Post #324044 by Paipo on Wed, Aug 8, 2007 4:46 AM

Cheers to all once again! I had little idea where this piece was going during most of the carving process and it really didn't work itself out til right near the finish. One of the problems that comes from doing virtually no drawing I guess. Anyway, I've always had a thing for skulls and bones, well before I was into carving and tiki, and I envisage more darker themed pieces coming soon. I know there are a lot of other tiki people that are also into horror and monsters in a big way.
Tool/technique wise - just the diamond burrs again on this piece, with a whisper of sandblasting to smooth out a few scratches. I used to go over a lot of my pieces with the fine burrs but don't bother these days as most of the shapes I use don't come in that grit. It's a matter of reducing the revs and pressure to minimise the toolmarks. The right stone will actually start to shine if you go over it enough times - the Hua Moa almost looked polished when I finished. Patience and obsession help too!
For the "machined" lines...a fresh burr, lots of revs and water, cut hard and steady, and don't stop til you get to the end of the line...