Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Preserving Wood Color?
steve antonucci
>I have recently been turning a bunch of cherry and black birch. The sapwood on the cherry is a creamy white when fresh, but over time turns a "rusty" color in blotchy areas.
The black birch turns uniformly brown from an almost white color. I'd prefer to keep both woods the same way they come off the lathe.
Anybody got a secret formula for preserving color in wet turnings?
s
Re: Preserving Wood Color?
Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey
>I believe both woods are "photochromatic" meaning they will change color (darken) over time with exposure to light. I've heard that cherry will also darken in the presence of heat over 80*. Other than keeping them in the refrigerator (assuming the light does go off), it would appear that there's nothing you can do to keep the natural process from going forward. There are finishes with UV-blockers incorporated, but even those will only slow the process down, they won't prevent it from happening.
Mark
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