[Woodcarver] Advice for carving repair - Thanks and more questions

[Ivan Whillock]

Alex, Joe,

I did actually have some pretty good success with a fairly small hole
drilled through the center of a statue made from a log.  The statue was in
butternut, newly carved, was beginning to crack and so I drilled a 1 1/2
inch hole up the center using a bit with an extender on it.  I did not
enlarge the hole, though I made multiple holes into the base.  The extender
wasn't long enough to go through the entire length of the statue, so   I
also drilled a single hole down from the top into the head.  Even at that
the bit wasn't long enough for the upper and lower holes to meet.  I plugged
the upper hole later.  I was amazed that the cracking stopped immediately
and, in fact, some of the cracks closed back up.  In the 30-some years since
I've seen no further checking on that statue.  That experience did, however,
convince me to laminate all my statues from then on.

I once repaired one of those large Indian elephants that was splitting
badly. It had been in the states for a couple of years.   I didn't hollow
that one out but put wood shims in the cracks.  It looked fine for a season.
Eventually the cracks opened up again because merely filling the cracks did
not address the basic problem--there was less "give" internally than there
was externally, so through the changes of seasons those same tensions were
going to be there.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joe Dillett" <jdillett at thecarvingshop.com>
To: "[Woodcarver]" <woodcarver at six.pairlist.net>
Sent: Monday, February 20, 2006 3:02 PM
Subject: Re: [Woodcarver] Advice for carving repair - Thanks and more
questions



> DONATIONS to the Woodcarver Mailing List can be made using PayPal OR

regular mail. Click this link: http://wwwoodcarver.com/WWWList/WWWList.html

> Hi Alex,

>

> What I was trying to say is not to fill the crack with something what is

> harder than the wood itself or some material that would not allow

> compression and expansion, such as epoxy. Basswood, inserted loosely and

> matching the grain in the same direction as the rings of the log

(plainsawn)

> has the best chance of allow enough movement.

>

> By filling it with a plainsawn piece of basswood the basswood would better

> follow because it has a factor of .28-inch change per foot with a 13%

change

> in moisture content. The only wood that has more change is hickory

> (.35-inch) but hickory is too dense to compress. Basswood is soft enough

to

> compress if you only are making contact at the outer edge not compressing

> it.

>

> Drilling is ok if you can drill large enough. My opinion is that a 1-1/2

> inch diameter hole will not be enough. I'm thinking that you would need to

> remove about 60% or more of the inside to eliminate the stress. From what

> you describe, 60% stock removal the statue will fall apart.

>

> This is the reason that large statues are laminated. Many are spilt in

half

> and hollowed after the statue is roughed out. Two halves are glued back

> together for the finish carving. When laminating the blank they put paper

in

> the center joint so it can be opened easier.

>

> If you use bees wax in the very small cracks you wouldn't put it in until

> after all the finishing was done. The bees was would need to be inserted

> every winter and the excess removed every summer. This will not hurt the

> painted surface.

>

>

> Joe Dillett

> The Carving Shop

> 645 E. LaSalle St. Suite 3

> Somonauk, IL. 60552

> (815) 498-9290 phone

> (815) 498-9249 fax

> http://www.thecarvingshop.com

> jdillett at thecarvingshop.com

> http://www.carvingmagazine.com Carving Magazine web site and Readers Forum

> http://www.carvingmagazine.com/chat/chat.shtml Live Chat for Carving

> Magazine.

> http://community.webshots.com/user/joe_dillett

> http://www.citizenactions.org

> **************************************************

>

>

> ----- Original Message ----- 

> From: "Alex Bisso" <albisso at bresnan.net>

> To: "[Woodcarver]" <woodcarver at six.pairlist.net>

> Sent: Monday, February 20, 2006 12:32 PM

> Subject: [Woodcarver] Advice for carving repair - Thanks and more

questions

>

>

> > DONATIONS to the Woodcarver Mailing List can be made using PayPal OR

> > regular mail. Click this link:

> > http://wwwoodcarver.com/WWWList/WWWList.html

> >

>

>

> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

------

>

>

> I want to thank everyone for their suggestions for repair of the carved

Quan

> Yin statue - got some very useful guidance and can see a path forward now.

> A few comments and more questions -

> Comments:

> I understand the artistic perspective and argument for no repair.  In

fact,

> when the donor gave the statue to the church it already had some cracks

> around the bottom and I was asked about repairing them.  At that time they

> were not bad and I felt it was best to leave them alone.  However, a year

+

> later I am amazed at how much larger the cracks are and how new ones have

> developed and I agree with the owners that repair is desirable at this

> point.  Also, there is some dissatisfaction with the dark color of the

> statue and refinishing it to have a more golden and brighter look is also

> desirable.  With this in mind, I think the repairs and repainting can be

> done with excellent results.

> One very good result of this exercise is that I was able to visit with the

> donor, who has financial interest in the company that makes these (in

South

> America).  He said the problem occurs in a lot of the carvings and was

very

> interested in the idea that boring out the center of the carving from the

> bottom could relieve some of the stresses that cause the cracking.  He

said

> he would definitely pass that information on to those who make the statues

> and other similar carvings.

> Questions:

> How large does the hole from the bottom up into the carving have to be to

be

> effective and how far up into the 3' tall statue do I have to go to be

> effective?

>     I can easily drill an 11/16 a couple of feet into it from the bottom a

> larger hole might be more difficult. (I might be able to do a 1..25" hole

to

> a depth of 18")

>     I do not think I want to try to get the hole through the neck area and

> so should probably stop in the chest area to minimize the risk of coming

out

> of the

>      carving.   If I do this, is there a possibility that cracking in the

> head area might become more severe (there is already a small crack on the

> face and a couple

>      on the back of the head)

>     Vic H suggested a hole from 4" to 6" in diameter but do not see that

as

> possible to any depth over a few inches - risk of splitting the carving is

> too great for

>     chisel and mallet work in the hole.  Will a hole as mentioned above be

> sufficient to gain some benefit?

> Hi Joe - I am confused by two of your comments.  On one hand you said "If

> you try to fill them with anything hard, that does not allow them to

close,

> the force could cause the crack to continue through the piece to the other

> side." (They do expand and contract, winter and summer).  On the other

hand,

> relative to inserting the wood wedges to fill the crack you advised "Try

to

> do this in the winter so the crack is the widest."  It seems to me that

> these ideas seem to conflict.  Why would you not fill the cracks when they

> are smallest, or maybe midway?  Is the expanding force greater than the

> contracting force?  Will drilling a hole up the center of the carving make

> the timing of the repair less important?

> I do think that the wood in the carving is now about as dry as it is going

> to get and was hoping that I could do a repair/refinish that would be

> stable.

> Relative to the beeswax.  While sounds like a good idea for  the small

> cracks if there was to be no refinish, I am concerned about doing this if

> the surface is to be repainted/stained.  Is there another way to do the

> smaller, finer cracks that is better for refinishing?

> Input from anyone on these questions is welcomed.

> Thanks again for all of your help.

> ALEX

>

>

> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

------

>

>

> > _______________________________________________

> > Woodcarver mailing list

> > Woodcarver at six.pairlist.net

> > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/woodcarver

>

>

> _______________________________________________

> Woodcarver mailing list

> Woodcarver at six.pairlist.net

> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/woodcarver

>