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Cherry wood

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rleete:
I bought some cherry pen blanks from ebay.  They were a good deal, and I have been using them for pens.  The problem is, it doesn't look like cherry.  It's not red.

Web searching reveals that it is probably sapwood, and is only streaked with reddish brown.  Some sources say that cherry gets redder and darker with age, but I don't want to wait years for this stuff to turn, if it ever does. 

What I want is more like what you'd see on cherry furniture.  A deeper, darker red.  I'd really like to avoid staining it, but I may have to, to get the look I'm after.  Other sources say to try using caustics to help redden it.  Has anyone tried this?  Results?

woodguy:
Cherry varies widely in colour and does not achieve its final colour until it is exposed to light for a period of time. For that reason Cherry furniture is usually stained to get a uniform dark red colour.

Oiling the wood and placing it under fluorescent light or in the sun with a mask blocking the light on part of the wood will demonstrate in a day or so how light changes the colour of the wood. Oil seems to accelerate the process.

Joe d:
rleete

You can try staining it with some lye, or sodium hydroxide.  It will vary from one piece to the next, but this usually
gets it red (or at least reddish... YMMV).

Try it out on a scrap bit :)

Joe

Troutsqueezer:
Cherry wood is rarely red in color. The term "cherry' might cause one to think it's cherry in color but it's really closer to a mahogany (sans staining). Closest to red might be Paduak, but it gets browner as time goes on.

Bernd:
Hey, don't you remember my, err..... the wifes unfinished kitchen. It's made of cherry. It's more of a reddish brown to tan color. Depends on how close you get to the bark. Next time I have you to my house I'll give some cherry. I can even get it down to the size you want. Bring a blank I'll make some up for you.

Also sent you a PM here.

Bernd

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