherry is sapwood. It's the wood that grows closest to the bark. The dark wood is heartwood, which is the older wood. Getting them to match by staining them is quite difficult. Most people choose wood without sapwood streaks, in order to not have this problem arise in the first place.

The thing that kills me is that people who grade lumber don't consider sapwood to be a defect. But- as in your case, the appearance of sapwood can really ruin a project. Add to that the fact that lumberyards charge more for wood that is free of sapwood adds insult to the injury. It's a lose/lose situation. They says it's fine, but then charge more for wood without it. Go figure.  

I've lately gotten to the point where I think lumber salesmen have about as much integrity as used car salesmen.  Don't get me started......

OK, so as far as I know, there are only a few ways to deal with this. And it might be a little too late for you and your project, I just don't know. It's possible you sealed the pores of the wood with the application of finish that you used. So I suggest you strip it off and start over.  I know that's probably not what you wanted to hear, but that's what I would do.  Know this- both birch and cherry are difficult to stain, as they tend to get blotchy. So add in the sapwood and you're really in a bind.  

Honestly- the best way to fix this is by NOT using any sapwood in your project in the first place.

The first way is to use a gel stain when staining a cherry piece that has both sap and heartwood. Bartley makes a good brand.

The second way is to use a wood toner, but frankly, this is a more labor intensive method.  A toner with a colorant will add the reddish color to the sapwood, without highlighting the blotchiness. So you would use toner on the sapwood only. Once you've achieved the proper color, you finish the whole piece with your varnish. This is more the method that larger manufacturers use, although I suppose anyone could to it. It's just more difficult, requires a better "eye" for blending the color, and also requires more finishing products. And it's usually applied with a sprayer. Why would the average woodworker ever want to mess with it?

Another method you could try is a water soluble wood dye, like Lockwoods. You want to dye the sapwood streak to match. Once again, it's not perfect, but it's better than not doing anything about the color difference.

So I go back to my first suggestion- gel stain.  It's sort of goof proof. I would try staining the lighter parts first. Then once they sort of match, apply the gel to the whole piece.

As far as your last question- about the final finish, I am not a huge fan of polyurethane varnish. It's too labor intensive, and my woodshop is never dust free enough to use it. So if I want to use it, I have to apply it somewhere else. What I like to use is a clear danish oil, like Watco or Deftco. I apply it with a rag, letting it soak in for about 15 minutes, reapplying it to wherever it soaks in. Then I take a fine piece of sandpaper, like 400 grit wet-or-dry paper, and sand the oil into the wood. Finally, I wipe it dry. The second coat, you can usually skip the sanding, unless you find a rough spot. Two coats usually does it, and your area doesn't need to be dust free, since you wipe it off.

A final wax makes the piece really smooth and gorgeous. And here's the nice part- when the mantle starts to look a little dry from age or heat, you can apply a little more oil to it. It's easy to keep it looking gorgeous, as opposed to polyurethane, where touchups are much more difficult. So I recommend oil finishes rather than polyurethane finishes.

OK, good luck, I hope this helps. Please feel free to write back if you have any further questions after reading this. And if this answer was helpful... please take a minute and rate my service. Thanks!

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com