Does this sound like a good finishing process?

[DaveParkis]

I apologize in advance for my ignorance. I don't build many pieces, so I don't have much experience. I recently built a cherry sofa table and it's time to put a finish on it. I have already applied a wash coat of blond shellac on it to try to minimize blotching. My "plan" is to give it a coat of General Finishes "warm cherry" oil stain, seal it again with spray shellac and then give it 4 or 5 coats of wipe on poly. I chose this method because it seems to be pretty much person proof. Is this a m good plan or am I setting myself up for disappointment?

[MikeBob]

Sounds okay to me. I would do a sample piece first, may no have to go with 4-5 coats on the sample piece though to see your results.

[fredhargis]

Have you tried it on a piece of scrap? I don't use stain on cherry (I think it's against Federal law) so trying it out forst would be the best way to see if it looks good to your eyes.

[robert146]

If you haven't used poly before, this might NOT be a good time to try it. I've used it on a couple of table tops with good results so I decided to try it on a fairy complex three tier side table I made this winter and I wish I hadn't. If you can make a mistake, I have made it. I'd be through with the job and it would be in my daughter-in-law's living room right now if I'd just used my normal lacquer technique.

Yes, I'm a klutz; but that poly is hard to remove and/or correct. I'm seriously considering starting from square one (raw wood) and building another one rather than fuss with trying to make this one finish the way I think it should.

[DaveParkis]

Have you tried it on a piece of scrap? I don't use stain on cherry (I think it's against Federal law) so trying it out forst would be the best way to see if it looks good to your eyes.

I will be trying this "technique" out on a couple of scrapes before I try the actual piece. I totally agree about staining cherry, but my wife doesn't want to wait for the cherry to darken naturally. Thanks!!

[Roly]

I will be trying this "technique" out on a couple of scrapes before I try the actual piece. I totally agree about staining cherry, but my wife doesn't want to wait for the cherry to darken naturally. Thanks!!

 Try setting it out in the sun a few days if the weather is nice.  (bring in at night)  It will darken fast in the sun.   Roly

[bhh]

You can also apply a coat of boiled linseed oil, set it outside in the sun during the day and let it cure for a week.  It will do a lot to accelerate the patiina.  Then apply your shellac and/or poly.

[Restorer]

four or five coats of wipe on poly is NOT enough.   The first two coats will pretty much soak in.   it takes  two to threes coats of wipe on to equal one coat of full strength.   it will start to look good at about the 5 coat level.  It will look real good at seven.  Remember wipe on is thin coats.  will give more of a hand rubbed look. take multiple coats to build but is pretty fool proof.   You don't need the shellac coat between oil based stain and oil poly.   just let the stain dry a day.  I do think general finish stain sucks, so maybe it does need to be encapsulated. it is poor quality crap.  Is against the law to stain cherry.  sunlight would of done more faster but it does take monitoring if you set it out.

[cputnam]

On one of your scraps, add the "spit" coat of shellac and then sand it back lightly. This will leave shellac in the pores that would blotch and thereby prevent blotching. I also agree with the leave it in the sun advice. I also agree with a wipe on - wipe off coat of BLO to pop the grain. The thing is that oil based urethane will do the same job as BLO all by itself since it contains oil. Again, always test on scrap 1st. I would work hard to avoid the stain.