Does anyone have experience carving Ice? - Tiki Carving

UL Uncle Laffo Member Atlanta Joined: Sep 18, 2007 Posts: 76	UL Uncle Laffo Posted posted on Tue, Dec 25, 2007 11:54 PM I just saw this, sorry I didn't see it earlier. I've carved ice as part of catering gigs. Most folks have to do it at one time if they've had any Culinary Schooling, as I have no Schooling and was the Art Guy I got picked to do it. Commercial Ice is the best for carving, as it's vibrated as it freezes and you get a super hard, super clear block. I gather Outdoor Ice Sculpting shows are like Sand Sculpting Shows, as in the Ice is not just found Ice, any more than the Sand is just found Sand. I know the Sand goes through a ton of grooming before it's packed with Tampers and sometimes Steam Rollers. I used an electric turkey knife, wood rasps, electric chain saws and stiff putty knifes. I always had a hot plate with a pot of water on it that I dropped the blades of some of the tools in to give a polished surface. Got sick of buying carving ice so got whatever plastic containers I could find of any size, and cut a 1/3 of the container away. Reattached it with a hot glue gun on the outside of the container. Got an old electric drill, put a long bit in it, Duct Taped a piece of scrap wood to it, set the trigger button and let it smack the container all night. Instant hard ice. You can pull the Hot Glue away with the panel and it makes it easier to get the bastard outta your mold. A piece of rope frozen in the top helps too. As far as being too cold to carve, I dunno, I live in Georgia. Laffo

I just saw this, sorry I didn't see it earlier. I've carved ice as part of catering gigs. Most folks have to do it at one time if they've had any Culinary Schooling, as I have no Schooling and was the Art Guy I got picked to do it. Commercial Ice is the best for carving, as it's vibrated as it freezes and you get a super hard, super clear block. I gather Outdoor Ice Sculpting shows are like Sand Sculpting Shows, as in the Ice is not just found Ice, any more than the Sand is just found Sand. I know the Sand goes through a ton of grooming before it's packed with Tampers and sometimes Steam Rollers. I used an electric turkey knife, wood rasps, electric chain saws and stiff putty knifes. I always had a hot plate with a pot of water on it that I dropped the blades of some of the tools in to give a polished surface. Got sick of buying carving ice so got whatever plastic containers I could find of any size, and cut a 1/3 of the container away. Reattached it with a hot glue gun on the outside of the container. Got an old electric drill, put a long bit in it, Duct Taped a piece of scrap wood to it, set the trigger button and let it smack the container all night. Instant hard ice. You can pull the Hot Glue away with the panel and it makes it easier to get the bastard outta your mold. A piece of rope frozen in the top helps too.
As far as being too cold to carve, I dunno, I live in Georgia.
Laffo

Post #351249 by Uncle Laffo on Tue, Dec 25, 2007 11:54 PM