Care of your Sculpture

Nearly all of the work that I create is made from unseasoned (known as “green”) timber. Seasoning to be effective demands that the log is cut into planks or beams and either air-dried or dried artificially in a kiln. Both of these options are not viable for the size of log that I use so the following notes are intended to help you to understand and care for your sculpture. These may look involved but in actual fact are simple and easy, just that the approach is different according to each customers requirements.

Wood being an organic medium is not inert and will move, crack and generally weather to a more or less degree depending on where the work is placed. Where possible my designs try to work out any weaknesses and use the grain of the wood to maximum effect, keeping the grain as “long” as possible helps to retain its strength (the extreme example of this is simple beam). Just because the wood has a crack in it will not necessarily mean any reduction in its strength or integrity. There are many churches and stately homes being held up by split timbers.

 When I finish a piece of work I usually treat it with several coats of Danish Oil. This performs a number of functions. It helps to steady the drying of the timber, as the speedier the drying process is the greater the chance of larger cracks appearing. Also it prevents the timber soaking up moisture from rain or condensation. Lastly it enhances the appearance of the wood particularly if there are any strong grain markings. Please note that I do not recommend “hard” varnish or resin finishes as the integrity of these are soon lost as soon as any timber movement occurs. Wood like many other things will fade in sunshine and weather so grain patterns in outside sculptures will eventually be lost. Where articles are placed inside they will mellow over the years but generally the grain will remain visible for a long time. With my work the emphasis is on good form or design and grain patterns are really a bonus unless the work is intended for internal use.

 There are three approaches to caring for your sculpture:

1)                 Don’t. This is not as flippant as it seems, by allowing the sculpture to naturally weather and mellow it will gradually become a real part of the garden. This is especially a viable option for resistant timbers such as oak, yew, cedar or larch. These timbers should easily last for decades.

2)                 Once a year scrub off any loose dirt and treat the sculpture, when dry, to a good coat of a proprietary wood preservative. This is a good option for all timber even the above and it will help to prevent mosses and moulds growing on the wood.

3)                 To maintain the oiled finish a more diligent approach is required. I would recommend that when the wood starts to look dry or “hungry” it is re-oiled and definitely at least twice a year in the spring and autumn. This will keep it looking good and help to protect it from the elements. The oil should be brushed on and the wood allowed to soak up as much as possible, any excess being wiped off with a rag before it becomes too tacky. It is important that the fibres of the wood are thoroughly permeated with oil before the onset of damp weather in the autumn otherwise moisture will enter the wood and mould will grow discolouring the timber. If the oil builds up to create a layer on top of the wood, this can be removed if required by rubbing gently with white spirit and medium grade wire wool. During periods of prolonged damp weather it is a good idea to daily wipe off any moisture that may be sitting on the sculpture. Do not cover the sculpture unless you can guarantee a free airflow beneath it. Even under a cover the wood will suffer from condensation when the weather changes from cold to warm.

4)                 If the work is to go inside it should be acclimatised in a cool part of the building for as long as possible. Putting it into a centrally heated room will create strong differential drying rates through the wood resulting in possibly larger cracks than might normally be anticipated.

In general it pays to place the sculpture on an impervious or free draining standing such as a flagstone or very coarse gravel or lose stones. The real enemy of your sculpture is standing on a permanently damp substrate such as soil or allowing moisture to sit on it for prolonged periods of time.