How To Keep Wood Carvings From Splitting? [Tips and Tricks]

Wood is a porous material, and that’s why it can absorb or release moisture content. As a result, there may be tension differences in various portions of the wood structure. This may lead to the splitting of wood carvings. That’s why it’s necessary to know how to keep wood carvings from splitting.

Several ways can stop carving woods from splitting. Sealing the carved wood using oil finish or paint can help reduce the possibility of splitting. Providing layers or coating each year as a part of the maintenance can give satisfying results too. However, these are not the only solutions. There are several other significant solutions as well.

In this article, I will share various methods and tips for preserving and preventing wood from splitting. Multiple reasons behind the splitting of wood carvings will also be discussed. So, to have an overall idea, keep reading.

3 Ways To Keep Wood Carvings From Splitting: Keep Them New

Depending on different types of wood, the eliminating process can vary. Here are some of the most common ways mentioned. These methods improve the appearance of wood carvings in addition to protecting them.

Way 1: Sealing Wood Carvings:

This is the most effective method of preventing the wood from splitting. Many available oils in the market can be used as sealing material.

The main goal of sealing wood carving is to eliminate porosity. If there are no pores on the surface of the carved wood, no moisture content can enter or exit from the wood. As a result, there will be no stress concentration inside the structure.

However, sealing wood carvings requires straightforward steps ⁽¹⁾, including cleaning the surface, removing the finish, preparing, filling, and painting the wood. This way, the possibility of splitting wood will decrease.

Experts suggest using at least two layers of sealing to improve efficiency is better. The first layer will protect the wood surface, and the second layer will protect the first layer.

Way 2: Painting Regularly:

Painting does a similar thing as sealing. The only difference is that here despite using a sealing oil, you will use paint. By painting, the surface of the wood gets sealed. So, here also, the diffusion of moisture is restricted. This will result in preventing the wood carving from splitting.

But there is one thing to remember. Painting wood carving is not a permanent solution. Instead, you should repaint the carved piece at least once a year to get the best out of it. Since the paint can get damaged, proper care is necessary.

Way 3: Oil finish:

Oil finish can do a similar job to paint. It also seals the pores. Not only that but this extra layer of protection is needed to protect your wood carving from external scratch or damage.

Besides, oil finishing will make the surface smooth and glossy. Which undoubtedly will add an extra dimension to the outlook of your favorite wood carving.

Below in this article, I’ll share some tips about how different methods can be used to reduce the possibility of wood carving splitting.

But before going to that topic, let’s see why the splitting even occurs. Then, it will be easy to understand how different methods will work. If this is not what you are looking for, please skip the part and follow the next one.

Mistakes To Avoid While Eliminating Split From Wood Carving

There are several causes for which a wood splits. So, while carving wood, following some rules can reduce the possibility of wood splitting. Here I’m mentioning the possible mistakes that can enhance the chance of wood splitting.

• Choosing The Wrong Wood:

As I’ve said earlier, wood is porous. So, it can breathe or absorb moisture from its surroundings. Not only that, depending on the thermodynamic condition, it can release water too. 

Solution:

Choose wood wisely. Make sure the structure is soft and flexible. I’ve mentioned what woods will be best in the tips. So, you can follow those.

• Internal tension of wood:

When wood absorbs or releases moisture, there develops a tension gradient inside the structure. This is a widespread phenomenon that we deal with in our everyday life. To visualize this incident, let’s see an example.

Think about rubber or eraser with sufficient length so it can be bent. Now, if you bend it downwards, what will happen? The lower portion of the eraser will shrink while the upper portion will get expanded. 

The expanded portion will develop a crack as the tension on the upper and lower parts is not the same. Similar things happen in the woods also. Due to the moisture content difference, simultaneous compression and expansion occur, resulting in wood splitting.

Solution: Using an oil finisher can reduce this phenomenon. The painting will also work as well.

• Cutting in the wrong direction:

This is one of the most common reasons for wood carving splitting. While carving or cutting woods, the cutting direction is against the grain direction and can cause splitting.

Solution: Maintain the direction of cutting. If the wood grain is directed opposite your cutting, don’t continue. Instead, change the direction according to the grain and see if it works.

• Improper drying:

The wood tends to split if it is not dried correctly or exposed to direct sunlight. So it is necessary to maintain a good atmosphere for carving the wood or for preserving it. For Eucalyptus, the proper drying temperature can be 24 to 26 degree Celsius.⁽²⁾

Solution: To eliminate this situation, you need to dry the wood properly. The gradual drying process increases the resistance of wood against splitting.

