Restoration and Conservation

of Wooden Artworks
Crisencio M. Paner, LPT, MSc.
What types of wooden
objects are found in
museum collections?

• utilitarian objects, such as tools

and farm vehicles
• religious objects, such as icons
and altars
• furniture, significant for
historical or decorative reasons
What is the
structure of a tree?
• A tree can be described as a bundle of
vessels, its walls composed of
cellulose glued together with lignin.
New cells grow around the
circumference of the tree, forming a
ring just within the bark.
• Wood cells are longer than they are
wide and are oriented parallel to the
long axis of the trunk and branches.
The term grain refers to the direction
of the vessels.
• “Cross grain,” then, refers to the
horizontal plane, while “along the
grain” refers to the vertical plane.
Macroscopic Structure of Wood
Microscopic Structure of Wood
 Softwood

• Softwood
is wood from gymnosperm trees such
as pines and spruces.
• Softwoods are not necessarily softer than
hardwoods.
• In both groups there is an enormous
variation in actual wood hardness, the
range of density in hardwoods completely
including that of softwoods.
• Some hardwoods (e.g. balsa) are softer
than most softwoods, while the hardest
hardwoods are much harder than any
softwood. The woods of longleaf
pine, Douglas fir, and yew are much
harder in the mechanical sense than
several hardwoods.
Hardwood

• Hardwood is wood from dicot trees.

• These are usually found in broad-leaved
temperate and tropical forests.
• In temperate and boreal latitudes they are
mostly deciduous, but
in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen.
• Hardwood (which comes
from angiosperm trees) contrasts
with softwood (which is
from gymnosperm trees).
Philippine Woods
• Wood is important material for the
manufacture of household utensils, furniture
and many other things connected with
human culture and beliefs.
Wooden Handicraft

Softwood

Hardwood
10
 Softwoods. These woods,
also known as conifers or
evergreens, come from
trees that grow well in the
mountains of northern
Thailand such as some
species of pine trees.
 They are light and
manageable.
• Hardwoods are Trees
that yield these woods
are generally deciduous
and have broad leaves.
 Hard woods are both strong
and durable;
 therefore, they make excellent
multipurpose construction
timbers, furniture, tools and
equipment.
• Hard woods are also used for carving
 For Fine Furniture
Common Name Family Scientific Name

Ebano Ebanaceae Diospyros

ferrea
Kamagong Ebanaceae Diospyros
whitfordii
Bolongita Ebanaceae Diospyros
pilosentthera
Blanco
Tindalo Fabaceae Crudia blancoi
 For Fine Furniture
Common Name Family Scientific Name

Narra Fabaceae Pterocarpus

indicus
Malatapay Alangiaceae Alangium
longiflorum
Alintataw Ebanaceae Diospyros
pilosentra
Blanco
Kamuning Rutaceae Murraya
Paniculata
 For Ordinary Furniture
Common Name Family Scientific Name

Narra Blanca Fabaceae Pterocarpus indicus

Lanutan Annonaceae Cyathocalyx globossus

Malarujat Merr. & Perr. Acmena

acuminatissima
Antipolo Moraceae Artocarpus blancois
 For Building/House Construction
Common Family Scientific Name
Name
Banaba Lythraceae Lagerstroemia
speciosa
Yakal Dipterocarpaceae Hopea flagata
Amuguis Anacardiaceae Koordersiodendron
pinnatum
Batikuling Lauraceae Litsea glutinosa
Malatum- Fabaceae Crudia blancoi
baga
19
20
Narra Wood
furniture

21
Narra Tiles

22
Oak Wood
Flooring

23
Mahogany
Wood

24
Red Lauan Wood
27
28
29
 • Cleaning bare wood
Cleaning of bare wood surfaces is complicated by
several factors.
• First, unfinished wood is
relatively soft and can be
damaged by some cleaning
techniques.
• Wood degrades with time
and use, so older wood
surfaces may be even
softer than new ones.
• Second, since bare wood
readily absorbs water, wet
cleaning methods are
considered unsuitable, thus
cleaning options are limited.
 • Water and solvents can
quickly swell wood fibres,
raise the grain and cause

