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Coon-Tiki Project Redux: O.K., NOW I'm Finally Finished!! pg.2 |
Tiki Lee's
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 23, 2003
Posts: 772
From: Las Vegas
|  Posted: 2006-05-29 02:39 am Permalink
Aloha, or should I say "Howdy, Y'all Coon-Tiki Folks!"
This past Saturday, I FINALLY got the chance to put my Coon-Tiki lessons to the test, and started a carving. I thought that since my last attempt at carving Danny's project was doomed from the start (my chisels didn't arrive in time and I had to use fat, clunky Lowe's chisels on my log that was quite soft and rotten), and that the poor hideous creature ended up being cremated by its maker....
...that I decided to try that one again. So off to a fellow novice carver's house (who just so happens to have 6 palm logs just waitin' to be dug into) I went to share my new-found knowledge and carve up a few projects. Little did we know that a dreadful kink in our plans was about to arise: the de-barking of the Palm!!!!! It took For-Fricken-EVER to get that log shaved! We were using our chainsaws to take off layer after endless layer of fronds and bark. I finally stopped "floating" the chainsaw over the surface, since the fibers were clinging on harder than passengers on the Titanic's aft section, and started making cuts from the top to the bottom, slicing off the final outside layer and getting to the moist "white meat". I then smoothed out most of the un-even-ness by floating that ol' chainsaw once again over it.
Well, to make a long story longer, we finally got down to carving, and I have to tell ya, having the right chisels make a whole heap o' difference! Everything carved easy, and although I made a few mistakes, I felt that I was actually doing o.k. for a "second first time attempt". I sliced right thru that juicy, wet palm like it was "buttah". After about an hour or so, I had almost finshed the main part of the carving and the light was fading fast. So my friend and I called it a day - & a good one at that.
After I got home, I put the mask in the garage and told myself I'd take a picture of it the next day before finishing it off. Well, the next day came and out I went to take a picture or two. However, I noticed something wierd: the whole face was not only cracking as it dried, but it was flaking off chunks, and some chunks were even Curling up! I got so in "repair mode" that I forgot to take a picture of it until me and my trusty bottle of Zap-A-Gap were done regluing all the many many fragments that were just barely sitting in place. I had to glue just about all of the mouth ridges, and most of the eye ridges. It looks oddly aged now, but not too bad I guess...
So, I guess my next step is after I finish the other eyebrow and carve all of the native decorative details into it, is to actually BAKE it in the oven to get it as dry, cracked and split as possible, then age it with stain and paint like we used to do at Imagineering. Hopefully, it'll end up looking like a cool old weather-beaten tiki mask done years ago by some simple native of the Cook Islands that got marooned on a deserted island and had to make a friend to talk to, since there were no soccer balls around then.
I'll post the next steps as soon as I get 'em done.
Aloha Y'all!
[ This Message was edited by: Tiki Lee's 2006-06-04 22:40 ]
[ This Message was edited by: Tiki Lee's 2006-06-09 19:06 ]
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Benzart
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 09, 2004
Posts: 10306
From: Port Saint Lucie, Florida
| Posted: 2006-05-29 09:05 am Permalink
Good job TikiLee's, and Wow, what a strange experience. You Must Always remember that when opening up a log in the Vegas Desert, whatever moisture that is in it will be sucked out overnight. Some kinds of wood don't fare well with that and evidently, your log is one of those. Looks like you have it under control though.
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pdrake
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 13, 2006
Posts: 1764
From: las vegas
| Posted: 2006-05-29 09:51 am Permalink
hey, lee, is that a log from that pile on st. louis? i'm having cracking issues with one as well. they were kind of wet and it's been pretty dry here, so it's inevitable.
good job so far. you'll have to introduce me to your friend so we can all get together and carve.
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Tiki Lee's
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 23, 2003
Posts: 772
From: Las Vegas
| Posted: 2006-05-29 10:08 am Permalink
Benz: Yeah, I had a feeling that the Desert drying issue would be a major factor, which is why I didn't put too much effort into this first project. The log was cut down about 3-4 months ago, and was only dyed out at the ends. The body of it was really wet and I knew that things were gonna happen as it dryed, but I didn't know exactly what. I left the other part of the log split down the middle outside to dry so that the next time we get together, I'll have a different, dryer experience to learn from.
Pdrake: These logs actually came from my friend's backyard. It's a telephone line intruder victem that got cut down by the power company. They're a few months older than the St. Louis trunks, but I'm sure they are just as moist. And I'll definately keep ya posted as to the next time we get together. We were both leaning towards just having a day that we do nothing but de-bark the logs so we can get that long, painful step out of the way. Sure could use ya on that day! 
'loha!
