The
two most important things you can do to
ensure the long life of your new jewelry
box or keepsake box are:
-
Keep your jewelry box or keepsake box out of direct sunlight. Heat can build up
resulting in adverse effects on your jewelry box or
keepsake box. If the heat
build-up is significant enough, wood can split
due to moisture being taken out of
the wood.
-
The environment in which your jewelry box or keepsake
box will be
placed should maintain humidity levels between 40% and
60%. Moisture levels, or lack thereof, play a
significant role in maintaining your handcrafted solid
wood box.
Wood moves. Every piece of
furniture you own that is made from wood moves. This
movement is natural and corresponds to the moisture content
of the wood. Because of the cellular structure of wood, the
higher the humidity levels in the home, the more the wood
products in your home will swell (common in summer months).
This puts stress on joints. The reverse is true when the air
is very dry. Wood contracts in this situation which again
puts stress on joints. Over time, if the expansion and
contraction cycles are severe enough, joints may fail. It is
common for people in the summer months to open their windows
during the day while away at work or just because the air is
cool. However, if the humidity levels are high, such as
early morning or during rainy days, the moisture level in
your house can be very high. This is
NOT a good environment for your investments.
This is one of the main
reasons for the existence of “throw away” furniture. The
furniture you buy at retail chain stores often times is made
of particle wood combinations with a veneer surface. Not
only is this furniture less expensive to
craft than solid wood, it
resists the effects of extreme climate changes within a home
because of its engineered structure. The trade-off, of
course, is that it won’t be around for very long and it is
not handcrafted solid wood. People who have invested in
solid wood need to maintain an acceptable environment for
their investment to be around and handed down from generation to
generation.
** A note about "High-End" furniture
and boxes that are veneered: Very high-end veneer
furniture begins with thin layers of
wood glued together with the grain at
right angles over a thick core. This
crisscross design reduces the chances of
splitting or cracking. Plus, the glue is
the same strong, waterproof adhesive
used in aircraft and marine
construction, so the end result is
actually stronger than the natural wood.
Many people mistakenly assume that
veneered furniture is inferior to or
cheaper than solid wood and the
furniture you buy at large retail stores
is; however, veneers quite often are
used for high end furniture pieces and
quality boxes and
it can be more costly than solid
wood. Good quality veneer furniture
and boxes will
have a solid core (usually high-grade
plywood or MDF) and the legs, posts,
doors or drawer fronts will be
straight-grain solid wood. This
furniture IS NOT the same as you buy in
the "big box" stores! As an
example of high quality veneering done
in box-making, go to
Andrew Crawford's
excellent site.
My
rustic jewelry boxes and
keepsake boxes have been
sealed against moisture; though keeping an acceptable
environment is strongly advised. Humidifiers/dehumidifiers
are essential in maintaining an acceptable environment for
all your solid wood treasures. Minimize the detrimental
environmental changes to your solid wood pieces, and they
will be around to be enjoyed for years to come.
Dust
your jewelry box or keepsake box with a dry cloth and do not use any
furniture spray or polish as these create a “build-up”
situation. Your box or wood furnishing has carnauba wax applied to it. If, at
some point you wish to re-wax your box, use a good carnauba
wax. Directions come with the wax.
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