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Witco, Kaiser, McVay |
J.S.G.
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Apr 10, 2006
Posts: 39
From: an island in washington
|  Posted: 2006-04-13 07:46 am Permalink
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On 2006-04-12 21:52, fatuhiva wrote:
Just popping in here- I have a copy of the Westenhaver/Witco Chainsaw Carving book if anyone needs a reference
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Thanks for the offer. Those books are hard to locate! When I do the revision of my book Art of Chainsaw Carving, I would like to include more about the Witco Westenhaver/Hovde book. This book is probably the real kick off to chainsaw carving as an industry...mass producing chainsaw art in a factory hiring mostly women that ran the electric saws that hung from pulley's.
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TIKIBOSKO
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 17, 2004
Posts: 323 | Posted: 2006-04-13 11:20 am Permalink
Hello all,
“I did a bit a research on Bill ... sounds like he was from Washington State and his book "Fun and Profitable Chainsaw Carving" was printed in Mt. Vernon, Washington. So the wood he used was not Swamp Cedar. (Being a wood carver myself )The wood is Western Red Cedar”
Actually Sven is correct; Witco used (mostly) swamp cedar which they imported from Canada.
I also seem to recall Mr. Westenhaver telling us that he was already doing this art in the 50’, the Witco business got going big time by the early 1960’s, but I could be wrong, that conversation was quite a while back.
Bosko
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J.S.G.
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Apr 10, 2006
Posts: 39
From: an island in washington
| Posted: 2006-04-13 11:32 am Permalink
"Actually Sven is correct; Witco used (mostly) swamp cedar which they imported from Canada.
I also seem to recall Mr. Westenhaver telling us that he was already doing this art in the 50’, the Witco business got going big time by the early 1960’s, but I could be wrong, that conversation was quite a while back."
Bosko
Well, you learn something everyday. Swamp Cedar in Canada! I've heard of swamp cedar from the swamps in the southern US. I've been to Canada numerous times, never seen or heard the term swamp cedar. But I've never seen a Sasquatch either and they say that exist.
From the grain patters of the heavy burn it looks just like Western Red Cedar. But whatever Mr. Westenhaver wants to call is fine by me. Sometimes when I'm carving wood, I call it all kinds of things. Thank you for correcting me.
[ This Message was edited by: J.S.G. 2006-04-13 11:33 ]
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J.S.G.
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Apr 10, 2006
Posts: 39
From: an island in washington
| Posted: 2006-04-13 11:39 am Permalink
I spoke to Mr. Westenhaver. Nice Guy! He said he started carving with a saw in 1957.
[ This Message was edited by: j.s.g. 2006-04-28 12:26 ]
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Tikiwahine
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 09, 2003
Posts: 3289
From: Victoria, BC
| Posted: 2006-04-13 4:16 pm Permalink
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On 2006-04-13 11:32, J.S.G. wrote:
Well, you learn something everyday. Swamp Cedar in Canada! I've heard of swamp cedar from the swamps in the southern US. I've been to Canada numerous times, never seen or heard the term swamp cedar. But I've never seen a Sasquatch either and they say that exist.
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Quote:
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Northern White-Cedar
Cupressaceae -- Cypress family
Northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis) is also called eastern white-cedar, arborvitae, and swamp-cedar.
The main range of northern white-cedar extends through the southern part of the eastern half of Canada and the adjacent northern part of the United States. Specifically, it extends westward from Anticosti Island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the southern part of James By and through central Ontario to southeastern Manitoba; then south through central Minnesota and Wisconsin to a narrow fringe around the southern tip of Lake Michigan; then east through southern Michigan, southern New York, central Vermont and New Hampshire, and Maine. The species also grows locally in northwestern Ontario, west-central Manitoba, southeastern Minnesota, southern Wisconsin, north-central Illinois, Ohio, southern New England, and in the Appalachian Mountains from western Pennsylvania south to western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee.
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Huh, I didn't even know it existed.
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J.S.G.
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Apr 10, 2006
Posts: 39
From: an island in washington
| Posted: 2006-04-13 6:03 pm Permalink
...and the sasquatch exist too! Yes, ok arborvitae, that is how I know swamp cedar. I carved it once, someone took down a danger tree in their yard which was an arborvitae, very bright white wood, comparitivly speaking (to red cedar) Only ornamental trees around here. Not common. No wonder I didn't see it up in Canada, The western side of that country is what I know. Seems strange that Mr. Witco trucked it all the way from the middle part of Canada...but hey cheap wood is cheap wood.
By the way the sasquatch was carved in red cedar, by me, it was a commission, a guy really into the sasquatch culture.
The heavy burn is a common finishing technique used by chainsaw carvers. I don't do it often, but for kitschy appeal, it helps.
Also, the "traditional" style tikis are pretty cool, been checking it out...thanks for telling me about Eli Hedly and Bamboo Ben, and just all the other talented carvers on the creating tiki's forums. I'm having great visions of tikis and masks, first I think it will be a mask, I'll post it over there, when I carve it but it's going to involve flowers in the background.
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Sneakytiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 31, 2003
Posts: 1795
From: Boise, Idaho
| Posted: 2006-04-28 10:00 am Permalink
Hello all, here is a picture of my thrift store score, a sea lion by RL Blair, done in the 80's.
_________________
To drown sorrow, where should one jump first and best? "Certainly not water. Water rusts you." -Frank Sinatra
[ This Message was edited by: Sneakytiki 2006-04-28 10:04 ]
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J.S.G.
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Apr 10, 2006
Posts: 39
From: an island in washington
| Posted: 2006-04-28 1:08 pm Permalink
Well...that's quite the prize. It's neat how the seal goes from a negative (inside the board) and evolves into a positive, reminiscent of MC Escher. A great addition to a tiki bar, it has that ocean feel.
RL has his website up and running...and I didn't know this, until now, but he carves tikis too.
http://www.rlblair.com/Page5.html
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Sneakytiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 31, 2003
Posts: 1795
From: Boise, Idaho
| Posted: 2006-04-30 1:57 pm Permalink
JSG, thx for posting the web site, it appears to be down right now. I hope you will post more pix of your carvings soon.
Aloha and Mahalo
ST
_________________
To drown sorrow, where should one jump first and best? "Certainly not water. Water rusts you." -Frank Sinatra
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J.S.G.
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Apr 10, 2006
Posts: 39
From: an island in washington
| Posted: 2006-05-01 5:11 pm Permalink
http://www.rlblair.com/tropical_polynesian_hawaiian_tiki.htm
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Sneakytiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 31, 2003
Posts: 1795
From: Boise, Idaho
| Posted: 2006-05-03 3:02 pm Permalink
Ahh! Now it works! Thanks JSG.
ST
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