Post #184276 by Basement Kahuna on Sun, Sep 4, 2005 10:16 AM

Well, folks...I'm baaaacckk. fixing to light into my first log in two years. Here's a few photos of stuff I use, and I'll post a step by step, hack job or no :) I work in the great outdoors now, no more workshop, and have my kit down to a fairly portable form, utilizing a couple of old 747 galley cases. In the first photo we see lots and lots of chisels. Suffice it to say, one does not need this many chisels to carve tikis. A lot of these are one trick ponies, so you won't use them often in the carving process. The second shot is a close-up of the row of chisels I most often use, which are old straight gouges, shallow gouges, and a few parting tools ("V" gouges) and spoon gouges. Many of these are old ones I have found in my antique travels, some are new. I prefer Henry Taylor chisels for the new ones. The third photo is of a wet wheel sharpener I use, which basically is like an electric wetstone that continually revolves through an oil bath. But any old hardware store wetstone will do. I'd have a piece of leather around usually to strop tools with. The fourth is templates, and lord, I use tons of them . A simple cut-out cardboard template is the best friend of symmetry. I make one for eyes, legs, and nose on a tiki. Simply trace off one side, flip it obverse and trace off the other side, and viola, you have instant carbon-copy symmetry from side to side. The fifth photo is where I'll be carving. Namely my backyard in Athens, Ga. Mosquito repellent in tow...One can spend a lot more time doing the Samoan Slap Dance than carving around here without it!