Tools Carvers Use - Tiki Carving

AA Aaron's Akua Member Rancho Santa Margarita, CA Joined: Jul 09, 2004 Posts: 1596	AA Aaron's Akua Posted posted on Tue, Mar 1, 2005 12:51 PM A new carver named "Palama Tiki" emailed me the other day asking what kind of tools work best for AAC Block sculpture. He lives in Florida, and apparently convinced a nearby AAC Mfr to give him a free sample. So, here you go, Jeff. AAC Block carves up nicely, so now we're all expecting to see some pix from you soon. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ *TOOLS FOR CARVING AAC BLOCK * You can get most of your rough featues worked out with a common wood saw. It's best to do the profile first. The blocks are perfectly flat, which makes it easy to scribe the features. I used a paper template, and just flipped it over to make both sides exact. Once you've got the profile, work on the front plane. As a new carver, this really helped me to understand going from 2-D sketches to 3-D sculpture. The "Surform" works really well for rough rounding of the features. Think of it like a little cheese grater. Old jacked up chisels work great. Don't use any "good" tools on this stuff. It's totally unnecessary. Except for these - "Stone Rifflers", which are really "good" tools for AAC. They ran me about $14. Make sure & get the LARGE ones from some type of stone sculptue tool supplier (NOT the ones shown in link I posted about 4 posts back. I returned 2 of the 3 sets that I bought from that place. they were tiny, cheap, and not what I was expecting. Still waiting on the refund.) Other than that, just dig through your tool chest. Use files, rasps, chisels, etc. DEFINITELY wear a mask, and not those little paper ones, either. Get a good one with filters on it. This stuff is really messy, and the dust flies everywhere. Sandpaper will add the final touches and smooth everything out. 60 or 80 grit should work fine. I don't think I'd bother going any finer than that. I never tried these, because I did all my AAC sculptures before I picked an air compressor. But I think stones & burrs used with a die grinder would make quick work of it. I'll let you know after I do my next AAC project. After it's all done & sanded, blow it off real good and apply some concrete sealer. This Jasco sealer also had a "fluorescent" effect, making the AAC look all nice & pearly white. AAC is full of tiny bubbles, so when you're done, the surface should have a "corally" look. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Jeff, if you have any more questions on AAC let me know. Same goes for anyone else who is interested in trying their hand at this fun carving material. Cheers! A-A "Ah, good taste! What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness." -Pablo Picasso [ Edited by: Aaron's Akua on 2005-03-01 12:57 ]

A new carver named "Palama Tiki" emailed me the other day asking what kind of tools work best for AAC Block sculpture. He lives in Florida, and apparently convinced a nearby AAC Mfr to give him a free sample. So, here you go, Jeff. AAC Block carves up nicely, so now we're all expecting to see some pix from you soon.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

*TOOLS FOR CARVING AAC BLOCK *

You can get most of your rough featues worked out with a common wood saw. It's best to do the profile first. The blocks are perfectly flat, which makes it easy to scribe the features. I used a paper template, and just flipped it over to make both sides exact. Once you've got the profile, work on the front plane. As a new carver, this really helped me to understand going from 2-D sketches to 3-D sculpture.

The "Surform" works really well for rough rounding of the features. Think of it like a little cheese grater.

Old jacked up chisels work great. Don't use any "good" tools on this stuff. It's totally unnecessary.

Except for these - "Stone Rifflers", which are really "good" tools for AAC. They ran me about $14. Make sure & get the LARGE ones from some type of stone sculptue tool supplier (NOT the ones shown in link I posted about 4 posts back. I returned 2 of the 3 sets that I bought from that place. they were tiny, cheap, and not what I was expecting. Still waiting on the refund.)

Other than that, just dig through your tool chest. Use files, rasps, chisels, etc.

DEFINITELY wear a mask, and not those little paper ones, either. Get a good one with filters on it. This stuff is really messy, and the dust flies everywhere.

Sandpaper will add the final touches and smooth everything out. 60 or 80 grit should work fine. I don't think I'd bother going any finer than that.

I never tried these, because I did all my AAC sculptures before I picked an air compressor. But I think stones & burrs used with a die grinder would make quick work of it. I'll let you know after I do my next AAC project.

After it's all done & sanded, blow it off real good and apply some concrete sealer. This Jasco sealer also had a "fluorescent" effect, making the AAC look all nice & pearly white. AAC is full of tiny bubbles, so when you're done, the surface should have a "corally" look.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jeff, if you have any more questions on AAC let me know. Same goes for anyone else who is interested in trying their hand at this fun carving material.

**Cheers!

A-A**

"Ah, good taste! What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness."
-Pablo Picasso

[ Edited by: Aaron's Akua on 2005-03-01 12:57 ]

Post #143993 by Aaron's Akua on Tue, Mar 1, 2005 12:51 PM