Black Cherry for stock wood

[roundball]

Does anyone have any MLs stocked with black cherry?

If so, can you comment on it compared to curley maple, walnut, etc, in terms of its attractiveness, does it require 'stain' or just a finish...ie: Tru-Oil or something like that?

Any photos would be great as well.

 

[Only Round]

The very first rifle I ever built by hand (a remake of my first kit) was made from a black cherry plank my great uncle had sitting out in one of his barns.
As I built this in jr high, it's not much to look at style-wise (I call it the ugly gun, but can't bear to part with it) but the wood is nice enough. I believe I just used Tru-Oil with no stain at all. Straight grain,looks kind of orangey-red with some darker spots. As I remember the wood was very easy to work with. If I had more of this wood I'd be very happy to make another though.
Hope this helps!

 

[Robby]

Roundball I have made a few guns using black cherry, local grown. The hardness of cherry can vary, but usually it is about the same as a dense piece of red maple. Once seasoned, it is a very stable wood and was used extensively in the pattern making business for that reason. It is very photo-reactive, some folks just finish it naturally and keep putting it out in the sun, It takes time, but it will age into a nice color. Others use lye to darken and bring out the red in it. I have used Aquafortis on cherry, depending on the piece,it can turn it almost black, I steel wool it back and underneath, is a nice aged cherry color. I think it ia a nice wood to work with.

This is black cherry with aquafortis

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Cherry makes a nice stock. You can get a soft and sloppy piece just as you can in maple but you also can get a nice hard piece.I have noticed a trend for some to entice with good figured wood but it is as soft as a down pillow so buyer beware.

I have a piece of curly cherry sitting here now with a a 16 bore Getz barrel in it waiting for me to turn it into a fowling piece. It is very dense and should work well.
a
I have used cherry on many projects and have in the past just used a linseed varnish on it. Mike Brooks just finished an English walnut gun for me using only Chambers oil finish and it is super. I plan on using the Chambers oil finish on the cherry stock as well. It is of a dark color and really penetrates the wood and gets darker with each coat. http://www.fowlingguns.com/englishfowler10

Here is a curly cherry gun Mike made that I just found on his website. http://www.fowlingguns.com/englishfowler7.html
If you like that color, you might want to check with him about the finish.

 

[torn moc]

AWESOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[rabjr]

It makes a beautiful gunstock! :thumbsup:
http://nimrodsplace.com/nerifle20.html
http://www.nimrodsplace.com/nerifle1.html

 

[oldarmy]

Its a great wood. I have a few trees on my land that are black cherry.. There is a problem with heart rot on most of them.. they die from the inside first. The wood is in great demand and is expensive here in the North East. Most of it ends up in the fireplace :cursing:
BTW
That is an awesome gun
Roundball.. it would be a great choice for a long rifle. :thumbsup:

 

[Halftail]

Does anyone have any MLs stocked with black cherry?

If so, can you comment on it compared to curley maple, walnut, etc, in terms of its attractiveness, does it require 'stain' or just a finish...ie: Tru-Oil or something like that?

Any photos would be great as well.

I had a bottle of "Black Cherry" pop yesterday.Very tasty but might be a tad sticky on a gun stock.... :wink:

 

[sniper68]

Love Cherry Or Walnut over Maple for a stock with little or no curl.
Here'e two of mine. Both Ladies or boy's size rifles.

 

[Pork Chop]

Very nice. The left side of the butt of the long rifle has an interesting pattern - is it carved? If not, I see the face of Stalin there. :haha:

 

[sniper68]

 

[rabjr]

Your gun actually caused me a few sleepless nights Sniper. When I was having mine built I really liked the color of yours but I also liked the aged carmely color of Welcomes personal rifle too. It took days to decide but I ended up duplicating Welcomes color. I really like the looks of yours though. :thumbsup:

 

[Pork Chop]

:thumbsup: I figured that Stalin crack would get a better view.

 

[Robby]

Sniper,That is a beautiful gun, beautifully done. Is the wood aged naturally or stained?
Robby

 

[sniper68]

:thumbsup: I figured that Stalin crack would get a better view.

:shocked2: Sure did!!!

 

[sniper68]

Sniper,That is a beautiful gun, beautifully done. Is the wood aged naturally or stained?
Robby

All natural. Done by Steve Zihn. :v

 

[David Coulter]

Hi folks, if I were to cut a slab for a stock of black cherry from a down tree, how long do i let it dry before carving? Thanks! Dc

 

[rich pierce]

Typically 1 year per inch of thickness. Cherry checks at the ends like crazy if not well sealed.

 

[Ames]

Love working with cherry. The scraps are good for smoking salmon as well.

 

[TBone]

Built a snaphaunce and a wheellock long guns on cherry stocks. Very attractive, and nice to work with. Need to watchtower tools because it discolor with heat.