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New Tufa Tiki s 11/11/10 pg3 |
Tiki V
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jul 15, 2008
Posts: 32
From: Eastern NC
|  Posted: 2010-06-01 1:07 pm Permalink
Thanks for the positive remarks. I know it's been a while. I just retired yesterday officially so I'll have more time to carve. Not next week though. I'll be at the Hukilau 2010 in FLA .
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mieko
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 01, 2006
Posts: 531
From: San Diego
| Posted: 2010-06-01 2:42 pm Permalink
Congrats on the retirement! And welcome back! I've helped my mom working with some stuff on tufa. It's a neat medium. Next year you'll have to vend at Hukilau and sell all the cool stuff you'll make in the next year.
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metalhead
Tiki Centralite
Joined: May 09, 2010
Posts: 39
From: Vantucky, Wa
| Posted: 2010-06-01 4:31 pm Permalink
These are pretty cool!!! I've been making tiki's out of steel. I love how people find their nitches!
Keep up the good work! Congrats on the retirement!
[ This Message was edited by: metalhead 2010-06-01 16:32 ]
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Tiki V
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jul 15, 2008
Posts: 32
From: Eastern NC
| Posted: 2010-06-02 05:36 am Permalink
Metalhead, I've seen your metal Tiki's and they're great. I've always wanted to work with metal. I might try something in metal in a few months. If anyone's interested I used to go by the name of alexdog1 and have some posts of other tikis under that name.
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seeksurf
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 27, 2007
Posts: 2144
From: Buckley, WA
| Posted: 2010-06-02 9:19 pm Permalink
Love it! How do you keep them from crackin? ( when you chisel)
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Tiki V
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jul 15, 2008
Posts: 32
From: Eastern NC
| Posted: 2010-06-03 07:29 am Permalink
They're fairly soft for about 5 days as long as they're in their forms. It's more of a scraping and gouging operation (no mallet). Once they're out of their forms, they start to dry out and get hard so you have to basically carve them until they're done. I let them sit out in the sun after carving for a few days to dry out and then spray on some concrete protectant. I have several that have been outside for almost 3 years now with no problems.
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pjc5150
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 01, 2009
Posts: 1615
From: Tampa, FL
| Posted: 2010-06-03 08:44 am Permalink
dude....is that cement?
That kicks ass!!!
I totally want to make one!!!!
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Tiki V
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jul 15, 2008
Posts: 32
From: Eastern NC
| Posted: 2010-06-03 12:53 pm Permalink
It's 1/3 portland cement, 1/3 vermiculite, 1/3 sphagum moss. You can get all this stuff at a home improvement store like lowes or home depot.
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seeksurf
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 27, 2007
Posts: 2144
From: Buckley, WA
| Posted: 2010-06-03 5:44 pm Permalink
cool!
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Atomic Tiki Punk
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 19, 2009
Posts: 4002
From: Costa Misery
| Posted: 2010-06-03 5:52 pm Permalink
Thats very cool & I would like to try it out, feel like giving us some pointers on how to get started?
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Tiki V
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jul 15, 2008
Posts: 32
From: Eastern NC
| Posted: 2010-06-03 6:33 pm Permalink
The easiest way to get started is to mix the stuff up and pour it into one of those cardboard tubes that they use as concrete forms (see it laying on the ground in the first pic). Coat the inside of the form with some spray cooking oil. I let it sit for at least 24 hrs. but usually 2 days is best. I've actually waited 5 days before carving. Draw up a design then when you cut the tube open use chalk or a shape tool to draw the your design on the tufa log. After that it's just trial and error. It's pretty inexpensive so if you mess up, you can start a new one and you haven't screwed up a nice wood log. I'm interested in seeing what y'all come up with.
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Atomic Tiki Punk
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 19, 2009
Posts: 4002
From: Costa Misery
| Posted: 2010-06-03 7:22 pm Permalink
Thanks Tiki V!
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tikigodz
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 12, 2009
Posts: 439 | Posted: 2010-06-03 8:11 pm Permalink
Really authentic looking
How do you make your molds ?
Ideffinitly got make one of those!
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Tiki V
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jul 15, 2008
Posts: 32
From: Eastern NC
| Posted: 2010-06-04 05:38 am Permalink
The only thing that I mold is the log shaped piece of tufa. For this I use a cardboard tube (in first pic) or round metal air vent. Once you make the log, you just carve like you would a log except no mallet.
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Polynesiac
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 29, 2004
Posts: 2020
From: San Pedro, CA
| Posted: 2010-06-04 10:46 am Permalink
Really impressive carves, especially the last one. Very vintage looking both in texture and design and the fact it only took 4 hours is awesome!
I'm curious about carving the concrete - you say you don't have to use a mallet, so that means the concrete is still pretty soft? is it dusty, like carving AAC or does the dust only start once the mixture really begins to dry?
Sorry about all the questions, but I've wanted to do a concrete tiki for some time, and my lungs can't stand the dust (like what AAC produces) even with top notch protection masks.
I'm looking forward to seeing what else you produce!!!!
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Polynesiac - putting the "F" back in "ART"
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