made of stone

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hey capo..the pix are small.. but from what i can tell, :squinting: awesome.. follow the instructions in Posting Pix. make sure you click on your own picture in shutterfly to make it big!

so, those are carved from stone? how big? how long does that process take?

elicia

I create tiki with mortar over a wire frame.I do most of the detail when the mortar is wet,some sanding and then texture and paint with enamel.they are hollow so they are no too heavy,the wire frame make them strong like the ox.

holy crap (and i say that in a good way)..those are very very cool.

thanks for fixing the pictures. awesome.

Welcome aboard Capo. That gang of Tiki's that you created look really cool. Were you at the Tiki Beach Festival this year? I think I saw you there. Keep up the great work and keep on posting pics.
Later,
Spermy

Yes Welcome to TC, com on in and stay awhile.
Really cool tikis, we don't see to many stone or cement ones around. Yours are Nice. Show us some more

I have some new tikis that I need to photograph .I will do it just for you!

sorry spermy I was rude not to respond.I was at long beach.Very nice day,very nice people.I was sorry I was not able to be there on sunday.

Very nice work, Capo. Welcome!

Very very nice Capo!!! Welcome to TC.

Does the wire framing have paper behind it to capture the mud? I have been getting experienced with vertical application of Portland cement lately and have a new found respect for anyone that has mastered it.

Those are awesome Tiki my friend.

Can't wait to see the new ones

Mahalo

tHE sQUINTS R GrEAt

ThANks fOr Sharin

What does one weigh. 50lb 100lb more?

How thick is the mortor.

Ever try molds...someone approached me about trying with mine.

Nice Work!

very nice capotiki, that is the method that i envision to use someday: i want to build a 6' tall maoi in my backyard. could you post photographs of the process using the wire, mortar etc? mahalo! j$

They look really cool. Got a really nice patina on em. Would love to see some construction process photos. That gang pic looks sweet

looks awesome. keep up the good work!

Those are killer- Nice work!!

It has taken several years to fine tune the process.Yes there is paper behind the wire.Get yourself a tube/pvc or paper tube wrap it in black paper and wire.Now completely cover tube with mortar the dryer the better,too much water in the mortar will cause problems later.Now the fun begins!Get your favorite pocket knife and start sculpting,thats what I did for my first 30 or so tikis ,I have made some tools now that work great.I have been sculpting with mortar for several years, wanted tikis for my house so I applied my skill towards tikis.I would suggest trying a small project,maybe a 6 inch tube,20 inches tall or so.Expect to spend a couple of hours to complete,after you start there is no stopping,mortar only gives you so much time to work.After a couple days drying do some light sanding with the toughest 60 grit you can find.(When the mortar is dry it will be completely white),do not sand too early or it may chip off chunks.I would use a concrete sealer,I also texture the concrete,but on moa head sealer will be ok,it comes in several different colors.Then paint with enamel spray paint then you can remove some paint with thinner on a rag,start rubbing and replying to get the finish you want.The largest tiki I have made is 50 inches or so and is only 75 lbs.Good luck.capotiki

I have to say that those are some of the nicest cement tikis. Such detail. I make cement tikis too. I'm probably done for the year but will be back to doing it next year.

You sand to make it smooth?

Teakey most definitely sand,but I have a secret sauce that I texture the tiki with,also try using a paint brush and water on the mortar after it sets for 1/2 hour or so,use a fine natural fiber brush.That will remove most of the sharp edges making the sanding mush easier.

[ Edited by: capotiki 2005-10-03 09:40 ]

WOW!! Amazing tikis.

I took photos of the process I go thru to sculpt.50 inch lono tiki statue.I will try to have them posted soon.Thanks for all the great feedback.If anyone visits tiki farm Holden has let me display a tiki there.He is one hell of a guy! The tiki is kane tiki and he one of my best so far.I plan on creating something special for him.

Thank you for sharing the process bro. We had some serious revelations in working with the portland/sand mix for the waterfall after it has set for about an hour or a little more. We were moving around and making it look so real "rock-like" (You see, there are no rocks, boulders, etc. in Florida so you have to improvise! )Anyways, I can identify with what your process is about. We bought a mixer recently and life has changed as far as energy expended vs output. Hand mixing is harsh when it comes to portland. It's F'n Clay! try mixing it by hand. Andin order to go vertical, it has to be mixed dry. Too wet and it comes tumbling down when you least expect. This is sorta fun, but, I miss carving.

Mahaloz brudda.

You goin to Hukilau?

I always mix by hand,I have a better control of the mortar as far as controlling moisture content.Most of my tikis weigh 50 to 75 lbs,not too much mixing to do.It is good for the soul,no power necessary.

