Caring for your Carving

A chainsaw carving is generally made from a tree trunk or stump and is usually classed as ‘green wood’. ie. It has a high moisture content as it is fresh. 
Therefore once sculpted, the wood will want to dry out and will always develop cracks and splits as it ages. 
This is part and parcel of the nature of chainsaw sculpting and provides wonderful character in pieces. 

Andy finishes all his sculptures in Osmo 420 clear satin UV oil. A fabulous product which is expensive but certainly provides a beautiful finish and helps protect the wood. The UV aspect holds the colouration of the finished piece much longer than conventional oils. 

This should be applied once a year. 

With tree trunk carvings made in situ Andy applies Osmo to the sculpted section. The trunk base is left untouched for the client to monitor and potentially treat as necessary with a more standard preservative such as Cuprinol or Ronseal. 

With free standing sculptures Andy will supply the carving pre-finished in Osmo. 
Andy will always give advice on a case by case basis but generally a moveable carving should be raised slightly off the ground so it doesn’t sit in moisture. However, the safety and stability of the piece is clearly important too so that must be borne in mind.