Cleaning wooden piece of art

[Stephen Nutt]

I have recently acquired a wonderful wooden piece of art. Unfortunately it sat in an old mill with a leaky roof for several years and is extremely dirty and stained. The wood appears fine although some glue joints have separated and require reglueing.

My question is how do I clean this? It has many moving part but cannot be taken apart as most of the glue joints remain solid. The wood is was never finished with any sort of sealant, and I don't believe it was stained. It is made up of birdseye maple, mahogany, curly maple, paduck, teak, ebony, rocote, osage orange, maple, walnut, poplar, black locust, ziricote, ash, purpleheart and birch.

Also, once cleaned, what is the best way to maintain it? Should I apply oil, or something like pledge, or would it be better left alone and just dusted?

Thanks kindly,

Steve

[Bruce Barnett]

"Renaissance Wax"

Quote: Developed for use on the British Museum's priceless antiques, this special blend of micro-crystalline waxes will not stain or discolor with aging. It is acid neutral, water and alcohol resistant. Preferred by museums worldwide for protecting furniture, leather, marble, paintings and metal. 200 ml, 7 oz.

[Andy Dingley]

Not the most detailed description we've ever had to deal with.

[Guess who]

When yo say, "wonderful", that can have several connotations. if oy uthink it might have some value, take it to an antique dealer or professional furniture repair/finishing shop. I like ot build stuff, repair stuff, and evn refinish stuff [did an awesome job on a friend's walnut dresser]. When my wife wanted her grandmother's chairs fixed, we took them to a pro ...and paid. It was well worth it. They are back to original, strong, and will last another century and more.

[Stephen Nutt]

The piece is approx 12 years old, so relatively new. It consists of a man and a dog in a canoe fishing with a large whale underneath. When the dogs tail is moved, the man's arm goes up and down, moving the fishing pole, the fishing line and the bait. It also opens the whales' mouth and moves the whales' tail. The canoe is approx 15" long, the man sitting in the canoe 9" tall and the whale 20" long. It all site on a pedestal and the whale is attached to the side of the pedestal underneath the bait.

I'm almost wondering is I should remove the canoe and wash it in the sink with warm water and a mild detergent. The grim on it is nasty. I've tried sanding it with 400 grit sandpaper, but the sandpaper becomes clogged dirt. Since it is covered in dirty water stains I wouldn't think I would damage it any more.

Thanks again.

Steve

[Phisherman]

Do not use water. Cleaning wood with water can cause problems because most kinds of wood swells when wet. You can use mineral spirits which is safe for wood, but possibly not for paints. Acetone is another solvent that is safe for wood. Another idea...Briwax is made in 8 or

7 types of stain, but there is a clear type (no stain). It is excellent at cleaning wood, plus has beeswax that will protect the wood. A can is about $14, Woodcraft sell it.