NEATO! I've seen folks use foam on wire, but cement....now that is cool. I bet they are Florida weatherproof too, aye? Beatiful designs. Thanks for posting them. Can't wait to see your lono.

-Gman

I will post the completed picture soon!He is now ready for painting.

capotiki-
Very nice, another fine tiki artist!!
Is that a sonic tube under the wire mesh or pvc?

sonic tube,8 inches in diameter

Very cool! Fresh designs...unique. I'll never try that stuff, I'll leave it up to you professionals! Thanks for sharing, and welcome.

[ Edited by: capotiki 2005-10-06 21:32 ]

Capotiki-
Is it cool if Annie & I try making a Moai out of mortor using your framing technic? We would love to have a Tiki we could leave outside all winter long. The rest of the guys will stay in the warm house with us. :)
Let me know if it's alright with you and we will post our progress photo's.
Thanks!
Annie & Wesley

The world is good-natured to people who are good natured.

• William Thackeray

[ Edited by: Moondance 2005-09-16 12:04 ]

Go for it!I hope more try also,I am looking forward to seeing the results.

Capotiki-
I have a 8", 10" & 14" tubes ready to rock! I'm going to take photo's as I go. I've decided to do the 10" X 48" first. I'll take photos tonight to show you my progress.
How do you attach the wire to the tube. I was thinking that I can drill the tube and run wire through it to attach. Also I two sizes of wire, small square and chicken wire. Thank you Capo!
Wes

I would use the chicken wire,what I use is 20 gauge wire with 1 inch hole.I wrap the tube by rolling the wire around the tube completely 2 times.Take pliers,and bend the cut edge of the wire back under the inner wire wrap and secure it that way,no need to drill.You can go around the tube tightening the wire by bending with pliers,just grab a section of wire and turn your wrist.Your wire can be loose but you do not want it to move on the tube.Have fun!After you get the tube covered with mortar make some reference lines and start sculpting,

Capotiki, your process is great, thanks for sharing it with us. You make it look so easy. The finish you use is really interesting as it almost looks like fired clay. Love it.

I see, I was thinking I needed to use a harder, firmer wire so I could have more dimension to the Moai. I'll take photos of what I have so far.
Wes
I tend to over think projects at times, in fact all of the time.

you could add more wire to build up the face,the smaller the hole in the wire the better it holds the mud.When you are building,build in layers,adding more as the mortar sets.even out with a paint brush and water. The nose will take the most time as far as building up layers,go slow,and have fun!capotiki

there is a balance too. the smaller the holes in the wire, the harder it is to bend in 360 degree ways.

Here's what I have so far:

I'll post tonights progress tomorrow, now it's back to work.
Wes

I see where you are going,I might have put wire around the tube first and then added foam and more wire,it would cut your prep time down,you could just wire the foam to the wire on the tube.aw some engineering,waiting for progress photos.capo

Capotiki-
I used the foam as a guide, so it made it easier to wrap. The foam was applied with 3M spray glue. I'm kind of doing it this way so I can learn more with emphasis to dimension. I assume this is the long way to getting close to the same results but I didn't want to bug you about all aspects of your creative process. I very much appreciate all of your guidance and insight. Thanks again and I'll post photos after I get home from work. I need to get some sleep. This work thing is getting in the way Tiki's.
Wesley

There is a learning curve to any process,most of the dimension I get is mainly from the mortar not the wire.add, let it set,add some more.With your determination and planning I am sure the final result will be great.I am going to build a baseball theme tiki today so challenges await me as well,I will always help when I can.capo

After each coat, except for the final coat do I scratch the surface to allow the next coat to adhere to the previous coat? Thanks again Capo!
Wes

No scratching necessary,you will get a feel for the mud,the moisture in the mortar will cause the new and old to bond ,just work the new into old not using too much pressure,with the inner wire structure you created the process may go faster.IF something does not look correct remove it and start over.What type of tool are you using to apply with.use something with a flat nose and 2 or 3 inches wide.
capo

Capo-
I was thinking a small margin trowel. About 2" wide by 4" long. Do you think that would work?
Wes

6 inches long would work better,that is my preference.

6" it is then, Thanks for the guidance.
Wes

Here are the finished photo's of the wiring process:

This what the center looks like with the aluminum wire ties

No work tomorrow and the weather will cooperate. Time to make the mortar.
Wes

How close is the wire to the tube?You want some mud to be between the tube and the wire for best results.IF the wire is very tight on the tube the mortar might not want to stick.I normally use 2 layers of wire,the top being looser the inner wire.The wire is the frame that supports and strengthens the mortar.