Post #162277 by ModMana on Mon, May 30, 2005 12:44 AM

This was one of the coolest events that I've been to since becoming involved with TC! A big mahalo to Al & Shelly for once again coming through as the ultimate hosts. I also have to say that it was incredibly generous of the carvers to share their wisdom and secrets (as well as their logs and tools). Thanks expecially to Tiki Diablo, Bosko, Monkeyman, and Polynesian Pop for going above and beyond to make this a great learning experience for all.

I was genuinely inspired by this hands-on experience. I sat back and watched the carvers during the afternoon. Then, after dark when I thought no one was looking, I started hacking away on one of the tikis (thanks Adrian!). Well, surprisingly it seemed to come fairly naturally to me after many of the mysteries and techniques had been revealed.

So, this morning I actually went out and tried to buy some carving tools! Unfortunately, the deal that a couple of people mentioned to me seems to have disappeared. Apparently there was a great price on a large quality set of chisels at Costco. Well, they don't have them anymore at the store near me. Does anyone know of any current good deals on decent quality tools? I have a limited budget at the moment but would like to get started while I have the time and inspiration. Actually, I'm sure what I really need to do is start sifting through the "Creating Tiki" threads for this info.

Oh, and I also found out that my wife's cousin, who came with us to the carving seminar, is quite an accomplished carver in his own right. Look out if he ever gets serious about tiki carving, he has an incredible wealth of knowledge, talent, and skill.

Looking forward to learning more at the next one...

ModMana :drink: