How do you stop carved wood from cracking?

How do you stop carved wood from cracking?

Placing the sculpture under some plastic sheeting (though not completely sealed in) can have the same effect. It will also reduce the rate of moisture loss and therefore the cracking. Using sealers, drying oils, varnish etc. to coat the carving can help a lot in forcing it to dry slowly.

What type of wood is used for Kuksa?

Birch
Birch is an ideal kuksa wood and is historically the most common wood used for this purpose. The ultimate kuksa wood is a birch burl that has the same curvature as the cup you are going to carve, but other woods can be used as well.

What do you finish a Kuksa with?

Spoon Oil

• Linseed Oil.
• Tung Oil.

Can you drink coffee in a Kuksa?

What is a Kuksa used for? Smaller Kuksa’s can be used as measuring cups (sugar, liquids, spices, etc) and drinking vessels. While larger Kuksa’s are perfect for drinking your favorite coffee, teas, etc.

What oil do you use on a Kuksa?

For this i used olive oil, but sunflower or vegetable are also good choices. Pour some oil into a bowl and using a clean rag wipe it around the surface of the cup, covering everything. Leave to dry for a few hours, and repeat a good few times. I applied the oil 6 or 7 times over a few days.

How do you stop wood from checking?

Coat the exposed end grain of the logs or boards with a thick layer of paint, varnish or a commercial green-wood sealer to prevent moisture from escaping too quickly. Wood loses moisture 10 to 15 times faster through the ends than it does through the faces.

How do you keep wood logs from splitting?

To protect the two ends of the logs from cracking and splitting, you may want to apply any sealer material on the two sides. This will prevent any direct contact between the air and the open ends of the logs. And as there is no direct contact between the open ends of the logs, there will be no dryness.

Can you drink coffee in a kuksa?

How do you carve a kuksa?

Kuksa cups are traditionally carved from Birch wood, this is what I have chosen to use too. Take a log of fresh wood and chop it down the centre with an axe. Take one half and carve the chopped surface smooth and flat with your knife. Draw around a cup or round object onto the flat surface at one end.

How do you maintain a kuksa?

Kuksa Cup Care Tips

1. Hand wash & dry it before initial use.
2. Oil Regularly: Dry wood has a tendency to crack, so keep you Kuksa oiled up to avoid this.
3. No extreme temperatures: Give your boiling liquids a few minutes to cool down before pouring it into your Kuksa. Also avoid microwaves and dishwashers.

Is it better to carve wood wet or dry?

Carving wet wood is easier than carving it dry as the moisture in the wood allows the knife to glide through the wood easier. If the wood is too dry, the wood can be hard and brittle. By wetting the wood down before carving will make for a more enjoyable carving experience.

What kind of wood is a Kuksa made out of?

Also it was not carved out of a birch burl but I like the word kuksa and it was carved out of a hornbeam burl at least. After cutting the burl section from the fallen tree I left it to season for 3 years in a cold but dry area (my garage). I wanted to create a kuksa that had the swirl of the burl wood and the clean lines of the heart wood.

Why did it take so long to carve a Kuksa?

The whole process of removing the burl wood took quite a while as the outer bark was very hard and the burl wood underneath the bark because of its curving nature was very soft in places and very hard in others.

Who are the people who make Kuksa Cups?

Kuksa is a wooden cup made by the Sami people in Lappland or northern Scandinavia. Kuksa is also known as Guksi. Nowadays, kuksa has a lot of fans among nature enthusiasts around the world and wood art enthusiasts.

When to cut burl wood for Kuksa Cup?

When cutting burl, consider the Kuksa handle. Try harvesting burl from the tree in summer or fall. Because the sap flow in the winter is slow and the wound heals much slower. Fresh wood or Burl is softer than dry wood and is easier to carve than dry wood. But to prevent further damage, you must dry the wood.