Tips To Prevent Splitting Of Wood Carvings

If you have a proper idea about why wood carving gets split, now it’s time to discuss the preventions. In the beginning, I’ve covered how you can protect your wood carvings and increase their lifespan. Following this rule will reduce the possibility of splitting. So, let’s see what those tips are:

Tip 1: Heartwood Is Better Than Sapwood: 

Choosing suitable wood can make a difference. For example, the heartwood is better than Sapwood in carving. Since the internal structure of heartwood is more compact, it loses moisture more slowly than sapwood.

Tip 2: Proper Drying Is The Secret:

Make sure the wood is properly dried. Otherwise, splitting may enhance. In perfectly dry wood, the tension developed is not that high. So, the probability of a benign split decreases too. So, as you can see, choosing the right wood before you start to carve is necessary.

Tip 3: Preserve In A Shaded Area:

Keeping wood carving away from direct sunlight is mandatory. Direct sunlight can dry the wood carving very fast, which may result in splitting. In short, regular checkups and maintenance are urgent if you want to save the wood carving for a long time.

Related Questions:

How Do You Protect Green Splitting From Wood Carvings?

Using boiled linseed oil can help protect green splitting from wood carvings. This works as a sealing material for woods. The drying time for linseed oil can be two to three days. Also, it will take a minimum of five layers of protection to work well.

On the other hand, boiled linseed oil can dry within a day and also provide extra protection. Using a wood stabilizer can be another way to prevent wood carvings’ green splitting. This will slow down the drying process of freshly cut or green wood and thus prevent splitting.

How Do You Fix Wood Carvings Or Cracking?

Till now, I just talked about how to prevent wood carving from splitting. Fixing split areas with additional wood pieces is an exceptional method. But it needs proper expertise and some tools as well. Using pudding as the filler material can be a solution too.

First, all you need to do is to identify the cracked area and clean it properly. Then find a wedge that will gently fit inside the crack. Put it inside and cover it with glue. Let it dry for some time. Once done, now, you are ready to give it a finishing touch.

What Do You Seal Wood Carvings With?

Use oil finishing for sealing wood carvings. Many oils can do this job very well. Boiled linseed oil is what I’ll recommend. Paint can also be used for this purpose. It is the most common thing people do if they want to seal their wood carvings.

Another way is to use pudding to fill the cracked area. There are many available pudding materials. All you need to do is to mix it properly, apply it to the cracked area, and then make it smooth with proper finishing.

How Do You Preserve Wood Carvings?

Preserving wood carving is a challenge. Keeping it safe from insects, different environments, and external shock or damage is tough. So, proper maintenance is necessary for preserving wood carving in good condition. Sealing with polyurethane each year is a good way of preserving these. 

Maintaining the humidity of the room is necessary. Since wood is susceptible to moisture and humidity, it can get cracked if not appropriately handled. For those who are storing a lot of wood carving, using an air conditioner is preferable.

Does Any Oil Prevent Wood Carving’s Splitting?

Many oils can be used to prevent wood carving splitting. Tung oil, polyurethane, linseed oil, etc. are examples of these oils. Oil seals the surface and prevents it from releasing or absorbing moisture content. 

Though this is not our concern in this article, some oils also work as insect repellers. In the above, I’ve already mentioned that using boiled linseed oil instead of regular oil will provide more efficiency. Tung oil is also a popular method for this purpose.

Final touch:

Carving wood and giving it the desired shape requires so much patience and effort. So, splitting or cracking in wood carving is strongly undesired. If you are a wood carving enthusiast, you must know how to keep wood carvings from splitting.

By following some simple steps, it can be prevented. Sealing the wood carving, using oil finish, paint, etc., is the most popular method for this situation. But regular checkups and maintenance play a vital role in increasing the durability of wood carving.

References

⁽²⁾Honghai Liu, L. Y. (2018). A Review of Eucalyptus Wood Collapse and its Control during Drying | Yang | BioResources. Open Journal Systems at NC State University. Retrieved September 12, 2022, from https://ojs.cnr.ncsu.edu/index.php/BioRes/article/view/BioRes_13_1_Yang_Review_Eucalyptus_Wood_Collapse_Drying/5878

⁽¹⁾Samantha Allen, G. O. (2021, June 3). How To Refinish Wood Furniture – Forbes Advisor. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/home-improvement/refinish-wood-furniture/