Woodworkers often place two fresh boards on the bench and feel a rush of hope. One board shows the soft pink glow of cherry. Another shows the deep red brown of redwood. Both promise beauty yet each behaves in a very different way. This guide gives you clear facts and shop proven advice. You will see how cherry vs redwood stack up in strength color work feel and long term care.
Fast Choice
- Pick cherry for indoor tables desks beds and cabinets that need dent fight and rich aging.
- Pick redwood for outdoor seats garden boxes and light indoor parts where low weight and rot fight matter.
- Blend both for frames and panels that need a hard edge with a warm center.
Basic Facts at a Glance
| Wood | Janka hardness | Weight range pounds per cubic foot | Grain feel | Color shift over time | Best spots |
|——|—————-|————————————|————|———————-|————|
| Cherry | about 950 pounds force | 35 to 40 | Fine and closed | Light pink at first then deep red brown when light hits | Indoor furniture trim casework |
| Redwood | about 420 pounds force | 26 to 33 | Wide and calm | Bright russet at first then soft brown indoors or silver gray outside | Deck seats planters accent panels |
Why This Topic Matters
You invest time cash and care when you build with real wood. Wrong wood choice leads to dents sag fade or rot. Right wood choice leads to steady service and smiles for years. Many online lists show cherry vs oak or maple vs walnut. Few guides line up cherry vs redwood head to head. This piece fills that gap for builders who need firm answers.
The Trees Behind the Boards
Cherry
Black cherry trees grow across the eastern United States. They offer fruit in summer and strong heartwood in maturity. Boards come from the trunk where heartwood turns pink brown while sapwood stays pale. Gum spots appear as tiny dark dots yet they sand smooth. Growth rings run tight so the face looks refined.
Redwood
Coastal redwood trees tower along the Pacific. They live long and fight decay with natural extractives in the heartwood. Sapwood stays pale and less hardy. The trunk can yield clear wide boards. Grain lines run broad so the face feels quiet and relaxed.
Work Feel in the Shop
Milling
- Cherry cuts clean with sharp blades.
- Redwood cuts easy but will crush if you push feed speed too high.
Planing
- Cherry planes to a glass face at light depth cuts.
- Redwood planes with soft fuzz if the knife dulls so hone often.
Sanding
- Cherry reaches a fine feel at 180 grit.
- Redwood needs fresh paper at each grit since old paper clogs fast.
Routing and Shaping
- Cherry burns if the bit dulls.
- Redwood tears out on the exit side so back up with scrap.
Fastening
- Cherry grips screws well after you drill pilot holes.
- Redwood needs longer coarse screws and pads under the driver tip to avoid crush.
Gluing
- Both bond with yellow glue yet redwood needs light clamp force.
- Use wide pads or cork strips under clamps on redwood.
Strength Check
- Dent fight: Cherry wins because its hardness sits more than double that of redwood.
- Stiffness: Cherry feels stout in thin parts. Redwood flexes so you need thicker parts for the same span.
- Hold power: Cherry grips nails and screws well. Redwood lets screws pull out sooner if stressed.
Movement With Seasons
Every wood changes width with humidity yet each species moves at its own pace. Cherry shows mid range swell and shrink across grain. Redwood moves a bit less yet its soft face may cup if the board sits close to pith. Seal every face and let stock acclimate to shop air for at least a week.
Color Story
Cherry Shade Journey
Fresh cherry shows light pink tan when you first mill it. Sunlight moves the tone to a deep red brown within months. Parts under a lamp or near a window darken fast. Parts under books stay light. Move items often for even tone in the first year.
Redwood Shade Journey
Fresh redwood glows deep russet. Indoors it drifts to a mild brown unless you lock color with an amber oil. Outdoors unfinished redwood weathers to silver gray. Many builders love that drift yet a clear outdoor varnish slows it if you prefer red.
Finish Recipes
Cherry Simple Clear
- Sand to 180 grit.
- Wipe with mineral spirits to spot scratches.
- Seal with a thin coat of dewaxed shellac.
- Light scuff with a gray pad.
- Wipe on a mix of oil and varnish for depth.
- Add two more coats after full dry.
- Buff with wax for soft sheen.
Cherry Warm Brown
- Sand to 180 grit.
- Wipe with water to raise grain then sand light.
- Seal with a thin shellac coat.
- Apply a light brown dye wash.
- Spray two light lacquer coats.
Redwood Hand Rubbed Glow
- Sand from 120 to 180 with clean paper each step.
- Ease edges so they will not crush.
- Flood with pure tung oil for ten minutes.
- Wipe back and let dry one day.
- Repeat oil two more times.
- Wipe on a thin varnish coat for extra guard.
Redwood Clear Film
- Sand to 180 grit.
- Seal with shellac for color lock.
- Spray three thin coats of clear lacquer.
Outdoor Redwood Guard
- Pre finish every face with spar varnish rich in UV block.
- Recoat each spring on sun sides.
