About the wood
Cherry
Prunus serotina
Ranked with black walnut as a premier American cabinet hardwood, and the wood you buy for what it becomes: its reddish brown patina is the look stain tries to fake on poplar.
- Janka
- 950 lbf
- Density
- 35.0 lb/ft³
- Origin
- Eastern North America
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern
Working & finishing
One of the best all-around woods to work: stable, straight-grained, machines and sands cleanly, glues and holds screws well. Stain blotches, so use a sanding sealer or gel stain, or do as OCC does and finish clear with oil or hardwax oil and let light do the coloring. Sapwood is common along the edges and raises the waste factor.
Care
Indoor use only; the heartwood is rated very durable against decay but cherry is not used outdoors. Keep objects off a new top for the first weeks in a bright room so it darkens evenly; the heartwood shifts from pinkish brown to medium reddish brown with light. Wipe spills promptly and expect modest seasonal movement.