Читать книгу Basket Essentials: Rib Basket Weaving - Lora S. Irish - Страница 22

Finishes, Repairs, and Care

MAKING REPAIRS

Repair any breaks in older baskets by cleaning the basket with oil soap or a light solution of bleach and water. Dampen a short length of reed that matches the broken weaver in size. Tuck the new reed under a spoke two to three spaces away from the break. Weave the new reed through the spokes, going over the older reed. Cut and tuck the end of the new reed under a spoke two to three spaces from the break on its other side.

CLEANING

The small melon basket shown below has seen years of use as one of my garden tool baskets. Over time, it naturally picks up dirt, dust, mildew, and even fungus. So, once a year, I clean this basket and all my other handcrafted baskets in either a bleach and water solution or an oil soap solution. For either cleaning method, use a large bucket or your bathtub or, if you prefer, work outdoors in a wheelbarrow.

Bleach and Water

Create a mild bleach and water mixture. For my bathtub or wheelbarrow, I pour 3 cups (700ml) of bleach (I use Clorox®) into a half-filled tub. Wearing heavy latex gloves, dip the basket into the solution and, with a soft-bristled kitchen brush, clean your basket inside and out. Remove the basket from the solution and shake well to eliminate the excess water. Rinse in clean water and, again, shake well. Gently reshape the basket if necessary. Let the basket dry well in your bathtub if you are cleaning inside or in the shade if you are working outdoors. A cleaning like this will remove most stains, dirt spots, and markings left from mildew.

A hardworking basket before cleaning.A short length of new reed can fix a broken reed.The same basket after cleaning.

Oil Soap

The oil soaps that are used to clean old furniture or used as leather saddle soap work wonderfully to clean both newly made reed baskets and any antique baskets that you have collected. This product cleans the dirt from the baskets without bleaching the beautiful natural patina that old baskets develop over time. To use, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

An advantage to any spray sealer is that the spray can penetrate into the deeper areas—the tucks—of your weaving.

FINISHING WITH SEALERS

You can leave a completed basket unfinished. Traditionally, most baskets are left in their natural state—as raw reed. Alternatively, you can add a finishing coat, a sealer, to the reed to help protect the basket from dust, dirt, and humidity. Raw reed has a dull, matte tone, and sealers come in high gloss, gloss, satin, and matte, so you can choose the effect you would like.

I always use a sealer on decorative baskets. The sealer adds a touch of sparkle and helps make the basket easy to clean with just a dusting brush or dry cloth. If the basket is a working basket—such as an egg basket or a basket for carrying garden tools—then I leave the basket in its raw reed state.

Oils

Danish oil, tung oil, and mineral oil can be applied to your baskets using a soft-bristled brush. Allow the oil coating to set for several minutes and then wipe off the excess oil. Oils brighten and deepen the natural color of the reed.

Spray oil finishes penetrate through the basket.

Spray Finish

Spray finishes, whether acrylic or polyurethane, are quick and easy to use. Simply follow the directions on the can. These sealers create a smooth, silky feeling to your baskets and help protect the baskets from water.

Brush-On Finish

Acrylic and polyurethane sealers are also available in brush-on formulas. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Polyurethane brush-on sealer is especially excellent when you want to strengthen the reed of a basket. Baskets with wide spaces between spokes or that use natural materials harden with several coats of a polyurethane sealer.

Paste Wax

Paste wax can be applied using an old toothbrush to work the wax into the deeper areas of your basketry. Wax lends a soft, gentle feeling to the basket reed, along with a soft sheen.

Spray Oil Polish

Even spray polishes can be used to add a little shine to your reed. Build the polish up by working several light coats, buffing with a dry, clean cloth between each coat. Don’t forget to oil the inside as well as the outside.