Oil on Wood

ntl

Contributing Member
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1,574
What kind of oil should be applied to a rough wood (possibly Koa) carving (yard god) that has been in the desert heat too long, and is cracking? I'd like to not lose it, and I think it could be more attractive.
He guards against evil spirits. :unsure:
 
Ideally, especially because it's dry and cracking, you'll want to seal it first, both sides, especially if the wood depth on the thinner side.

I use this: Zinsser Universal Sanding Sealer.

Give it a few coats, lightly sand it in between.

The first coat, make a lot thicker than the others. It will take longer to dry, but not forever. When it is fully dry, use about a 400-grit sandpaper to take the tooth and shine off, do another light coat, let dry, sand again, and maybe a third. Light sanding, dry, then paint!

Hope that helps. That might sound like a lot of work, but it will preserve it perfectly. I can show you some some of my wood-painted pieces if you want. They are all sealed.
 
Thanks, Arty. He may be too far gone --that's too much work for me to do. I'll think about sealing it, sanding is out of the question. I can brush it clean and probably put a coat or two of sealer on it, which might help, then. He's about 18"tall and maybe 9 in diameter. He's got a couple of large cracks and a couple of smaller ones I think.
 
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