TikiGap's thread - Tiki 20 and other travels - Page 22

This is dumb...sorry. My pictures got canned by verizon when I quit them...

[ Edited by: tikigap 2009-10-27 15:11 ]

nice start Tikigap...I am still pretty much a beginner as far as tools are concerned....
but I would recommend a nice starter set of good chisels. I bought a couple sets of
Flexcut chisels fromm Mountain Heritage Crafters....www.mhc-online.com.....
and I can't believe what a pleasure they are to work with. For big stuff...I really like
their four piece set of Sculptor Chisels. I think better chisels really improved my
results....or at least my perception of the results. Good luck and welcome aboard.

read , read ,read and read some more. There are lots of great threads here with advice from some of the best and most talented carvers and artist around. Welocome aboard , there is no cure for your new found disease.

And read anything that Benzart has written.

Definitely nice first tiki, tikigap. You have been bitten pretty badly and the only cure is to carv more and more tiki. Go to the "Tools Carvers use" thread HERE
You will find Many answers there and many tools to think about. Look over the "Creating" forum and you will always find tool refrences scattered about .
WELCOME to TC, glad to have you here.

Thanks guys - I should have searched for tools on the site before posting the last thread. What a great resource! There really is all the information here. Thanks for the hospitality and for letting me in...! And thanks for the kind words about my early tiki endeavors. Now off to the 'net to buy some better tools! I think I'll make a mai-tai first.

TikiGap

very cool carving job on that piece.

Hey bro - that's a nice first carving and welcome to TC

YOu may want to search for other wood to use other than treated wood. The dust is highly toxic when sanding, and with a start like that tiki I have a feeling that you will be carving and sharing many more. I understand that the wood has a good lasting life outside (especially in an area like DC), but you can treat regular wood with many different types of sealants after the carving is done (like marine epoxy - which is also toxic, but there are less airborn particles)

Keep carving, keep searching tc for information and ask any questions you may have - we are happy to help.

I look forward to what's next...
PS - mind the tikigap! :)

POLYNESIAC - putting the 'F' back in ART

[ Edited by: Polynesiac 2006-01-22 15:34 ]

GREAT tiki fresh outa the brain! I can't wait to see some that you put a long effort into! You've got the artist's eye, I've gotta draw up all kinds of pictures first...soon I'll try one without a sketch. Can't wait to see an 8 footer. What kind of wood you gonna use?

Thats a great lookin tiki, especially for a second carving - sweet. Haha, you got the bug bad, it only deepens from hereon in. Welcome to the rabbit hole Alice... :)

Advice,
As has been said, Don't carve with pressure treated.

Look up any thread started by Benzart!

Great form though! Look forward to seeing more.

JP

Thanks to all for the leads and advice... I won't carve any more PT wood... I carved the one above (and this one, it's mate, which is still in progress) out of PT because I had it laying around and it was a good piece to get started on with learning how to use my cheezy tools! I found out how toxic it is by reading this and other forums, so I'm using a respirator while carving this junk wood...

Here's a progress picture of #3 - just the legs, arms, hands, and boobs are started. No neck or head yet. It's hard to correct a mistake with a 4x4... I originally forgot to put hands on it, (so it would look like the mate to tiki#2).

[ Edited by: tikigap 2006-08-25 07:41 ]

Looks like you might be able to have his arms folded over his chest. Looks like a Tall headdress coming up. I Love it so far.

Right you are Ben - A very tall headdress is coming! I like the arms-folded-over-the-chest concept - But perhaps I've alreay taken out too much cleavage, I think. As it is now, I've got the hands just covering the nipples a little. I should have thought that out more before putting blade to wood.

By the way, Is it "ok" to glue something back on if you were to slip with the knife? I guess it depends on how big a piece comes off accidentally, but I'm wondering what a real wood carver would do. Is that against the "rules" per se?

I know if I was paying for a tiki and the carver glued something back on, I'd be a little disappointed. However, if you do a good job, they might never know it. Reference your ebony tiki with broken legs! That was a fantastic repair job you did on that. I even enlarged your pictures a little to see if I could see where the break was, and I could not... again, good job!

And again, thanks so much for your ideas and critiques.

Greg

I had a chunk of an eye splinter off on the one I'm currently working on and I glued it back on. If it's a clean break, and you can glue it cleanly, I say go for it. If you're looking to sell the tiki, I'd be inclined to agree, that might be a little disappointing. I second what others have said on here-- listen to anything that Benzart has to say!

