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RLH Wood Sculptures
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Carving Care

Tips for your wood sculpture
  • After purchasing your carving, we suggest you go with our 1, 1, 1 plan!  Coat the carving in one week, one month, and at one year and every year after as needed!
  • Don't forget to coat the base and bottom of your carving.  
  • Direct Sunlight and dry places (next to a heater) are not good for a wooden sculpture.
  • Keep your sculpture at least one half inch off of any surface (ground/floor).  Bricks, rocks, coasters etc can be used for this purpose.

The above steps will help reduce the likelihood of large cracks but does not exclude.


Wood Checking (cracking) is a natural tendency of wood, whether seasoned or green, once you cut it, it will begin to check. It occurs because of moisture coming and going; the log breathes. This is due to humidity changes and is in no way considered a defect. If the wood sculpture is kept in a stable environment and is treated well with urethane, it can reduce the likelihood of checking but does not exclude. Logs are a natural element, we can not guarantee their future properties once sold.

When your carving checks, you have numerous options.  Enjoy the beauty of the wood sculpture as a natural element and leave the check.  Or, choose from the options below.

Repairing a check
  • If your carving is painted a solid color, you can use indoor/outdoor caulking to fill the check and easily paint over it to match the existing color paint.  More specifically, 99 cent spray paint from Lowes or Wal-mart can be used, along with Alex Plus Brilliant White caulking from Lowes for $1.28.  I'm sure other brands will also work.
  • If your carving is natural wood color, Wood Putty or Epoxy can be placed in the check and refinished with Stain/Polyurethane or Spar Varnish by Cabot.
  • Wood Shims can be placed in the check, sanded smooth, and refinished with Stain/Polyurethane or Spar Varnish by Cabot.
  • Quick fix; reapply stain/color or paint/Polyurethane in the crack so that it blends in with the rest of the sculpture. 
  • You may also contact us to repair your wooden sculpture for a small fee.

Feel Free to give us a call with any questions.

Enjoy your wooden sculpture!  It is one of a kind!
Picture
Here is a small bear with a few checks in it.  I just wanted to post this as an example of a nicely dried out log.  We believe this adds character to the sculpture! 


RLH Wood Sculptures
Altoona, Pennsylvania
814-215-6223