CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF WOOD CARVINGS

       Wood sculptures or carvings can be a real source of appreciation of the arts and some sculptures have been around for thousands of years and show little deterioration. If you plan on investing in an art sculpture made out of wood whether it be hand carved or machine carved as with a chainsaw, then proper maintenance is a necessity to preserve your investment and to protect it from the ravaging effects of sunlight, weather, and just normal wear and tear associated with everyday life.

     This is by no means the only view on how to preserve a wood carving , instead it is a compilation of some things I have learned as I have went along here on my journey into wood carving and what appears to work for me.

     First off doing nothing at all and assuming the wood carver took care of the sculpture is probably the biggest misunderstanding most people make. Most carvers will skip a few things when trying to make sales at festivals, and most will claim that they did nothing to preserve a statue , but some will not say anything at all , leaving it up to the buyer to take home and plop in their front yard and wonder why their carving fell apart in a short time.

    You should always take it on your own to ask the carver or artisan to explain what he did to preserve the statue, and on behalf of all carvers you can always check with my website and download free information on what you need to know on how to care for your new carving. First off you need to know where you are going to place your new carving inside the house or outside, either way different preservation procedures for wood sculptures exist to preserve their long life.   

     If you plan on placing the carving inside, select a carving relatively free of cracks. Inquire as to how aged the wood was that used to make the carving you are interested in. All carvings will crack to some degree. As one carver once said when you have a carving that doesn’t crack then call me as I need to know why it didn’t. Next comes the quality of the carving you are buying. If it looks like someone who is less skilled did your carving , its future value will be greatly diminished , as a novelty it may be appropriate for your needs and it could also have some sentimental value , whereas you may decide to keep it for some time inside , or it may well be worth taking up a portion of your interior space . These pieces will be more appropriate to save indoors. Whatever your individual reason for keeping inside you must remember a few tips to help preserve your new carving to its original finish.

 

Interior  Sculptures

·        Do not place by heaters or air vents- this will increase the cracking in your sculpture regardless of what finish you apply.

·        Do not place in direct sunlight without some kind of sealant to protect against harmful ultraviolet rays.

·        Possibly choose a natural preserver as opposed to a volatile organic compound( V.O.C.), or one of the common sealants for outside protection , instead go for a linseed oil or some other natural wood preservative that will protect the piece and preserve its luster or finish. I will try and provide you with this list at the end of this guide.

·        Apply a finish only when you notice a loss of luster or a fading of colors associated with the sculpture. A regular or annual application will only dull a finish instead of preserving it. Less is more and don’t fix it if it’s not broke applies most heartily to your carving.

·        Apply any finish you desire outside and under cover to allow it to dry thoroughly before bringing it back inside your living space.

·        Check always for any evidence of insect damage to avoid an infestation to enter into your house. Most carvings can be treated prior to bringing into your house with common pesticides. A test spray in a less obvious space may be desired to assure no staining or color run will occur when you treat the whole sculpture. This is an important consideration as most sculptures are untreated and are prized for their imperfections. Some of these imperfections are due to insect damage. This damage is ok as long as the piece is treated for inside conditions. This also applies to outside sculptures.

·        The wood should be fairly well aged and the sculpture needs to be gradually acclimated to the inside conditions. When you bring a sculpture home and want to keep it inside then you should gradually introduce to inside conditions as they will differ in humidity usually leaning to drier air that will enhance the cracking of the sculpture. Maybe bring it home and place under an eave or overhang and observe for a while, maybe placing it on bricks to enhance drying of the base. This will also allow you time to check for insects and treat if necessary. After the carving has set in the dry outside for while then it can be moved indoors. Any treatment to preserve it should be done prior to moving it inside.

·        My carvings are usually treated with Helmsman spar urethane and are meant for use in an exterior condition. This is always in the satin finish as it doesn't reflect sunlight and allows the true colors I am trying to represent come through. When thoroughly dried it can be used in interior spaces without much odor. Allowing the carving to acclimate to the conditions inside the house is usually enough time to prevent any odor from emanating from the carving at that point when you take it inside.

·        If you plan on applying a finish to your carving. Test it first possibly on the bottom of the sculpture to see how it will affect your sculpture. Will the oil or whatever you use make it a darker finish, or will it be too glossy, or possibly make the colors run? These are all considerations you must use when applying any finish to a sculpture.

·        When applying the finish, start at the top of the sculpture and work down when using a brush. Also if you have colors that might run, test with a brush and wipe your brush on a clean rag to see if they run, if they do then apply a light coating to these areas being careful to apply just a light coating. Let it dry a few minutes apply a second coat, then clean brush and finish coating sculpture. Go light to dark when applying sealant to colors as this will prevent a muddying of colors. I use a 1 inch cheap brush and thoroughly soak the sculpture working sealant into all cracks. Multiple applications with air spraying is recommended when using a paint sprayer. Let dry thoroughly and observe finish to see if second coat is desired. Special attention and a possible second coat are usually applied to the top portion of sculpture as it is usually the first area to show cracks. This will prevent air infiltration. I don’t usually seal the bottom of the sculpture but it may be advisable if you plan on keeping it inside the house. These tips will allow you to keep your carving for a lifetime regardless of what variety of wood was used in the carving.

·         If you plan on eating off any of the wood artifacts you plan on keeping, then apply an appropriate food grade finish. Or seek professional help if this is desired. Common preservation techniques do not apply to carvings when used to serve food, such as the case of using wood bowls etc.. Safety is always important.

    I don’t know that there is anything of beauty that can be kept an indefinite time but I don’t see that wood artifacts wood be much different than say silver which tarnishes, or mason wear which chips and diminishes the value dramatically.  In that respect I would say wood ages gracefully, providing many with pleasure when used as a source of eye candy. As it wears it begins to take on a different character never assumed by the artist. It is unique and precious, when realized it was once a living thing and was recycled and preserved while many parts of the same tree are forever lost.

      Tomorrow I will delve into exterior use of carvings and how to preserve them.this also applies to all carvings and can be used as a guide to help preserve your carving regardless of who the artist was that created your carving. i would appreciate any feedback or suggestions.