Ok, I finished tiki #3 (the female), and now I'm done forever with pressure treated wood. I disliked the wood so much I felt like I had to paint it, so I did, with flat-black spray paint (UGH!). I discovered that every time someone touched it, it would leave fingerprints, so I buffed it with a piece of leather, and it turned out shiny, and not prone to fingerprints, much to my surprise! No more black paint and no more PT! For me, It WAS a good learning thing though. There, that feels better. Next I'm going to try some bigger stuff.

[ Edited by: tikigap 2009-10-27 15:12 ]

Tiki # 4 rough out. This one is for a guy I know that just built a 'regular' bar in his basement (I tried to convince him to make a tiki bar, but he wasn't interested). He got a pool table to put down there, and he's follically challenged (bald). So I thought I would make him a little tiki whether he wants one or not, to put in the bar somewhere. The tiki is bald, holding a que stick, and has 2 pool balls for his hind end. I thought of making the tiki have 8 balls, but the wood wasn't big enuf :wink:

This time it's made of pretty good wood (red oak I think), but it has that bad gash down the face. I hope it stays together enough to give it to the guy when I'm done, so he can use it for firewood or something. Still learning - got better wood this time, and much better tools (got some new flex cuts and a hook knife!).

I'm calling him ELFTiki (the receiver's initials are 'ELF').

I guess it's a little more than roughed out, but there's obviously a lot of work to go. I was thinking about imbedding red leds in his eyes, and running a wire through him to a 9 volt battery and switch setup. Any suggestions would be very welcome...

Pictures are gone, sorry. I dumped verizon and they dumped my pictures.

[ Edited by: tikigap 2009-10-27 15:10 ]

Another update. The receiver has had some serious back surgery, so I added a copper plate back there. If you look closely, you can see some hair I put on him... it doesn't show well with the light here.

see http://mysite.verizon.net/gapearce/tiki4.htm for progess pictures, thanks.

[ Edited by: tikigap 2006-09-27 19:41 ]

Gap, PT wood is a a pain in more ways than one. Hard as hell and toxic. Check out some lumber supply stores for large cedar or redwood posts, they have a natural resistance to bugs, weather etc. along w/a sealer and good top coats should last for yrars and easier to carve.

Tikigap, I'd say you are making steady progress. Like someone said earlier, you have a good "Artistic" eye. The rest will follow with knowledge of tools and how you use them.
This guy shows a lot of imagination, I Love it.

Thom - thanks for the advice - I initially used PT as a 'test' because I had it laying around... then out popped a couple of carvings! (If you call them that...). So I kept at it. But nevermore!

Benzart - thanks for looking - I can't tell you how much your guidance and encouragement means to me (and I'm sure all else in this forum). I just can't wait for coontiki to come around! I'm very much looking forward to meeting you and I hope some of your talent-dust rubs off on me!

Thanks again everyone... my next tiki will be a real log - no more lumber.

[ Edited by: tikigap 2006-02-27 06:55 ]

see http://mysite.verizon.net/gapearce/tiki4.htm for progess pictures, thanks.

[ Edited by: tikigap 2006-09-27 19:42 ]

Those eyes in the dark sockets just make the piece. The back hardware was a nice personal touch.
JP

Thanks JP - I got the eyes from flashingblinkylights.com - these are the 'flashing rings'. They change colors and are pretty cool - and cheap. I cut the ring part off. I had to buy 25 though - so I have 23 left!

He's done. Except for the base - he falls over too easily. I'm making a base now out of some curly maple - it's beautiful wood...

see http://mysite.verizon.net/gapearce/tiki4.htm for progess pictures, thanks.

[ Edited by: tikigap 2006-09-27 19:42 ]

Tikigap,

Nice job on that. Are the eyes different colors? One of the pics looked like they were different. Cool idea and a nice clean job. Assemble that bad boy and use what you learned to make your next one even better. Post pics of him all together, if you can.

-Gman

Hey GMAN! Thanks for lookin'!

The eyes 'rotate' colors - red, green, blue. They have a watch battery behind 'em. They are random in their color selection. Sometimes it seems that if you turn 'em both on at the same time, then they are in synch. This may be an artifact from my youth, however.

I just put him together (couldnt wait!), so here it is:

[ Edited by: tikigap 2006-08-25 07:45 ]

Tikigap,

That is so freaking kool! Man, I want one! I bet those eyes are great in a darkish room. Your friend is very lucky - He's getting a Tikigap original - one of the first available. It's gonna be worth big bucks one day!

I'll check back here often. I hope your next project is as cool or cooler. Whattaya have in mind?

-Gman

The wahini says "don't paint the letters", so that's that.

GMAN. Thanks. I really appreciate it.

