CARING FOR WOOD
Even after it has stopped giving oxygen to the world, wood is still alive. It changes with humidity and temperature and light. To ensure that it maintains its beauty and lasts for decades, wood products need some TLC. Here are my recommendations for keeping your pieces both beautiful and functional:
First, if we are talking about a lamp, USE ONLY LED BULBS!!!! The veneer-like materials used in a majority of the lamps are very susceptible to the heat of incandescent lightbulbs.
Dusting: A no brainer, right? Well, if you have a sculpture or a lamp that has rough ridges, prickly textures, or thin, sharp edges that can grab onto fibers, cloth or paper rags can leave a lot of materials behind. Also, if you have a piece of furniture with nooks and crannies, it is hard to get at the dust that collects in the tight little corners. What I recommend is a good quality 2.5" cut paint brush. A cut brush has an angle which allows you to visually use just a few bristles to get at dusty areas. Unlike a rag or a feather duster, you can see what you are doing with a cut brush. I personally use the Purdy brand which is available in most hardware stores. I had a gallery for a year, thus an eternal uphill dusting. Trust me, brushes work very well and are efficient for the task.
Food Safe Products: I sand all my products to 220. With the food safe items, I then apply mineral oil, a food safe product that is available in most hardware and grocery stores.