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Carving Post |
Chongolio
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 02, 2002
Posts: 2765
From: The Coast of Kauai
|  Posted: 2003-02-12 7:54 pm Permalink
Well, I tried the pikcle juice trick but didn't darken it up too much. I did find a little propane torch for $13.00 at the hardware hut. So I am going to take the flame to it tomorrow. Any suggestions or tips for burnin' a tiki? Oh yeah Check this out. We got a little rain this morning so I left the carving out in it. When I looked at it later on, the major cracks had swollen shut again. So I am going to get the pruning seal and put it on in the morning and will see what happens.
cheers,
Chongolio
[ This Message was edited by: Chongolio on 2003-02-12 22:38 ]
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Basement Kahuna
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 14, 2002
Posts: 3587
From: Jawja Province, Isle of North America
| Posted: 2003-02-12 9:28 pm Permalink
Try this....brush soak that sucker full of tung oil while it's still damp...it may force that water to dry a little slower or go a different way out....
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Chongolio
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 02, 2002
Posts: 2765
From: The Coast of Kauai
| Posted: 2003-02-13 1:18 pm Permalink
Tung oil huh? what would that do for color? Would it darken or go glossy? Also, I am inclined to think that if I took the torch to it after the tung oil the tiki and my eyebrows may run the risk of incineration. I am more inclined to go the least caustic route. Less noxious chemicals is mo' bettah.
Thanks,
Chongolio
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Basement Kahuna
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 14, 2002
Posts: 3587
From: Jawja Province, Isle of North America
| Posted: 2003-02-13 11:18 pm Permalink
Just an idea (had been suggested here by much more experianced carvers than me)...all tung is is linseed oil and a little varnish...dries in about 24 hours and seals from inside the wood as well as filling in the spaces left by water. Like I said before, though, I dig the cracks...think it makes them look vintage.
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7TiKiS
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jan 15, 2003
Posts: 39
From: Tarpon Springs
| Posted: 2003-02-14 11:10 am Permalink
Watch out for that linseed oil, rags; brushes etc. will spontaneously ignite - not a pretty sight at 3 am while you're dreaming about warm tropical breezes.
Spar Varnish appears to work at sealing the wood and preventing cracks as well.
Also.. just finished Tiki #5, currently on loan to a local restaraunt in Tarpon Springs.
7
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There's nothing like a sharp tool!
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mrtikibar
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 07, 2002
Posts: 832
From: Neskowin, OR
| Posted: 2003-02-14 12:14 pm Permalink
7tiKis,
That is one disturbing tiki. Instead of pink elephants this may be what some of us will be seeing as we climb the walls in the latter stages of alcoholism, or what some of us may wake up with after a binge. This could be the poster-tiki of bigbro's "lay off the sauce kids" movement.
That said, nice tiki!
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Tiki Diablo
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Jun 24, 2002
Posts: 1889
From: socal
| Posted: 2003-02-14 1:06 pm Permalink
Don't know about y'all, but I dig it! I have been saving a pair of coconuts to do the exact same thing. I have been working on some very atypical tikis lately. The first will be debuted at the Maikai Gents/chiki show on the 18th.
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Basement Kahuna
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 14, 2002
Posts: 3587
From: Jawja Province, Isle of North America
| Posted: 2003-02-14 1:21 pm Permalink
That scene can easily greet you in bed in the morning after a night of binge drinking and you may have NO idea how it got there. I like it. The tiki world needs a good change of bathwater right now...and atypical is just the rosepetal we ought to float therein!
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7TiKiS
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jan 15, 2003
Posts: 39
From: Tarpon Springs
| Posted: 2003-02-14 2:38 pm Permalink
Well...
it wasn't my idea to put boobs on a tiki. The owner of the restaraunt insisted they needed a "woman" tiki to go with their man tiki...
The restaraunt resides on the same property as a high and dry marina, frequented by lots of familys (children)...
When I explained that all my research indicated there were few if any female tiki icons created, it resulted in some peculiar stares...
"Just put boobs on a man tiki he said".
So... a Scallop Shell bra got her back to a 'G' rating again...
Of course, I was cleaning up my tools, packing everything in the car, sat to drink a beer and admire the sunset, and watched two heavy equipment operators walk over and hoist her skirt to gander at what lies beneath.
