Cherry wood

Andrew · Post by **Andrew** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:18 pm

I have a buddy that's got an 8' log of Cherry. A bad wind storm downed all the trees at his house including a couple Cherry trees. He also has some bigger logs as well.

What can you do with Cherry? Is it good for making stocks and tool/knife handles and whatnot?

I would like to get some and start making stuff, if it is worth the time.

Tycer · Post by **Tycer** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:33 pm

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Marlin-Model-33 ... dZViewItem

I bought a beautiful cherry stock set from these guys.

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:11 pm

Cherry was often used in less expensive kentucky and Tennessee long rifles . It is seldome anything but straight grained and of poor color until it ages. Also quite brittle and will crack/split easily compared to walnut or maple.
I have a Dixie Tenn.Mountain rifle with a Cherry stock. It looks like it was made 100 years ago but is about 18-20 years old.

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 8:18 am

My wife took industrial arts in college. Her big project was a cherry harvest table. That is a table that would be kept in the kitchen that has a single drawer, is about 3'X4' and is made from Cherry. If you do not stain cherry it will take on a slightly red color that almost looks like cedar. As it ages the color gets darker and richer. It's worth it to not stain it and let it take on it's natural color on it's own.
If you want to build things out of this tree you'll need to have it sawed up unless you have the equipment to do it your self and store it in a shed for about a year to allow the wood to cure and stabilize. To try working it before that would be a recipe for disaster. People who obtain wood in this manner and use it often use a moisture meter to make sure the wood is at the proper level before they use it.
If you want to know if it's worth the trouble to care for it in this manner call a hard woods dealer and see what cherry runs per board foot. you might be sitting on a good sum of money.

Rusty <><

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 10:16 am

One of my closest friends makes furniture and jewelry boxes as a hobby, and some of his nicest-looking pieces have been of Cherrywood.

charleton · Post by **charleton** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 10:17 am

Chuck 100 yd wrote:Cherry was often used in less expensive kentucky and Tennessee long rifles . It is seldome anything but straight grained and of poor color until it ages.

One more thing about working with cherry. I've worked with it quite a bit -- it's probably my favorite "good" furniture wood. You can darken cherry pretty quickly by setting it out in the sun for an afternoon. If you do a stock, it'd probably be best to get it somewhere close to it's final shape before you put it into the sun.

Gene.

gamekeeper · Post by **gamekeeper** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 11:11 am

I used to smoke a cherry wood pipe! Don't know how many you could get out of an 8 ft log??

Andrew · Post by **Andrew** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 5:29 pm

I have a friend with a small band-sawmill, cutting is not an issue.

It would stay in my shed for a while before I worked it anyway, so again no biggie.

The log is FREE for me to pick up so cost is not an issue either.

Hmmm.....I think I will go get it. Me thinks he has other species sitting in his yard as well. I might be able to make out pretty good on this "deal".

Thanks for the help guys.

Eric M. · Post by **Eric M.** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 6:09 pm

I'm a Journeyman Cabinet Maker and have worked with Cherry quite a bit.

Like what was said, I wouldn't use the Cherry for any type of stocks, but for any nic nacks that you would want to make, cherry wood is beautiful.

Eric