Typical Project Use
| Project | Cherry choice | Redwood choice |
|———|—————|—————-|
| Dining table | Top at one inch thick resists daily dents | Not advised for heavy meal use |
| Coffee table | Rich glow fits living room style | Works if top sits thicker and accepts small dents |
| Media console | Cherry frame protects edges | Redwood burl panels add warm focus |
| Bookshelf | Shelves stay stiff at three quarter inch stock | Needs one inch thick shelves or face frames |
| Bed frame | Posts rails and slats can live in cherry | Headboard panel can be redwood for lighter lift |
| Porch bench | Indoor cherry fails in long rain | Redwood shines with low weight and decay fight |
| Accent wall | Cherry trim frames field | Redwood vertical grain boards show calm lines |
Shop Story
I built two side tables last spring. Each top measured twenty inches square. One top used cherry at seven eighth inch thick. The other top used redwood at one and one eighth inch thick. Both sat on cherry legs. I placed hot mugs on both for three months. The cherry top picked up faint rings that buffed out with wax. The redwood top dented where a heavy bowl landed yet sanding and oil blend fixed the divot fast. The cherry top grew a deep red glow by fall. The redwood top shifted to soft brown. Both pieces still serve yet each tells a clear lesson.
Key Numbers
- Cherry hardness about 950 pounds force.
- Redwood hardness about 420 pounds force.
- Cherry weight dry about 36 pounds per cubic foot.
- Redwood weight dry about 28 pounds per cubic foot.
More numbers serve in table form.
| Measure | Cherry value | Redwood value |
|———|————–|—————|
| Crushing strength psi | about 7800 | about 4800 |
| Modulus of rupture psi | about 12000 | about 7500 |
| Tangential shrink percent | about 7.1 | about 5.1 |
| Radial shrink percent | about 3.7 | about 2.5 |
How to Tell Which Wood You Hold
- Look at end grain. Cherry shows tight lines and tiny pores. Redwood shows wide light lines and dark latewood.
- Smell a fresh cut. Cherry gives a sweet scent. Redwood gives an earthy scent.
- Feel the surface. Cherry feels dense and glassy. Redwood feels soft and light.
- Check for gum pockets. Cherry shows little dark specks. Redwood shows almost none.
Answers to Common Questions
Is cherry the hardest wood
No. Hard maple white oak and hickory rank much harder on the Janka list.
What wood color sits close to cherry
Alder with a warm dye looks close. Maple with a brown dye also works yet grain differs.
How can you spot cherry in a flea market find
Check for fine pores and wave lines in the end grain. Light areas under hardware will show pink cast which deepens near edges exposed to light.
What is one big downside of cherry
Sharp hits leave dents if the corner strikes hard.
Joinery Picks
Cherry
- Mortise and tenon holds strong.
- Dowels glue in fast with little fuss.
- Domino or loose tenon fits and holds.
- Screws bite well so pilot first to avoid splits near edge.
Redwood
- Use wider tenons or twin dowels to spread load.
- Loose tenon works yet glue face must stay flat.
- For screws drill deeper and choose coarse thread.
- Add corner blocks for table frames.
Design Blend Ideas
- Cherry frames with redwood burl door panels for a warm media stand.
- Cherry shelves with a redwood back panel to set books in soft light.
- Redwood outdoor lounge chair with cherry arm caps for hard edge strength.
- Cherry lamp base with redwood shade slats.
Mixing works when you place cherry on high wear zones and redwood on wide low wear zones.
Size and Cost
Cherry costs mid to high among domestic hardwoods. Plain sawn boards at four quarter and eight quarter sit in most eastern yards. Redwood cost shifts by region. Clear heart redwood costs more than common grade pine yet less than high grade teak. Vertical grain redwood usually costs a bit more yet saves worry over warp.
Buying Tips
- Bring a small block plane to reveal true color in both woods.
- Spray water on a fresh swipe to see figure jump.
- Pick cherry boards with heartwood and sapwood mix if you like modern contrast or pick pure heartwood for classic tone.
- Pick redwood boards that read all heart if you need top outdoor life.
Safety Steps
Fine dust from any wood can harm lungs. Use a mask. Use strong dust pull at the sander. Keep shop tidy to avoid slips.
Care Plans
Cherry Indoors
- Dust with a soft cloth weekly.
- Use coasters under hot drink.
- Refresh wax once a year.
Redwood Indoors
- Dust often because soft face marks easy.
- Renew oil top layer when color dulls.
Redwood Outdoors
- Wash with mild soap each spring.
- Brush on fresh varnish or oil by summer.
Simple Decision Map
- List project use heavy or light.
- Note place indoor or outdoor.
- Pick tone warm red or soft brown or silver gray.
- Choose cherry redwood or mix for best match.
One Last Story
A friend once asked for a porch swing. She wanted easy lift and low care. We picked redwood for seat slats and cherry for arm blocks. The cherry arms still look rich after four years and take all hand hits. The redwood seat kept weight low and still holds firm above wet grass. She wipes a fresh oil coat every spring while birds sing. It hangs steady today.
Final Thoughts
Cherry vs redwood is not a fight. It is a friendly choice set. Cherry brings strength fine grain and a glow that deepens with every season. Redwood brings light weight soft lines and outdoor courage. Match wood to need. Keep tools sharp. Seal faces well. Your piece will live long and make you proud.
- You now hold clear and tested facts in plain words. Line up your boards and start cutting. Good luck and happy building.*