Post #100694 by Aaron's Akua on Fri, Jul 9, 2004 2:30 PM

I am an amature tiki carver in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.

I have been carving using Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC). I have a whole lot of this material stored in my garage, and I'm looking to find someone local that would like to trade for some palm or other material for tiki carving.

AAC comes in 8"x10"x24"H blocks. It is a good size for tikis. You can carve it with chisels or other tools, and a mallet is not necessary. The blocks are used as an isulating/building material east of the Missippi, and I had to drive all the way to Casa Grande AZ to get them. I read about this material in an art book that I picked up at the library, and it really turned out to be a great material for people like me that are just learning to carve. The surface looks a lot like white coral after carving and sanding, because the bricks are baked in a kiln, and have tiny "bubbles" throughout. I applied some regular concrete sealer from home depot for the final product. Here are some photos of an "Easter Tiki" that I carved with them.

So, if anyone has some seasoned palm or other suitable wood, I would love to trade some blocks.

Mahalo,

Aaron