With proper care, your carving should give you years and years of enjoyment.

CARE AND FEEDING OF

YOUR WOOD CARVING

 

CARE AND FEEDING OF YOUR WOOD CARVING

As the proud owner of a piece of chainsaw art, there are a few things you can do to keep it looking good for many, many years to come.

OUR GUARANTEE

Chainsaw sculptures for the most part are carved from whole diameter logs rather than a slice of a log.  It’s the nature of a log to “check” or crack as it dries. In fact - we guarantee it! If your carving does not crack in the first year of ownership we will come and put a crack in it for you!

MAINTAINING THE FINISH

Most of my carvings are sealed with a durable indoor/outdoor product called Minwax Helmsman Clear Semi-Gloss.  By the time you receive your carving it will have had at least three heavy coats applied.  You will need to purchase a quart (the smaller can) and a few chip brushes for subsequent resealing.

When cracks develop (and they most certainly will), use a brush and let the finish run into the crack and penetrate the wood. Do not try to fill the crack with the finish...it's stinky stuff while it hardens and if you fill the crack it'll stay stinky for a long time! You just want to seal the surface of the newly exposed wood inside the crack. Wipe off any excess after about five minutes. We recommend that any carving displayed outdoors be re-sealed each spring at the minimum. Minwax Helmsman has UV inhibitors that will help prevent your carving from turning black over time but you must maintain this protective barrier at least once a year.

If the cracking is very bad or in a place you wished it hadn’t cracked we can cut and glue in wedges, touch up the carving and reseal the area.  Contact me to arrange a diagnosis and repair estimate.

If you purchased an unfinished carving we recommend applying liberal coats of Minwax Helmsman (or any wood finish of your choice) at minimum once a day for three days and then once more a week later. The carving can then be resealed annually thereafter.

DISPLAYING YOUR CARVING

Your carving is made from a freshly felled tree that had for whatever reason, come to the end of it’s life as a tree.  Because we use freshly felled wood your carving will need to continue to dry for many, many weeks after you receive it. Moisture will continue to escape from the wood over the coming months.

Wood can split, crack, rot, fade, burn and/or be attacked by insects.  In addition to proper care and maintenance, putting a little thought into where and how it’s displayed can help your carving last years longer.

INDOOR CARVINGS

Do not set a free standing carving directly on the floor. This can trap moisture and lead to problems not only in the wood but also perhaps in your home’s flooring. If you want to rest it on it’s own, simply tap in some standard “furniture feet” from any home improvement store to lift the carving up off the floor and provide airflow underneath it.

Try to find a spot that isn’t in direct flow from a heat register. Household heat may cause the wood to dry more rapidly than natural which can cause additional cracking.

Wall hangings are typically carved in such a way that the moisture release will be quite a bit more rapid. Still, ensure that the carving does not hang flat against the wall so that there can be some degree of airflow around most of the backside of the piece. Wood is a natural medium so please watch to ensure that the pieces are not creating any unwanted marking on your floors or walls.

OUTDOOR CARVINGS

Do not set your carving directly onto soil or grass. A pad of concrete, gravel or paving stones is better and will help protect the base from water and insect damage. Heat and UV damage from constant, direct sunshine (even in winter months) may expedite dry cracking and colour fading.

Rain is not much of a problem for a properly sealed carving however frequent exposure to water [irrigation, etc] increases the likelihood of damage so try to display your carving beyond the reach of your lawn sprinklers and any lifted canine legs. Keeping it properly sealed [described previously] is even more critical if displayed in a wet location or climate.

 

Find PowerCarver on Facebook and upload a photo of your new carving in it’s new spot –we’d love to see it’s new home!