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8FT Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 30, 2003
Posts: 1172
From: Kansas City, MO
| Posted: 2006-05-29 12:45 pm Permalink
Lee, glad to see that you are back at it again. Don't get too worked up about the cracks and fast drying damage. You are learning something every time you try a new project or a different type of wood. That is valuable stuff. Carving is so enjoyable that we tend to find a way to live with the unexpected things that come along with it. I mean, various threads mention moldy logs, splintering, bugs and don't forget the bloodshed when a tool goes astray! Just be sure you still have fun and DO NOT put any more carvings into a fire....just the wood chips! Keep at it and be sure to share more photos so we can see how you are progressing! 8FT
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tikigap
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Jan 19, 2006
Posts: 834
From: Arlingtron Virginia
| Posted: 2006-05-30 09:39 am Permalink
Hey TikiLee!
I like the effect the dryness and cracking has had on the tang... not bad at all! It does look like a lot of work to save it though. I hope we'll get to see him totally finished?
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Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4806
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2006-05-30 10:58 am Permalink
I need to do this too, but for now I actually started sanding and cleaning up the group project this weekend a bit. I also plan to hollow out the back of the mask Ben started so it will dry without cracking hopefully.
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Tiki Lee's
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 23, 2003
Posts: 772
From: Las Vegas
| Posted: 2006-06-04 10:57 am Permalink
That group project was awesome! I learned alot from that one; what chisles do what kind of cuts, surface prep techniques, how to carve a penis, and the list just goes on and on!
Anyway, I finished carving my mask this week. The details are pretty hard to see, but they are there if you look. They'll show up better once I get the stain & aging on it.
By the way, the "toasted" ridges happened when I baked the mask in the oven to dry it out more. I got some nice splits like I expected, but the toasty edges were a suprise. They look kinda neat-o now, but I'm sure they'll dissappear when the stains go on.
See ya next week!
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SilverLine
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 02, 2004
Posts: 608
From: Kansas City
| Posted: 2006-06-04 11:07 am Permalink
Hey Lee, NICE work! I think you've stumbled on to something there. The toasting add a little color to just the sharp edges and helps define them, and is easier to control than a torch. Hmmm . . Tiki Lee's Toasted Tikis!
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Tiki Lee's
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 23, 2003
Posts: 772
From: Las Vegas
| Posted: 2006-06-04 10:56 pm Permalink
Hey, I got some extra time today, so I broke out the stains and went to work!
Here's my Coon Tiki - Tiki Diablo project FINALLY finished:
I worked some moss green stain into the mask to give it an old, lost-in-the-jungle-for-years look, but the colors didn't come out too well in the photos. The lamp washed 'em out. If you look at the darker spots, you might see a bit of the coloring.
Here's a close-up of the eye that popped & sank-in. It actually has a good deal of green in it, although it doesn't show up much:
So now that I've finally gotten my project done, I can finally move on to new lessons. I think I'm going to try and do a full-figure Marq like the group project we all did. I'll be letting the palm dry out first this time!
P.S.: Spooky Nighttime Lighting!
[ This Message was edited by: Tiki Lee's 2006-06-05 01:49 ]
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tikigap
Grand Member (8 years)
Joined: Jan 19, 2006
Posts: 834
From: Arlingtron Virginia
| Posted: 2006-06-05 06:39 am Permalink
Hey TLee! That looks great! I wish mine came out 1/2 as nice! Your choice of stains really make the difference.
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Benzart
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 09, 2004
Posts: 10306
From: Port Saint Lucie, Florida
| Posted: 2006-06-05 07:17 am Permalink
TLee, you get an A+ for the day and go to the head of the class.
Very well done, the coloring effects really helped make this guy.
Excellent!!
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freddiefreelance
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 15, 2003
Posts: 2983
From: San Diego, Ca.
| Posted: 2006-06-05 09:16 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2006-05-29 02:39, Tiki Lee's wrote:
Little did we know that a dreadful kink in our plans was about to arise: the de-barking of the Palm!!!!! It took For-Fricken-EVER to get that log shaved! We were using our chainsaws to take off layer after endless layer of fronds and bark. I finally stopped "floating" the chainsaw over the surface, since the fibers were clinging on harder than passengers on the Titanic's aft section, and started making cuts from the top to the bottom, slicing off the final outside layer and getting to the moist "white meat". I then smoothed out most of the un-even-ness by floating that ol' chainsaw once again over it.
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That sounds like it was a Fan Palm?
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8FT Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 30, 2003
Posts: 1172
From: Kansas City, MO
| Posted: 2006-06-05 4:35 pm Permalink
Lee, Great results! Persistence paid off big for you on that piece. Now everyone can see what a weekend with the Coontiki teachers can do for a new carver!
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tikiskip
Grand Member (6 years) 
Joined: Nov 26, 2005
Posts: 2079 | Posted: 2006-06-05 4:43 pm Permalink
Great work Lee!
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