Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Black Cherry

BLACK CHERRY WOOD

The next wood I decided to research was black cherry. It's also known as american cherry. I picked this one because it seems to be very popular among furniture makers. Black cherry is the largest of all the cherry trees in north america and can take up to 100 years to be fully grown. The tree is very popular for its beautiful blossoms. After it is cut and milled the heartwood can range from a light yellowish color to a reddish brown. I tend like the red color. This wood is used for cabinets, musical instruments, flooring, furniture and many other things. It has a tight fine grain. Thw ood ahs many beatiful natural imperfections which are sometimes preffered. It can also have different textures such as bird's eye, waves, or cat paws. It is considered a hard wood but has a soft to medium density and can be found in just about every place you can buy wood. It has a tendency to burn and http://www.thewoodbox.com/data/wood/cherryinfo.htm recommends that you don't do passes under 1/16" when planning. When finishing black cherry it is best to just sand to a hi grit and leave it natural. Over time the wood will darken in the sunlight. It is very durable but will scratch easily. If you would like to see an example of how it darkens over time there is a peice on the wall of the shop. This wood would make a great choice for a bookcase or a table.

catherine

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