Post #106460 by Aaron's Akua on Thu, Aug 5, 2004 10:31 AM

Finkdaddy,

If you handle it properly, the AAC won’t give you any problems. Here’s some tips:

1. Store it in a dry place. If you leave them outside (untreated) exposed to the weather, the material will probably get screwed up & give you bad results.

2. Don’t use a hammer when chiseling. Go easy with the mallet. A lot of the work can be done with chisels alone and no mallet. You can use files, rasps, rifflers, dremel, chisels, sandpaper, etc. Basically anything you would use on wood. I can’t remember the technical name of a tool that worked really well for me – it looked like a hand plane, but the underside cutting edge looked like a cheese grater. You probably know what I’m talking about. Use a regular wood handsaw to make the big profile cuts.

3. Wear a paper mask. This stuff generates a lot of dust, and you don’t want to breathe it.

4. Use some kind of cushion underneath the work when chiseling. This is true for working on any kind of stone. I cut off some old jeans pants legs, filled them with sand, and sewed up the ends. I set the blocks on these when working.

5. Don’t go out on a limb with thin projections or thin sharp edges in your design. Just keep the Tiki a little on the chunky side, and you won’t have to worry about pieces chipping or breaking off. Anything along the line of what I’ve got posted here should hold up fine. And no, it won’t crumble in your hands.

6. Use sandpaper all over when its done. This will clean it up nice, give it a super smooth finish, and erase any chisel marks. Put a coat of off-the-shelf concrete sealer on it when you’re finished. This will brighten it up and harden the surface somewhat. Then you won’t have to worry about it getting wet.

I think these can go in the garden or Lanai, but you may want to keep them in the house. They probably won’t compare to a JASCO coated wooden tiki for longevity if you put them outside. I’m not sure how they will stand up to being peed on by the dog & bombarded with sprinklers.

There is a manufacturer of AAC located in Wisconsin.

Masa-USA, LLC
2231 Holmgren Way
Green Bay, Wisconsin 54304
Phone: 800-284-5507
Fax: 920-497-0389

I’d call them & see who their distributors are, or if you can “will call” some from the factory. Tell them you are a carver & see if you can get a partial pallete or a few blocks. Or, make a TC posting to see if anyone local wants to go in on a palette. I think a palette is about 40 blocks, so it may be more than you need or want. I know my wife was not thrilled when I dumped a palette in the middle of our garage floor!

Good Luck! Make sure and post.

GO PACKERS!!!