# Cherry Mantle



## cj8lvr (Sep 10, 2012)

Howdy folks.
This is my first post here and need a little help.
I have two beautiful pieces of cherry that I'll be using for a mantle piece and a shelf beneath the TV mounted on the wall. The mantle piece is about 8' long, 3 1/2" thick, and 11" wide. Shelf is also 8' and 11" wide but only about 2 1/2" thick. I've had them drying in the garage since last March. Immediately after they were cut, I coated the ends with Minwax Polyurethane to try to keep them from splitting too bad. Both did ok with some splitting. I rand them through a planer for the tops and bottoms and then across a joiner for the front and back faces yesterday. Then, spent the better part of the afternoon and evening sanding the all sides but the ends with a random orbit sander. The wood looks beautiful right now pre-finish. 

Now, where I need some help.
I'd like to protect these beams well with a clear finish, no stain as I've heard Cherry can get darker with time and both will be in a fairly dark room so I want to keep things as light colored as possible. The Minwax Polyurethane I used on the ends looked fine when I tested it on one end of one face. What I'd like to know:
1.) What grit would y'all recommend finishing with before finish is applied?
2.) Just blast it off with air before applying finish or do y'all wipe wood down with something before finishing?
3.) Sand between coats? What grit?
4.) What kind of brush do y'all use or recommend?

Lotsa questions, I know, but y'all have waaay more experience than I do but I'm eager to learn. Hope these are centerpiece(s) in our home for years to come and I absolutely want to do them right!

Thanks for any help y'all can offer!

I'll try to post some pictures later.


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## Tennessee Tim (Dec 15, 2010)

Thick pcs are a bear to dry correctly. Most people rush them because the outside "feels" dry when the inside is still at a high MC(moisture content). I wouldn't risk the beauty for failure at this point. At this stage it'll seem stable but after putting in an controlled enviroment IT WILL MOVE/SHRINK or maybe twist especially if there's heat from the fire place.

IF you choose to proceed at this MC, attempt to minimize the risks by using a "breathable" type log home finish that would at least allow the moisture to come on out as it ages/dries. Sikkens is a brand I hear alot of the higher quality log home and door finishers using.

"Cabinetman" and others can give you better sanding and finishing advise. "Daren" also has small kiln plan that would work for you if you choose to further dry (my advise is to dry it more).

Have a Blessed and Prosperous day in Jesus's Awesome Love,
Tim


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## cj8lvr (Sep 10, 2012)

*Pictures*

Here are some pictures.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Its not that cherry gets darker with time. Cherry can get darker in minutes. I've seen someone leave a saw blade on a sheet of cherry plywood in the sun during lunch and come back to fine the image of the blade outlined in the sheet. Everywhere the blade covered the wood was light and the rest of the sheet darkened. The best way I know of to maintain the color is to use a product called Sun Block made by Kwick Kleen. Its like a sunscreen only formulated for wood. You would coat the wood first with it and when dry use what ever finish you want over it. 

I normally sand wood through 180 grit when I use a film coating over it. I sand through 400 for a oil finish. Some people use solvents to clean sanding dust off but I find compressed air much better. Depending on the project I normally use 220 grit stearated sandpaper to sand between coats. If it has a lot of contours I often use a extra-fine Glit sanding pad. I prefer to spray finishes but when I brush I like a Wooster White Majestic.

Its not that cherry gets darker with time. Cherry can get darker in minutes. I've seen someone leave a saw blade on a sheet of cherry plywood in the sun during lunch and come back to fine the image of the blade outlined in the sheet. Everywhere the blade covered the wood was light and the rest of the sheet darkened. The best way I know of to maintain the color is to use a product called Sun Block made by Kwick Kleen. Its like a sunscreen only formulated for wood. You would coat the wood first with it and when dry use what ever finish you want over it.

I normally sand wood through 180 grit when I use a film coating over it. I sand through 400 for a oil finish. Some people use solvents to clean sanding dust off but I find compressed air much better. Depending on the project I normally use 220 grit stearated sandpaper to sand between coats. If it has a lot of contours I often use a extra-fine Glit sanding pad. I prefer to spray finishes but when I brush I like a Wooster White Majestic.


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## cj8lvr (Sep 10, 2012)

After reading y'alls suggestions and input and talking to a local business owner who specializes in kiln drying wood, sawing, and the like.... I've decided it best to just keep on letting the pieces dry naturally out in the garage. My original thoughts were to cut off the most cracked end of the thicker piece and use the good stock there as my supports that would come out of the wall over the fireplace. After thinking more about this and the fact that this wood is still nowhere near ready to come in to an air-conditioned (and heated) environment which would too rapidly accelerate the drying process.... I've decided to buy some kiln-dried red oak from my local guy and use it for my supports and just continue to let the mantel piece dry out in the garage slowly. He says cherry is just so sensitive to the controlled drying process (or lack thereof) that I should really keep the drying rate very slow. Sounds good to me. The other piece, the shelf, he said since it is thinner, I could do some "supervized visits" in the house where I put it in there and very carefully observe the small cracks that have already formed. If they grow, take it back into the garage. Probably go ahead and stain it with a good penetrating stain but not "encapsulate" it just yet with a polyurethane finish top coat until I've determined that it is not cracking any more. That would be hard to correct if the top coat cracks so probably wait on that.


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