Black Cherry for stock wood

[Eric Krewson]

I spent a week chainsaw cutting stock blanks out of a high wind toppled cherry near the house, every one of them but one had a fatal bark inclusion flaw that eliminated them for stock material.

I was cutting the side profile out of the one good one, I had a daydreaming brain lapse and ran my bandsaw blade right down the centerline of the forestock instead of the side lines I had laid out. I glued the split back together and gave the blank to a builder who makes shooters and isn't to picky about ascetics.

Check out the grain flow in the wrist of the blank I ruined by daydreaming.

 

[rich pierce]

That had to hurt. Cherry varies widely just as maple does. The headache is the sapwood is not as distinct as on walnut and doesn’t stain same as heartwood.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

All of this cherry talk has me seriously interested in cherry for my next build.

If I use it, I’ll use a natural oil finish and simply allow the wood to age and darken naturally.

 

[okawbow]

Here is a picture of Illinois black cherry with just a boiled linseed oil finish.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Here is a picture of Illinois black cherry with just a boiled linseed oil finish.View attachment 30226

Outstanding. I assume this was after some aging in the sunlight? Did the wood used to be more pale?

 

[David Coulter]

That's a beautiful piece! I love that color. thank you, dwc

 

[Flintandsteel]

Here's a couple I've done. Cherry can be quite beautiful. Some say it's hard to work, but I really like it

 

[Kansas Jake]

pretty piece Flintandsteel.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Here's a couple I've done. Cherry can be quite beautiful. Some say it's hard to work, but I really like itView attachment 30710View attachment 30711View attachment 30712View attachment 30713View attachment 30710

What finish did you use for the cherry?

 

[rich pierce]

I used a lye solution to stain this early New England fowling piece. It’s aged to simulate a gun with some real use.

 

[Flintandsteel]

Both are stained with LMF stains, the shiny one is Permalyn sealer, the matte finish is Chambers oil.

 

[William O.]

My first custom gun, pieced together from parts of a Lyman trade rifle. I don't know what finish was used but it's held up well.

 

[William O.]

My first custom gun, pieced together from parts of a Lyman trade rifle. I don't know what finish was used but it's held up well.

Then there is my first in the white gun, a 20 gauge trade gun. I was.going to try the lye method but a buddy gave me some mahogany red stain which gave a real nice color that I followed with TruOil.