Featured old wood sculpture of the Last Supper

everythings an opinion......but if you've "been a furniture maker and master woodcarver for over 25 yrs"....then there is experience and weight behind that opinion to back it up !!

Don't ever sell yourself short on what you know to be true !!!!

 

No, I do not have any old pictures from the old family home... sorry.

 

Could be a good guess, but with the density calculation the walnut can never be so heavy. And the light natural colour of the wood make it difficult to be walnut wood. But again the wood grain can be light and the colour is a smoke screen sometimes. Thanks a lot.

 

Let see the wood density of this piece. Keeping in mind that after felling, timber lose moisture, following the outside and inside conditions. Long time ago, trees for timber were only cut in winter time because the moisture content had to be lower than 20% to avoid fungal attacks. Huge wood ovens were not existant to dry the fresh cut wood like the ones today. So, the wood was kept outside under sheds protection for up to two years before the cutting process. Most of the dry wood had less than 6% of moisture, before. Today, most wood have around 12% of moisture after the dry process.

Anyway, the technical way to calculate weight of wood gets somewhat tricky. The specific gravity of wood changes with moisture content once it goes below 30% moisture, and what is called the fiber saturation point of wood. Above this fiber saturation point, the physical and mechanical properties of wood do not change.

In other words, the specific gravity of wood does not change in wood that is above 30% moisture content. That is because the cellular structure of wood is full of what is called bound water; the water chemically bonded to the wood. The structure of the wood is fully expanded at this point, and any additional water that increases the moisture content is free water residing in the cell pores and lumina.

Once moisture content goes below 30%, however, all the free water has been released through evaporation, and the bound water begins to be chemically driven from the wood substance. As it does so, the wood cells begin to shrink, again, just as a sponge does as it dries out. And as it shrinks, the specific gravity of the wood gets higher, and the wood becomes stiffer as the chemical properties change.

Most species increase in density anywhere from 10 to 20% as they dry from 30% down to dry. This, by the way, is why wood checks and splits as it dries. So another way of thinking about this is that the density of green wood that above 30% is different (meaning less dense) than the density of the wood as stated in most references, which are usually given as specific gravity at 12% moisture content, for the purposes of those who work with wood.

Therefore, to compare my piece of wood with the existing references, I have to add a density factor. This wood sculpture has a moisture of about 2%, which is relatively considering as a completely dry wood. Too low to be taking under consideration and therefore the density factor should be higher by 15% because of the moisture condition. But because of other chemical products used to colour or preserved the wood, I will add about 10% for the density factor.

The piece is about 0.0079438 cu.m. (cubic meter) - 10% (0.00079438 cu.m.) for the carving portion. The total volume of wood is about = 0,00715362 cu.m. The weight is about 6 kg.

The density is around 839 kg/cu.m. + 10% = 923 kg/cu.m. or 58 lbs/cu.ft.lowgreen

 

I understand your point about the saw mill, but still I've seen very precise wood works made by old antique saw mills type. I've spent a good career to renovate old buildings structures, specialized in wood and masonry structures and one of the renovation quality of works consisted to reproduce within our modern days the old wooden works, using old tools and old methods. The oldest building I had the chance to study and work was originally built in 700 AD in Europe. Sometimes, it is amazing to realize how some type of very precise works were done some few hundred years ago. In North America we are not used to be in front of majestic and huge works that were done a thousand year ago. Some wood work in Europe is so amazing sometimes that it would be impossible to be redone, just because those parts of the trees do not exist anymore. I mean by that, the trees were so huge and old.

See on the back of the sculpture; the mark of the saw is only in the middle part of the wood piece. Each other sides do not have any marks. And the wood seems to be relatively smooth. By the way, thanks a lot for your comments.

 

Thank you for the clear pic of the back. It's appears to have been hit skip planed. I can see planner blade marks across the board. It common for the center of board to plane last. These things would be extremely hard to do with the uneven surface on the reverse side .which means it was most likely done before carving. Which means the carving most likely was done later than you may think.

 

Sometimes, when something like an old church or historic building is destroyed, wood from the building is salvaged and reworked as souvenirs of the place and/or event. Maybe that's the case here?

Carving something like the Last Supper on wood salvaged from an old church would be entirely appropriate.

Doesn't solve the problem of provenance.

 

That's entirely possible. It was certainly done even here with buildings that weren't particularly old. Connecticut's Charter Oak was killed by a lightning strike in the 1850s, and the wood was used to build pieces for the state Capital. Other bits were worked up and sold as a fundraiser.

 

Maybe we do not work wood in the same way. This plank of wood fits properly in my professional wood planer. The top and the bottom give enough surface and stability to be process through the machine. And all the surface is straigh enough to go through without blocking. Not that I would take the chance to plan the piece and crack it by the pression of the in-feed roller. And on the other hand, it would be possible to use a pro hand wood planer. Which mean it would be possibily done after the wood carving.



I appreciate your comments, but I will prefer read comments that are not only on one side... without taking in consideration the other side. The objectivity is part of constructive, scientific and professional comments. Sometimes it is obvious to recongnize things that are completely ridiculous, but on the other hand, when there are other things difficult to be sure of the authenticity, the skeptic side of the thruth, should be analysed at the end of all facts, and not to begin with. Thanks.

 

When you post here , you can debate all comments offered....but you can not control what side they come down on.....!

 

Thanks a lot, I really appreciate your devotion here. This is an interesting thread that shall cause most of the members to reflect on their behavior. Some could give objective and constructive feedback that could be valuable but I don't see it for now.

Why do I feel like I have to bring common facts, seen as issues? Of course, the reason being that my feedback has little value and I am seen as a non established member. I am not trying to avoid comments but I don't see the way to share non objective knowledge that certainly won't help the aim of such forum.

I am certainly not intending to be offensive, I am just thinking out loud, for now. I use to do things as following: If I am not convinced about the truth, I will make sure to research and analyse all possible ways to discover the facts and I may or I might comment on a constructive way.

I will not get anything from any members beside knowledges and sharing opinions and facts. And so, I would be willing to give and receive all constructive comments. Thanks again...