BENZART's Carvings Second original thread

John, Thanks, that is Awesome. I'll begin gathering parts right away.

That sucks that he broke Ben, but I'm sure you'll find a place for him or a different look so he'll never die.
I been as busy as ever with home, family and garage projects the past year and haven't checked in a while. But I've been looking over your post here and was struck by something that was always there but I never picked up on.
I guess it could be called "balance". And I don't mean the symmetry that all tikis have from side to side, but more of a harmony between all features and parts with no single thing overwhelming the tiki and standing out. The whole idea relaying as one.
I learned to try for this in school, and I know Japanese bamboo painters work for a sense of it.
But you seem to just have a knack for it.
Is it something you work on?
That last Ebony tiki is just in balance from its head to broken toes! Awesome as ever.
Thanks.

Tikis it seems, suffer like the rest of us. It's a good thing he has an excellent surgean. Patch him up Dr. Ben.

The strange thing is that our tikis have a presence about them that is almost human but not quite, Even tho we don't impart human feelings for them, we Almost to to a point. When one takes ownership of his tiki it becomes part of the family and an accident happening to it can be emotionally devastating."Han he be repaired"..."can we find the lowlife who stole him?" Wow his whole head is burned off I guess we'll have to bury him, can we do that?"
They are only tikis and we can do whatever we want to with them. I'm Fixing this guy and I'm sending Moondance a replacement.
I almost made plans for a service for him???
Thanks everyone, Very much because what ever I would have decided to do, you would have gone along with, sincerely too!
I Love you guys and gals too.

A lot can happen in a couple of days. That was terrible news. I think you can make the 6 million dollar tang thing work.
JP

Ben-
Just wondering, is the injured Tang going to lose his number(66)?
moon

retire his number, send it to the rafters

John,
That was cool!
Moon

Thats a fair question and I am not sure what I will do there. I may fix it and keep it so I have one. If you Want the #66 on the new one I can do that either way?
Thanks John, that was a Cool retirement photo.
JohnnyP, I Love the 6 Million $ Tang, that's too cool, too
Mahalos

I was voting for the other John's 6 million dollar man concept. He's good with photoshop!!!

Where did you go Ben??
moon

SOrry I am getting a bit behind, the first really cold spell usually gives me the first cold of the season. Hopefully I will feel better one of these dayz

On 2005-12-13 19:56, Benzart wrote:
SOrry I am getting a bit behind, the first really cold spell usually gives me the first cold of the season. Hopefully I will feel better one of these dayz

Yo Yo Benzo-

The Boo Dust is on it's way!! Sniff a tiny bit and you are good to go for weeks! Ancient Chinese Secret!!!

Ben,

Hope you feel better soon. We need you out here. TC/Creating is a totally different place without your participation. I hope the Boo dust does the trick (if it does, send me some!)

-Gman

I'll be right back jack, worry none. Jes a few details I gotta get moved outta the way.

I hope you are feeling much better Ben.
moon

Great stuff bruddah ben! One question, are you using rotary tools or doing da kine carving by hand with small gravers and knives? Looks pono brah! I know how hard it can be to go so small in scale and your carvings are absolutley nani brah! Have you ever used any hawaiian hard woods for your work? There is a lot of great materials out there (Im sure you know!) like mango wood, mac nut wood, kamani, milo and of course Koa...

Keep up da good work bruddah!

Thanks Moondance, I'm feelin better already. did an hours worth of play in the garage today. Bandsawed out the new Tang.

Kaha Ki'i, thanks for the kind words . I use any tool I can find to remove wood I use the flexshaft with jewelers tools, knives, files, sanders, you name it and i use it to get that bit of wood out of the way. Nice seeing your small stuff too.

I have repaired the broken legs and I don't think the Tang will have a Limp.He should be fairly normal and can assume normal Tiki Activities.





I have given Moondance the option of having this #66 or the next one. I feel it is only fair to offer it to him first.

Ben,

The fix looks great! I bet Moondance will jump at the chance to take him in and complete his rehab. Great job. How did you do it? I can't even see where it happened.

-Gman

Ben-
I sent you a PM. I'll be very happy with #66, especially with all the attention you have given him. I'll give him a good home. We had to put our Great Dane (11 years) to sleep Thursday and the Tang will bring some happiness to us.
wesley

Ben,
You're the master even with a disaster. The fix looks great even with your wonderful close up photography skills.

JP

Thanks everyone and Dancer, really sad to hear about the loss of a dear family member. I Know it hurts just as if they were people.
I drilled through his heels into his legs and turned a bamboo toothpick down to the correct size. Then I glued them in place with an overnight clamp. Then I shaped the sticks and applied black perminent marker to the pegs. Then I buffed and waxed him up. If you wear him around, he may need an occasionalbuff with a soft cloth, or maybe shoe polish, or car wax or anything else that has wax in it.
I'm sure Mr Tang is
HappyHappyHappy!

