Post #141704 by Aaron's Akua on Wed, Feb 16, 2005 9:06 PM

Chucko, welcome to TC. Check out the "Carving Post" (The locked post at the top of this forum). It's a pretty long read though, and will take you a while.

For some more condensed carving tips, try BK's "Tiki Carving Methodolgy" post:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=6426&forum=7&59

Also make sure that your chisels are nice and sharp for fan palm (or any wood) carving. Check this post for some good tips on this:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=8722&forum=7&21

Fan palm stays wet for a long time. Even if it looks fully cured on the outside, it can still be pretty damp towards the middle.

It is very fibery and tends to shred, especially if your tools are a little dull. It may look pretty ugly when you're in the middle of carving, but should sand up nice after the exposed parts have dried up some. After you've done all of your chisel work, sand with 60 grit, then 100, then maybe 150 grit if you want for the finishing touch (may be overkill, though). Don't worry if a little mold forms, and it may smell a little funky too. Use some stain if you like. Varnish or polyurethane will seal it and take care of the smell when you're finished.

Good luck! Post lots of pics and ask questions as you go.

A-A