Wood aftercare

I’m new to everything with lasers. I’m wondering is people experienced with making things such as living hinges or jewellery would be able to answer a question for me. If I’m making a necklace or coaster, what do I need to do to protect it both from drying out and cracking as bamboo is prone to naturally, or getting warped from condensation or sweat? Are these legit issued to worry about? I live in Korea and it’s super humid here. Thanks!

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Hi Cecilia – I can’t speak to jewelry or hinges, but I’ve lasered quite a bit of bamboo over the past 6 months, mostly cutting boards. In addition to the glue holding the strips together, bamboo tends to have a fair amount of sap that smokes and discolors the surfaces near the kerf (cut). I buff the finished product with 0000 steel wool and then wipe it down with food-grade mineral oil (aka cutting board oil) 3-4 times over the course of a day. I live in an extremely dry climate where drying and cracking is a huge issue, and so far, so good. Best of luck!

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Are you rubbing it in? Im into natural products so Id love to make some natural jewelry but I dont want it cracking on ppl

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I drizzle/pour a bit of oil directly onto the board, then use a lint-free cloth (old white t-shirts) to distribute it. I don’t rub it in, but let it soak in to the wood for a few hours and repeat every 2 hours until it looks right. If I rub it, it seems like most of the oil goes into the cloth, not the wood.

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Good to know. Or I ould spritz it on or use a small brush.will research it

beeswax paste would be a great option for someone wanting food safe natural products. I’m with you @Cecilia about not wanting petroleum products on my person or food. Even GRAS products are not without risk.

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I came across this one as a natural product for cleaning smoke marks with vinegar.

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Nice tip. Of course the usefulness of plain ole vinegar comes through yet again.

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Good to have another reason to keep Vinegar on hand. I learned how amazing it is for rapid treatment of burns from a dry cleaner, and the few times I have been around someone who gets burned since then… no vinegar on hand.

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My family took 100 yr olk church floor boards and planed then diwn a million times then used them to floor our hallways. We were going to use vinegar or lemon to take out the old stains but decided it looked better with the marks. I like the burn marks. Im more concerned about the piece cracking or warping as the person wears or uses it

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I always have a massive jug of it around for my soapmaking. Counteracts the lye. Very useful for when some part of you starts to melt

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