Wood contracts and expands over time in response to temperature and moisture levels. Expansion happens because of an increase in temperature and or humidity. Contraction happens because of a decrease in temperature and or humidity. When these conditions cycle through: expansion, contraction, expansion, etc., the wood weakens at key points and eventually cracks.

The main takeaway is to protect your natural wood items from drastic changes in temperature and humidity. If you need to clean a wood item, use a damp towel to wipe it down PLEASE DO NOT SUBMERGE IN WATER. Once the item is dry, apply a coat of mineral oil.

Every month you should apply a coat of mineral oil. Wood items are fairly forgiving, so if you missed an application, just pick up where you left off. If the application of mineral oil is absorbed into the wood almost immediately, keep applying successive coats until the mineral oil is absorbed slowly, then wipe down the item.

When we first started making items from wood I made bowls for most of the folks close to our family. One bowl went to some dear friends and they put it in a place of pride in their home. Unfortunately, the spot they chose was where a beam of direct sunlight fell from the window and onto the bowl. Over time, the shaft of sunlight caused uneven heating and cracked the bowl. It took several days of steaming, clamping, bow tie inserts, and epoxy to get the bowl back into shape. The bowl isn’t the same, but the bowl that emerged is richer in character and I think more beautiful.

Below is a picture of a 2 inch thick walnut table top before it warped and had to be cut into sections. I learned the lesson about warping first-hand. It broke my heart to cut it up, but after it warped it was all I could do to salvage the item. So, learn from my failure and please take care of your wood, it doesn’t ask for much.