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Carving Post |
jukeboy56
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 22, 2002
Posts: 113
From: Hobbs, New Mexico
|  Posted: 2003-01-31 11:02 am Permalink
Do most of you carve with a hammer and chisel?
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Mark Cotton
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I buy old poker chips from casinos and private gambling clubs anywhere.
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Thank God the Tiki Bar is Open!
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Basement Kahuna
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 14, 2002
Posts: 3587
From: Jawja Province, Isle of North America
| Posted: 2003-01-31 12:36 pm Permalink
That would be me...I find chisels to be the best way for me personally. I have looked into some machines like rotozips and they make a mess and don't work (they just break bits after about a two inch line). Every experiment I've done totally with automation thus far has come out looking cheap, half-assed, or like any number of those typical, cookie cutter, four-lines- across-a-board-makes-a-tiki-face jobs that are everywhere. I find a Dremel with a flat burr to be useful for quick clean up of relief and corners, but I for one am trying to hone my chisel skills! I dig the vintage styles, and that's how those tikis were carved. Also, have you noticed that it seems like 80% of the stuff out there for sale today is of the same style (You know, the one that you see everywhere that looks more like Jimmy Carter taking a poo than a Polynesian deity?).
[ This Message was edited by: Basement Kahuna on 2003-01-31 12:38 ]
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Jungle Trader
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 04, 2003
Posts: 3691
From: Trader's Jungle Outpost, Turlock, Ca.
| Posted: 2003-01-31 12:49 pm Permalink
And I use a chainsaw. Not a lot of detail yet. I'm not a pro carver, it's just a hobby that might be considered an off-shoot of my business. Hopefully my skills, (like a good bottle of wine), will get better with time. JTvic
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Oki NiKsoKoWa
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PolynesianPop
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 2341
From: Corona, Ca
| Posted: 2003-01-31 2:06 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2003-01-31 12:36, Basement Kahuna wrote:
Also, have you noticed that it seems like 80% of the stuff out there for sale today is of the same style (You know, the one that you see everywhere that looks more like Jimmy Carter taking a poo than a Polynesian deity?).
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You mean the Florida style? I might be in the minority here but, I prefer traditional Hawaiian and South Pacific style (including Easter Island Moai). Although their styles are different, I like the work that Chiki and Gecko puts out. Florida style has never appealed to me (not that there's anything wrong with it). To each his own, I guess...
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[ This Message was edited by: PolynesianPop on 2003-01-31 14:07 ]
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Basement Kahuna
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 14, 2002
Posts: 3587
From: Jawja Province, Isle of North America
| Posted: 2003-01-31 4:09 pm Permalink
I wasn't going to say  ...but we are men of the same heart. And Chiki could easily be his own Witco and Gecko could easily be the next Leroy Scmaltz....You know, someone should really apprentice under Leroy...He ain't 'gettin any younger and the man is a national treasure. If I lived on the west coast I'd set up a tent on the lawn of OA so I could watch him work.
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MrkCat
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jan 23, 2003
Posts: 22
From: Sunny Southern California
| Posted: 2003-01-31 8:39 pm Permalink
I use a chainsaw or grinder to rough out the shape, and save some time, and do the finish work with chisels. I prefer to use chisels because I feel it gives me more control especially when doing fine details. One slip with a power tool and you've gotta cover that scar.
As for style, I like just about all styles of tiki.
Mark
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Shipwreckjoey
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 29, 2002
Posts: 1794
From: San Diego, CA
| Posted: 2003-02-01 5:50 pm Permalink
Great stuff! I've got a whole garage full of power tools we've bought to remodel the house over the past two years, I think it's time to get my ass in gear and start doing some carving. My last tiki carving project was a KU jack-o-lantern I did for halloween. Not much, but I'm heading in the right direction. Saw a news program last summer about a local guy (probably a TC'er) who makes tikis using a chainsaw & a blow torch. If you read this get in touch, I'd like to check out more of your work and maybe purchase a tiki or two...OK brah.