Cleaning of bare wood unwanted dimensional

change;
• they can also mobilize surface
dirt, drawing it below the
surface to cause staining.
• Finally, wood surfaces may
include natural deterioration
products and traces of
substances that were applied
or came in contact with the
surface when the item was in
use (these are collectively
known as “patina”), which
should be retained but are
sometimes difficult to
differentiate from dirt.
Materials/Techniques Used • The following techniques
(listed in order from least to
in Cleaning Bare Wood most aggressive) are
recommended for cleaning
bare wood:
• soft brush and vacuum
cleaner
• stiff brush and vacuum
cleaner
• smoke or chemical
sponge
• erasing compounds
• erasers
• adhesive rubber product
Cleaning of Wood Artworks
Cleaning should always be preceded by the removal of loose
surface soil or dust.
This can he accomplished by using a clean soft cotton cloth
or a vacuum with clean soft brush attachment
Those with a coating of shellac, varnish, or lacquer can be
cleaned only if the surface of the finish is neither embrittled,
cracked, raised, nor flaking.
Cleaning of Wood
Artworks

To test the solubility of a

finish, apply mineral spirits
with a cotton swab to a small,
inconspicuous area.
If the mineral spirits softens
the finish, do not attempt to
clean the piece.
Cleaning of Wood
Artworks

After testing the finish, wipe the surface

with a cotton cloth dampened with
mineral spirits.
A soft bristle brush dipped in mineral
spirits can be helpful in cleaning hard-to-
reach places around carvings and intricate
decorations.
Wipe the surface with a clean cloth and let
dry for several hours.
Cleaning of
Wood Artworks
• If a second cleaning is required
to remove stubborn dirt, try
wiping lightly with a clean cotton
cloth dampened in a weak
solution of a mild soap (e.g.,
Ivory Flakes™, shavings from
Ivory™ bar soap, or Orvus™
paste or liquid, but not Ivory
Dishwashing LiquidTM) and
warm water, and wrung out well.
Cleaning of
Wood Artworks
• Follow this by a thorough wiping
with a cloth dampened slightly in clear
water and then dry completely with
another clean cotton cloth.
• Never use detergents because they
leave a film that is difficult to remove
and which may permanently damage
some finishes.
Agents of
Deterioration
1. Agent of Deterioration: Physical Forces
 Damage from physical force ranges from
imperceptible hairline fissures and minute
losses, to large-scale effects such as crushing
objects, collapsing floors, and, in extreme
cases, destroying buildings.
 Five important force-related effects are:
impact; shock; vibration; pressure; and
abrasion.
Agents of Deterioration
2. Agent of Deterioration: Fire
 Depending upon the type, extent, and severity of a fire, and
the vulnerability of items to heat and smoke, damage to
collections can range from minor discoloration to total loss.
 Items located in the seat of a hot flaming fire may ignite and
burn completely or partially.
 Even items located elsewhere, for example in another room,
may become distorted, discolored or brittle, or covered with
a layer of powdery soot.
Agents of Deterioration
3. Agent of Deterioration: Pests
 Are living organisms that are able to
disfigure, damage, and destroy material
culture.
 These include microorganisms such as
molds and bacteria
 Insects like Anobid beetle larvae attack
wood artworks by chewing the wood

Aka “powder post beetle

 3. Agent of Deterioration: Pests
Agents of Deterioration  Other pests that might also eat wood are the
rodents (rats and mice)
 3. Agent of Deterioration:
Pests
 Termites are voracious
eater of wood.

Agents of Deterioration
 4. Agent of Deterioration:
Light, Ultraviolet and
Infrared
 We need light in order to
see collections, but light
damages some objects
 How Much Light Do We
Need to See?
 The Benchmark is 50 lux

Agents of Deterioration
 5. Agent of Deterioration:
Incorrect Relative Humidity
Agents of Deterioration • Relative humidity, unlike fire,
water, pests, etc., cannot be
considered an agent of deterioration
– we cannot speak of avoiding
relative humidity (RH) – but we can
avoid "incorrect" relative humidity.
• From a practical risk assessment
perspective, the many forms of
incorrect RH can be subdivided into
four types:
• Damp, over 75% RH.
• RH above or below a critical
value for that object.
• RH above 0%.
• RH fluctuations.
Agents of Deterioration
6. Agent of Deterioration:
Incorrect Temperature
 This includes temperature
that is too high, too low,
and fluctuating.
 7. Agent of Deterioration:
Chemical degradation
Agents of Deterioration
• Wood is generally resistant to a
large number of chemicals, but it is
still vulnerable to chemical attack,
particularly under conditions of
high acidity (pH less than 2) or
high alkalinity (pH greater than
11).
• Under these conditions the long
cellulose chains and the shorter
hemicellulose chains are broken
producing a softer, more friable
object.
• Chemical degradation is
enhanced by high temperatures and
the presence of iron salts, sulphur
dioxide and oxidising agents such
as chlorine and nitric acid.
To maintain wooden objects
in the best condition, the
following environmental
conditions are recommended:

• relative humidity levels in the range

40 – 60 %, with a maximum variation
of 5 % in any 24 hour period;
• temperature range of 15 – 25 °C
with a maximum variation of 4°C in
any 24 hour period; and
• light levels of 50 lux for dyed or
painted wood, up to 200 lux for
undyed or uncoated wood and a
maximum of 300 lux for wooden
objects that have largely been used
outdoors or have otherwise lost their
natural colouring.
• Keep UV radiation levels at or below
75 µwatts/lumen.
Sample 1: Restoration of
Wooden Sculptures
• Before restoration (has a lot of cracks)
• In restoring it, large cracks were replaced with
oak wood Shims
• Small cracks were replaced with wood filler
-has nice tips which is -oil wood preservative -more like a putty
easy to apply on cracks -gives a caramel brown color -dries fast
-mahogany color

Materials used:
After
Restoration:
 Sample 2:
Restoration
of Wooden
Carving

Wood carving has a lot of

cracks in it.
Sample 2: Restoration of
Wooden Carving
• Severe cracks area
Sample 2: Restoration of • Preparing home-made wood shims
• Wood shim should be the same wood as the carving.
Wooden Carving
Sample 2: Restoration of • Put the shims in between the cracks
• Angle grinder (use 60/80 grit) for modifying the

Wooden Carving shim

 • Gluing with the Gorilla glue(a polyurethane glue) the edge of the shim
• Then spray with water
Sample 2: Restoration of • The water will activate the foaming action
Wooden Carving
Sample 2: Restoration
of Wooden Carving
• Spray water also into the cracks
• Then put the shim in between the crack
and tap a little bit with hammer
Sample 2: Restoration
of Wooden Carving
• Cutting the excess shims with a saw or
angle grinder
• Clean it up with the Angle grinder
• It can also be used to create texture
Sample 2: Restoration of
Wooden Carving
• The saw may be used to finish-up the
texture
• A wood filler(Probond brand) may be
applied if there are still smaller cracks
Sample 2: Restoration
of Wooden Carving
• Applying wood filler
• Finishing with a wood
preservative(Arborcoat brand, 326 natural)
• It protects the carving from the sun and
mildew(fungi)
Sample 2: Restoration of
Wooden Carving
• Dab it off with a cloth to
ensure that the
preservative oil will
penetrate into the Wood
• Finishing with black spray
paint
Sample 2: Restoration of
Wooden Carving
• Finished restoration!
Wood Sealer Mixture (typically used
on softwoods like pine and hemlock)

Materials:
• mineral spirits
• boiled linseed oil
• paraffin wax
Mix enough amount of mineral sprits and
boiled linseed oil. Then add into the mixture
the melted paraffin wax. Mix thoroughly until
no wax is observed.
Brushing the
wood with
wood sealer
mixture.
• For wooden objects like spoon that will be used for eating, wood finishing
oil that can be used is Almond oil.
• It can be submerged into the oil for 5 hrs. or more for several times to
achieve the nice finish of the wood.
6 wood finish
oils that can be
used to finish
the wood
sculpture.
 Videos on Restoration and Conservation of
Wooden Artefacts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7qN69ADE1M
Nick Elphick Restores A 200-Year-Old Wooden Virgin Mary Statue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YLJQeKBNuA
Amazing Restoration Of An Antique Carousel Horse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCRlcybaAcM
Restorations of wooden sculpture Crucifixion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0eF7EA7z1w
Golfer Wood Sculpture Restoration / Repainting | Painting a Wooden Sculpture w/ Acrylic House
Paints
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r8NL0rZang
Repairing Wooden Sculptures
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wb-T1F033Q
Making a Spanish Polychrome Sculpture
Thank You!