Sheesh!
Now I need some 151.
Here's to dreams!
7
_________________
There's nothing like a sharp tool!
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Jungle Trader
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 04, 2003
Posts: 3691
From: Trader's Jungle Outpost, Turlock, Ca.
| Posted: 2003-02-14 3:50 pm Permalink
HA! Those darn heavy equipment operaters, nothing is sacred.
Nice carving.
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PolynesianPop
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 2341
From: Corona, Ca
| Posted: 2003-02-15 9:04 pm Permalink
Ok, I was going to keep this secret but I need some help. I just finished carving a 2 foot palm log (courtesy of Chiki). Prior to staining it, I gave it a moderate sanding with my power sander to smooth it out as much as possible.
Here's my problem: Some areas of the log have patches of hairlike fibers (similar to a brillo pad) that sanding doesn't seem to eliminate or smooth out. I (wrongly) assumed that once I began to stain it, the stain would hold the fibers together onto the log. However, that was not the case. The stain is about halfway dry and some areas are glossy while other areas are flat (I used a satin-finish polyurethane stain).
Here's where I need help: What do I need to do to smooth out these fibers? How can I get the stain to coat evenly?
I used 150 grit to sand it prior to staining. The next coarsest sandpaper I have is 80 grit. I didn't use that one because I was afraid of tearing up the tiki with it. The next smoothest sandpaper I have is 220 grit. This sandpaper was way too smooth to make any difference.
I've sanded and re-stained other tikis in my collection (using 40 grit to remove the old stain) in the past with fabulous results. However, this is the first one I've stained from absolute scratch and I'm having trouble getting the stain to look even.
I noticed that Leroy at Oceanic Arts normally paints his tikis as opposed to staining them. Other than the indoor masks and table top tikis, I noticed everything else in OA (including their rental tikis) seems to be painted rather than stained. Does anyone know if he does this to keep the finish even?
Any tips or suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.
_________________
* * * The Polynesian Popster * * *
[ This Message was edited by: PolynesianPop on 2003-02-15 21:12 ]
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Jungle Trader
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 04, 2003
Posts: 3691
From: Trader's Jungle Outpost, Turlock, Ca.
| Posted: 2003-02-15 10:13 pm Permalink
Hmmm, sounds like you have a green palm log. Too much water in the log. I don't know the answer to that. Sorry Poly Pop.
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PolynesianPop
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 2341
From: Corona, Ca
| Posted: 2003-02-16 09:37 am Permalink
Actually, I did hit some moisture at about 1 1/2 inches deep. Maybe I should sand the stain off and let it dry more before I restain it? The log was rather dry when I carved it. Just some patchy areas of husk like fibers gave me problems.
_________________
Poly-Pop *
Bartender, make mine a glass of WATAHHH!!!!!
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Jungle Trader
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 04, 2003
Posts: 3691
From: Trader's Jungle Outpost, Turlock, Ca.
| Posted: 2003-02-16 12:13 pm Permalink
Not all palm logs are created equal. And you never know what you have till you cut into it. That's why I wait 6 months to a year before I cut, leaving the bark on it. Since it's not how I make my living, I can afford to do it. Just keep piling them up and waiting, and waiting. Try redwood too. You can cut into it right away and it's not as heavy.
[ This Message was edited by: jungletrader on 2003-02-16 12:14 ]
[ This Message was edited by: jungletrader on 2003-02-16 16:15 ]
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Lake Surfer
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 21, 2002
Posts: 3308
From: Milwaukee, WI
| Posted: 2003-02-17 10:35 pm Permalink
Here are few of my most recent carvings...
This first one is a table top torch holder that is a carved volcano with three tikis dancing around the base with surfboards... sorry, kinda blurry...
This is a pole I carved out of a chunk of basswood and stained with a polystain mix...
I found a 5 foot piece of driftwood on the beach in November, I think it was a chunk of pine tree, very dry... so I thought... Basement Kahuna, you should love this one... CRACKS! It made me upset though how bad it started cracking... I carved it in the basement which is not heated. The temp. is around 40 degrees down there. Could bringing it into the warmer air in the house cause the cracks? Like I said, it seemed to be very dry wood, all I did was remove the bark off the front to carve... the cracks started small, but began to grow... I haven't decided to finish this one... stain or maybe a little torch work...
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