This one's in the bag!

Somebody asked how long I've been carving...CONFESSION: I picked up carving because I need something to do with my hands since I quit smokin' 74 days ago.

What do I have in mind? I'm now in research mode, until I go to Coon Tiki and learn how to really carve. That's in April. (READ: I'm outta wood).

Then I'll go up to the farm and get a bunch of dead-and-down black walnut, I hope.

[ Edited by: tikigap 2006-03-02 09:33 ]

Hey Tikigap...this guy knocks me out...i laugh everytime i look at the eyes...and i like laughing.
great design....it could be the alcohol and the fact that i'm home alone...but i dig that tiki.

Hey - Thanks Conga!

[ Edited by: tikigap 2006-02-27 06:57 ]

Here's the next project - something small to try out some new Flexcut tools in preparation for Coon Tiki next month. He is 'paddle man', modeled after a petroglyph on Kilauea in Hawaii.

[ Edited by: tikigap 2006-08-25 07:43 ]

That's a neat idea. You could do a bunch of different ones, like the turtle and canoe!
JP

TG, I Love your little PAddle man, that is Way Cool and Nice job of it too!

yeah i'm a fan of the paddle man as well. It's, dare i say....Sleek and sexy? Small and cute! I love it. The ELF tiki was funny as well, although the 2nd tiki you created is my personal favorite, it just has that polynesian feel to it. Keep up the good work, man!

Finished!

PS: No power tools were harmed in this project. It was only a hook knife and a coping saw.

Actually, I guess I hit it with a dremel brush, just to sort of dust it off...but I didn't hurt the brush

[ Edited by: tikigap 2006-09-27 19:44 ]

This is Spearman. He's the companion to Paddleman. Another petroglyph in Hawaii. He's not done yet, but there is some progress. Take a look please, and I'd appreciate some guidance on sanding. Should I sand it at all, or leave him 'au natural' with chisel marks? It's hard to see in these pictures, but he's really quite smooth. When I stain and poly the walnut, I hope to see more detail in the pictures.

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/gapster/tiki6.htm

Thanks for any comments...

[ Edited by: tikigap 2006-03-07 10:21 ]

very cool. You're a skilled craftsman. Anyways i made one of my latest tiki minis in your honor so take a look at it sometime. :D

Thanks Pocky! I'm honored!

[ Edited by: tikigap 2006-03-06 18:47 ]

hehe you're welcome! You've just been one of many members on this site who's been extremely welcoming and you're considered pretty much a new Tiki contact if i need help with anything. (if thats ok with you) lol.

Of course and thanks again!

Tikigap, I don't know how I missed this "Spear man" but he is really cool. I hope you are going to do a whole series on these Petroglyphs, as you have already done 2 more than anyone else ever did, I think. I would have sanded it before the sealer, using a rotary sanding bit for the flexshaft, although the chance for the tool to destroy such a delicate piece is about 98%, so you would have to be careful. Really neat! I can't wait to see the whole set of what, 500 pieces??.

On 2006-03-07 13:07, Benzart wrote:
I can't wait to see the whole set of what, 500 pieces??.

Wow! That's a challenge for sure! I have a few ideas for a 'few' more... Thanks for the tips on the finish. I'll try that on the next one.

Thanks for looking.

Oh dammm.

I got hurt tonight - first time. Like Swanky, I got a couple of knuckle scrapes, but tonight I got a good one!

I might need a stitch or two!

But the red looks good on the walnut!

We eill have None of that now. When you are cutting into a piece of wood, STOP and chack out the second angle you can cut from, Theres Always 2. Make sure your fingers are NOT in the path of the blade, or it WILL get you. I will explain more at the seminar.

I'm okay - no stitches. It's a jab tho. It's kinda a badge of honor. I shudda been jabbed before. It just happenned tho... I knew it was gonna jab me about 1 second before it happened. I watched it happen! It was wierd! It was totally avoidable!

The power of the chisel!

[ Edited by: tikigap 2006-03-08 21:58 ]

Spearman - Done!

Now for the palm tree - this one's a hard carve! The hardest to date because of all the detail and undercut.

Early:

Top:

Bottom:

[ Edited by: tikigap 2006-08-25 09:20 ]

Tikigap, the Spearman came out Really Nice. Tyhe palm looks like it is really gonna be a challenge, but I'll bet you can do it.

Thanks for the props Ben - I don't know what to make of the tree. I hope it comes out ok... not very tiki, but I needed a place to put paddle man and spear man - on an island, with sand, under a palm tree. It'll go on the wahini's desk at work when completed.