Carving Care and Treatment
Chainsaw carvings are from a whole log, not a slice of wood such as a board. It's natural for a log to check as it dries out and ages. For an owner of a chainsaw carving this means you will see this natural process over the years. There is not any one product or any single thing that can be done to a chainsaw carving that will keep it from aging, (drying out, cracking, checking, etc.) but there are a number of things applied together that will significantly delay this aging and preserve the carving for generations to come.
All my log carvings are controlled dried for 2 to 3 weeks after they have been created. Next I apply multiple coats of Mineral Oil which penetrates the wood. After several coats are applied and allowed to dry, an exterior coat of Australian Timber Oil is applied to help seal and protect from UV rays.
Once purchased some care is required. For outdoor display try to avoid the extremes, such as direct sunlight or dark moist places. Direct sun may cause larger checking of the carving and dark moist areas may cause molding and eventually rot the carving. Annual treatment of a timber oil or exterior wood treatment product will help with these issues. Never leave a carving sitting on grass or soil, the constant moisture will rot the carving. Place the carving on a barrier surface such as a rock or paving stone. For indoor display excessive checking may occur when winter home heating systems are turned on. A humidifier will help with the drying out. Other than that, treat your indoor carving as wood furniture, dust and wax if needed.
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