Most woodworkers know that sunlight causes cherry to darken, but some want to speed up the process while keeping the wood indoors. – Editor

"What kind of fluorescent lamp can I use to speed up the darkening of cherry, instead of putting cherry in the sun?" – Hoa

"I suppose you could use daylight bulbs, usually labeled as 6,000 degrees Kelvin. They are about $5 each. I use them in my shop because they make much better photos. Not sure how effective they'd be in relation to sunlight for darkening cherry, however." – Grant

"I don't believe that darkening cherry will go any faster with fluorescent lamps. UV is what darkens the wood, and I am not sure that fluorescent lamps emit as much UV as sunlight. Many fluorescent lamps specifically filter out UV so that they do not cause fabrics and woods to fade when they are used indoors." – Howard

"Howard is right. While fluorescent lamps do emit some UV, it is a relatively small amount. Black lights, used for DayGlo® posters, emit more, as do tanning lamps. However, the strongest source are the bulbs used for UV-cured finishes. If you know someone who runs a UV finishing line, ask to run your parts through a few times. Otherwise, cozy up to someone who runs a tanning studio." – Michael

That sounds logical, but fortunately, another reader weighed in with a much more practical solution, along with a link of where to get it. – Editor