SAASTE Technology/Activities/Preservation-2

Processing Grade 6 Preserving Wind, heat, water are some of the main causes of materials deteriorating. One of the ways to preserve these materials is to treat them with a preservative. The material we will work with is wood. You will need: Wooden peg, small piece of wood, wooden coaster, wooden spoon, wooden cutting board, classroom desk. Varnish, wax polish, silicone spray, cooking oil, lacquer, paint. Brushes, pieces of cloth, newspaper. About preservatives The technique you use will depend on: the condition of the article the type of preservative used The choice of preservative will depend on: the type of article the intended use of the article How to apply preservatives: In most case it is advisable to sandpaper the article first. If you are using paint, varnish, lacquer, etc use a clean brush and apply thin coats. Allow to dry between coats and sand lightly before applying the next coat. If you are using wax, apply with a clean cloth. Use a circular motion and finish off with straight strokes. You could also "buff" (shine) the article with a dry cloth. If you are using oil you could pour a little onto the article and then using a clean cloth rub the oil into the article. Wipe off any excess oil. If you are using sprays, apply thin coats. Sand in between coats. Think and Do activity: Think: Complete the table below to show what preservative you will use for each article, give a reason and say how you will do it. Article Type of preservative Reason for use Technique to apply preservative Wooden peg Wooden spoon Wooden coaster Classroom desk Wooden cutting board Do: Select the wooden spoon and the wooden peg and do the preservation. Author: Cheryl Jaftha Editor: Osman Sadeck