The conservation of a panel painting whose wood and polychromy were heavily damaged, from the first decade of the 16th century, gave us the opportunity to plan, develop and apply a new device for the conservation and proper maintenance of wooden panel paintings. The fove boards of the main picture have been joined with a support structure which followed the movements and displacements of the whole and of each single board in three directions. The planning of the support structure was based on positive experimental tests, non-destructive methods and aesthetic criteria for minimum visual disturbance. After this first experience we began to produce other mechanisms of our own invention, which were greatly improved both aesthetically and functionally by the use of a clasping plug with ball knuckle joint and flexible sleeve (*patent pending). -- CAL