Goldbach Arts
Custom Woodworking, Bespoke Furniture, Unique Art

Help Care Instructions

Wood is a natural material that never really stops adjusting to its environment. Keeping conditions relatively constant and a bit of TLC will help keep your item beautiful for generations. Conditions like temperature, sunlight, humidity and defects in the grain (knots, cracks, spalting) may cause changes over time. For instance, a table that may have been perfectly level when it left the shop may need a matchbook under a leg in 5 or 10 years.

If you do run into any issues, please contact me and I will do everything I can to assist.

Tips

  • Dust regularly with a clean cloth or feather duster
  • Wipe up spills promptly, gently, thoroughly and with the grain
  • Avoid direct sunlight to prevent fading
  • Avoid direct heat or very low humidity to prevent cracking or warping
  • It's a good idea to use a coaster under anything wet, hot or cold
  • Beware sharp objects, children and pets (young children and pets like to chew on wood)
  • Never use abrasives or chemicals harsher than dish soap or vinegar
  • Apply paste wax or Odie's Oil and buff well every year or so or when it looks thirsty
  • Finishes like Shellac are sensitive to water (white rings) and alcohol

Repairs

The items I make are meant to be used. Personally, I view dings, dents, scratches and such as beauty marks, but if you want to make repairs or are concerned about a change, let me know and I'll guide you through. It's such a huge topic and with the diversity of my projects and materials, almost impossible to cover here. My advice is to contact me or look up videos on YouTube for your particular situation.

  • Hardwax oil finishes can be sanded and re-applied at any time making repairs very easy. Alcohol-based finishes like Shellac can likely be patched with a bit of instruction and the right materials.
  • If you encounter a ding or dent, you can try to steam it out but I don't recommend it.
  • If you chip or scratch the finish on a part with soft wood (e.g., spalting) you can use cyanoacrylate (CA) glue (aka Super Glue) to harden the fibers and keep liquid from penetrating.
  • CA glue can be sanded, but do wear a mask.
  • Polyurethane (really any film finish that isn't natural) is typically difficult to repair since it's a plastic film. Typically the entire area needs to be sanded and refinished to eliminate traces of the repair
  • Word to the wise: the labels on some finishes you can buy at your local home improvement store are inaccurate. Something marked Tung Oil could be mostly shellac or polyurethane. Read the labels carefully. This may help explain.

Finishes

I prefer and recommend all natural and/or non-toxic finishes which are safer for me, you and the environment. These include:

  • Hardwax Oil: Odie's Oil, Osmo Coat
  • Film: Shellac (all natural, prepared from flake)
  • Two-part: Rubio Monocoat
  • Drying Oil: tung oil, boiled linseed oil
  • Non-drying Oil: teak oil, mineral oil (aka cutting board oil)*
Oils like lemon or orange oils act more like solvents and cleaners than finishes, so while you can use them, they do not protect the wood.

Please note that drying oil and hardwax oil finishes can take up to a month to completely cure (polymerize) so take extra care to avoid moisture, dents, dings or scratches in that time.

I do use polyurethane on items that may be in contact with food or moisture or if you request it in a custom order.

Guarantee

These are unique works of art made by hand with natural materials and as such come with no warranty or guarantee. Cracking, splitting, warping, splinters and bowing are highly unlikely, but possible. Of course I will do all we can to help you address any issues you may encounter.

Food Safety

Some of the wood I use is spalted, which can create beautiful patterns in the wood, but it is technically fungus and can potentially be toxic. When we produce an item that is meant to be used around food (e.g., charcuterie tray), we use a protective coating like polyurethane or epoxy to provide a barrier, but that's no guarantee. While it's tempting to tell you not to worry about it, it's such a complex topic that we encourage you to do some research and ask us any questions. Ask ChatGPT or Google phrases like "is spalted wood safe" or "food safe finishes" to learn more.

* Technically mineral oil is a petroleum byproduct and therefore not natural, however it is considered food safe. It's also in nearly every moisturizer out there.