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7TiKiS
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jan 15, 2003
Posts: 39
From: Tarpon Springs
| Posted: 2003-02-02 07:03 am Permalink
I tried using chisels from scratch, took two weeks to hammer out the first carving. By using a combination of chisels; right angle grinder and a chain saw I was able to get it down to 4 hours.
I'm still looking for the right high speed bits for a flex shaft tool, nearly all that I've purchased thus far load up with 'pulp' after 30 seconds of use and become worthless.
Regarding burning... I tried a small butane torch, works well on aged (meaning dry) wood, but so far the palms I have carved are usually too wet to burn. I found min-wax stains help darken the deep areas and bring depth to the carvings, followed by a coat of Spar Varnish.
So far, carvings covered with the varnish have not checked or cracked, but they still weigh a ton (full of H20) even 2 months later. Those uncoated, are checking and cracking badly.
Regarding styles... as near as I can tell (IMHO), there's four primary styles out there... with a myriad of variations on those primary styles, each of which expresses some form of personal attribute unique to the carver.
Florida style - Wayne Thompson.
West Coast Retro - Mr. Schmaltz (The King)
West Coast Pop - Crazy Al
Pre-Contact Hawaiian - who the heck knows.
It's hard (if not impossible) to hang a two or three word description of a particular style that others can agree on, or to sum the entire lifes work of these artists into one particular category, and I'll appologize now if I've offended anyone with the 'short' descriptions above... just the way I see it after having tried to look at the different art forms out there now and then.
Heck, there's probably ample material out there for a whole book on the subject of carving styles and origins... eh BigBro?
The age old adage no doubt holds true here too though... there is no accounting for taste. No matter what your preference or favorite style, there's a Tiki for you out there somewhere. 
7
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[ This Message was edited by: 7TiKiS on 2003-02-02 07:06 ]
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Jungle Trader
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 04, 2003
Posts: 3691
From: Trader's Jungle Outpost, Turlock, Ca.
| Posted: 2003-02-02 3:13 pm Permalink
I really like Leroy Schmaltz designs too. In fact the image I posted on "Primordial Times" thread has a tiki that I carved from his design. I hope this doesn't get me in trouble, I'd love to apprentice under him. You're right, he's the man. JTV
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Oki NiKsoKoWa
(Hello all my relatives)
TikiJungle.com
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Basement Kahuna
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 14, 2002
Posts: 3587
From: Jawja Province, Isle of North America
| Posted: 2003-02-03 9:18 pm Permalink
Here's a question for the people...there are two of my design sketches on this page...one on the left I have already carved as visible here in this topic...(working on another one now that may form with it's mate to form some grand tiki thatched archway supports in Swanky and Kiliki's hut should it come out okay!). The other is a Cali cartoon interpretation of an Asaro figure from the New Guinea Highlands. I dig this personally but probably only carve it if some other folks dig it. Does anybody like these N.G. type of designs enough that they'd have them in their house?  (note:these are copyrighted)
[ This Message was edited by: Basement Kahuna on 2003-02-03 21:19 ]
[ This Message was edited by: Basement Kahuna on 2003-02-03 21:21 ]
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tikifreak
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 15, 2003
Posts: 253
From: Jacksonville Beach FL
| Posted: 2003-02-07 07:46 am Permalink
[ This Message was edited by: tikifreak on 2004-12-20 11:58 ]
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Turbogod
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 14, 2002
Posts: 1219 | Posted: 2003-02-07 09:03 am Permalink
Nice TF. Got that Elvis sneer going on I see!
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7TiKiS
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jan 15, 2003
Posts: 39
From: Tarpon Springs
| Posted: 2003-02-07 09:06 am Permalink
Very Nice TF - Great job!
7
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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: 2003-02-07 09:24 am Permalink
Heee Haww!
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Oki NiKsoKoWa
(Hello all my relatives)
TikiJungle.com
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Basement Kahuna
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 14, 2002
Posts: 3587
From: Jawja Province, Isle of North America
| Posted: 2003-02-07 09:51 am Permalink
Neato...kind of has a wild hair to it.
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