Damn dude, cant see the fracture at all! Thats dead set incredible!

He is more like a real boy. Broken leg and all.

What break?

Great job.

I can't believe he was ever broken! Wonderful job, Ben! The coloring on that piece still blows me away. Beautiful.

Thanks everyone. There was a break there asn both feet had snapped off. Being Black ebony it is very hard, but brittle at the same time. He's fixed, not like how you would "Fix" a dog though. That black is the true color of the wood.
Time to work on ONE more BigBEnz before the new year.
What Will It BE?????Any suggestions? I have lots of palm logs around 4 to5 ft tall some thin and some big. I have a coconutabout 6-7 ft that has the headdress half curving away from the wall so I can hollow out the bottom and make the headdress thin and light.When I wake up tomorrow, I will expect to see a decision made and I will start on that decision. Whoevers decision wins gets a door prize

Ben,

May I suggest a big Ku with a headress that comes down at least to the middle of the back (or further)?

OR, one like the small Benz you recently sold (#61) that had the curved headress. I likes that one lots!

-Gman

"The saw is family"

[ Edited by: GMAN 2005-12-22 19:43 ]

[ Edited by: GMAN 2005-12-23 18:46 ]

it's such an exciting proposition that I can't think....how about a miniature of one of your
Tropicana tikis?

MARQ !

This one from the field museum!!

photo courtsey of ManoKoa.

We took pictures of the same one when we were there in October, but his came out much better.
Our pictures

Can't wait to see what you decide on!!
Aloha

I guess GMAN wins with the big version of the small Lono with a curved headdress. The 1 Coconut palm I have is the curved one.Good part of the log is only 4 1/2 ft tall and it is thin so That one it will be. Actually that was first on my list for awhile.
Ono, I Really love that tiki of yours too, do you have any other pic's of it as well, or does Anyone have more pix of it. I would really love to do that one too.
GMAN, I'll come up with something for a doorprize, or just a prize I guess.
Here is the beginning of the tiki.

Dang, you work fast.. that one will be awsome..

Wow, Ben. I somehow missed Tang's misadventure, but I see you fixed him up well. He looks great!

I'm glad you're doing another BigBenz...looking forward to seeing how he comes along. That Maori from Hukilau that ended up with Ona is one of my favorite carvings ever...he looks so mean!

Thanks again for letting us watch your process.

Josh
http://www.whollycatsband.com

Benz,

That piece of wood fits that tiki style perfectly. I'm glad you decided to do another one of those in a BigBenz. There is a VERY BigBenz like that laying down on your website...with you standing over it with a chainsaw if I remember correctly. Also, that small carving you finished up recently was wicked nice. Actually, I would call it "slobberific". I can't wait to see how this BigBenz takes shape and comes alive. Hopefully I can see this one in person at the Florida Tiki Jam. He looks great already! Have fun and please post lots of pics for us termites!!!

-Gman

How about one like the one you did in zebra wood (I think) with the thin front view of the face.

Raffer, I wonder how big I could do one of those guys. He Will be neaat.

Here is todays update. 2 days to rough out most of the headdress

Probably will not work on him a few days. Merry Christmas to All

WOW!!! You're getting so fast on these big guys!!

Can't wait to see him all done.
Mele Kalikimaka!!!

Benz,

It looks great! The curve in that wood really makes that headress look wild. I really like the chin/head/design of #61. The geometric shapes on the headress base were really neat too. Are you gonna do something like that with this one? I hope Santa is good to you....

-Gman

Thanks Moki, It doesn't seem like I'm going all that fast at all. This is the third days update and I still have a ways to go on the headdress.

Gman thanks to you too. Yes this guy will share some of the design eatures from that little Lono you were talking about.

Heres the latest update. With the forward sweep of the headdress I still have to partially carry it around the back so it looks right and I had not counted on that so there are another 2 days and that may finish the top.

[ Edited by: Benzart 2005-12-26 09:41 ]

Ben,

That looks wicked! Can't wait for the next update :)

Thanks for posting all the step by steps. I keep going back and forth between your steps trying to learn as much as possible. Can't wait to see the end result.
JP

Wow Ben! !!!!!That curvature is awesome!!!!!!! You'd better send it to me as it is not straight enough for tiki conventional posture standards. I will tend to him until he's fully rehabilitated....; )

Thanks GMAN and Johnny, and you too McTiki!
McTiki, was that YOU in the news paper doing a Manatee and dolphins for your Community? SCORE, Nice job, Post it if you can.
Meanwhile yes this guy needs a chiropractor to straighten out his back, any body know one who works on Tiki??

How does one describe THAT SMELL of the semi wet palm trunk?

also, Benz Rocks!

If time allows in the next few daze in Vegas, I'll go raise some hell at the Trop and try to get some answers. If not, I'll put my client on the task.

I never get tired of seeig tikis emerge from wood, especially when Benzart is letting them out.