I'm a beginner when it comes to wood finishing and typically just use boiled linseed oil (BLO) and wax, occasionally Danish oil. I'm currently working on a small bench made from cherry wood, and I want to darken it just a bit—nothing too drastic. I'm looking for a way to achieve a natural look, ideally close to a naturally darker shade of cherry. What's the simplest method I can use to darken the wood a little? Also, I know it will naturally darken over time, but that's not what I'm looking for right now.
6 Answers
I’ve had good results infusing BLO with instant coffee—just strain it and apply. It worked nicely for me!
Have you thought about using garnet shellac? You’d dissolve the flakes in alcohol, apply a clear wash coat first, and gradually build up the garnet. It’s a great method for achieving a controlled shade and is mostly reversible.
For an easy option, consider dying your oil a bit. This method allows you to control the darkness by adjusting the number of coats you apply!
One effective method is to create a diluted iron oxide solution using 0000 steel wool soaked in water. This interacts with the tannins in the wood. You can adjust the darkening by letting it sit longer or diluting it if it's too dark.
If you're looking for an easy solution, just leave the wood in sunlight for a day or two to darken it slightly. Just be cautious with chemicals if you consider them! Lye or potassium dichromate can darken cherry but require protective gear because they're hazardous.
Always a good idea to test any darkening method on scrap wood from the same type as your project first! It’ll help you see how the final result will look without risking your bench.