Over the last several days I’ve spent somewhere around five hours sanding parts, starting at 150 grit and working up through 220 grit. This evening I finished sanding, cleaned them with denatured alcohol, and then sealed them with a coat of garnet shellac. The shellac adds some color, but more importantly seals some of the grain to help me control the staining process which comes next. Cherry is known for blotching, and I’ve found this is a way to allow figure to come out without blotching, at least when I get my sanding right.
There’s just enough room in the shop to work on all the parts at once, at this stage.
After I stain everything, I’ll have to work on the parts in smaller batches, as my ‘finishing booth’ isn’t large enough to hold all of them. I should be able to work on at least half at a time.
The parts look slightly darker in photos with a coat of shellac. The effect is more noticable in person.
