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An Introduction To Wood Species, Part 6: Cherry

By Rain Noe - August 21, 2013

in Materials | Reference: Wood

This Wood Species series of entries comes to us from guest writer Rob Wilkey, an Atlanta-based woodworker and industrial designer whose expertise is in small home goods, furniture, and large installations.

Over the past few weeks, we've been looking at a number of common North American wood species. This week's featured species:

The wood of the cherry tree is popular among woodworkers for being a very well-rounded species. It is cheaper than walnut, more workable than maple and oak, and exhibits some of the most beautiful colors and grain patterns of any domestic species. Although it isn't harvested very abundantly, and isn't commonly available in larger boards, cherry is still used for large projects like cabinetry and furniture simply because it is so easy to manipulate and always looks remarkable.

In North America, the most commonly sold species is Black Cherry. A number of other domestic and imported species are sold with 'cherry' in their name, but only wood from the genus Prunus is true cherry lumber. Cherry is a pale, pinkish yellow hue when initially cut. This color changes rather quickly to a darker reddish brown with exposure to sunlight. The images below show a salt and pepper shaker that I built several years ago using Black Cherry. The picture on the left was taken within a week of applying the final coat of finish, and the image on the right shows the same piece one year later.

This change in color should be taken into consideration at the onset of a project. A metallic or painted accent that compliments freshly cut cherry might not have the same effect a few months later. Color is the only part of the wood that shifts, however, as the lumber is relatively unaffected by seasonal movement. Cherry's immunity to environmental change is due in part to its very small, diffuse pores and straight grain. The wood's grain structure and stability make it incredibly easy to cut, glue, sand, and turn on a lathe.

Cherry takes finishes very well, but should be avoided if you plan on staining your project, as it tends to absorb dyes and stains unevenly. At 950lbf Janka, Black Cherry is barely hard enough to be used on high-activity surfaces, and won't resist scratches and dents as well as most other hardwoods. Despite its lower Janka rating, cherry is structurally stable and highly resistant to rot and decay. Indoor installations constructed using cherry lumber will last for generations, growing richer in color every year.

This article marks the conclusion of the North American species that I'll be reviewing in these weekly posts. While the five domestic species I've covered represent some of the more commonly available choices, there are dozens of other domestic lumbers, each with their own set of unique qualities. Whenever you are looking to use a domestic species, I'd recommend looking over the options available to you, and narrowing down your selection based on price, color, and working properties. There are a number of resources available to help you in doing so, and one of the best is The Wood Database.

In next week's article, we'll begin looking at imported species. Up first on the list is mahogany—a wood that is used around the world in almost every conceivable application.

Material Matters: Wood

How Boards are Made:
» How Logs Are Turned Into Boards, Part 1: Plainsawn
» How Logs Are Turned Into Boards, Part 2: Quartersawn
» How Logs Are Turned Into Boards, Part 3: Riftsawn

Wood Movement:
» Wood Movement: Why Does Wood Move?
» Controlling Wood Movement: The Drying Process
» Dealing with Wood Movement: Design and Understanding

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Rob Wilkey

11 years ago

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@Chelsea - I agree. Cherry has been used for a very long time, while Walnut has only recently seen a big increase in popularity.

And that is exactly where that photo is from. I haven't been linking to the sources so far, as they have been a mix of my own photos, wikimedia photos, and shots from both large and small manufacturers. In my future articles, I'll see if I can leave links for pictures of purchasable products and services.
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Chelsea

11 years ago

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I think cherry furniture is pretty timeless, it definitely has a traditional sensibility as opposed to something like walnut furniture. But its beautiful.

& Where is that second photo with the dresser from? Looks similar to the Copeland furniture sold at Vermont Woods Studio? http://vermontwoodsstudios.com/categories/copeland-modern-furniture-collections

Would be nice if your photos linked to the sources!

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Rob Wilkey

11 years ago

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@Kevin, thanks for adding that tip! I guess you don't have to avoid staining the species if you know how to prepare it properly before staining. Very helpful.

@emanster, its a very interesting topic. I've dabbled in researching how 'trends' have changed over the years. One of the main factors driving the popularity of different species is availability and ecological policy. For example, Cuban Mahogany used to be extremely popular for all sorts of projects, because it was a perfect combination of inexpensive, workable, stable, and incredibly beautiful. Unfortunately, this popularity drove the wood to be over-harvested to the point where Cuba had to ban the export of the wood. Nowadays it is almost impossible to find, and when you can find it, its extremely expensive. Similarly, elm has seen a massive decline in popularity after Dutch Elm Disease killed off (and continues to kill) very large populations of the elm genus.

Conversely, certain species have seen a growth in popularity with the increase of global trade. Purpleheart is extremely abundant in Brazil, to the point where it is used in the construction of disposable containers and shipping pallets. When it was introduced into the global wood trade, its unique coloration, high density, and high abundance resulted in its rapid growth in global popularity.

Sometimes, however, it just seems to change with the seasons. Some iconic designs from the mid-century period used beautiful Pau Ferro (a.k.a. Morado/Santos Rosewood/Santos Palisander) veneers as exterior accents. This started a trend among furniture manufacturers, as people wanted their coffee table and magazine racks to match their shiny new Eames Lounge. After a decade or so of everything being offered with a "Santos Palisander" veneer upgrade, the trend became too commonplace and mostly died out - much to the relief of environmental groups trying to protect the increasingly-threatened species.
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emanster provolone

11 years ago

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Something about cherry wood seems so 90's to me? Im interested to know more about trends in wood and wood use in furniture and architectural applications over the past few decades.
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Kevin

11 years ago

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As for staining Cherry, you have to apply a pre-treatment first before staining (wood conditioner, sanding sealer, wood hardener.) http://bit.ly/16MH2Cu

Run into this all the time with millworkers not wanting to spend the time...submittal rejected.
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