Lake Tiki - 8/23/2013 - Red Cedar

Thanks rodeo... it is a really bad place for the post... it is an old building and I guess it is best not to mess with the supports...
Nothing wrong with dresssing it up though!

Here's two of my favorites from last year... the one on the right resides in my personal collection...
The local independent rag did a little interview with me

weener! i'm sooo moving there so you have some competition!

your stuff is beautiful. come to vegas and teach me please. (i'll teach you how to dirnk!)

at least give us a finishing lesson.

On 2006-03-02 21:32, Lake Surfer wrote:
Little piles of tikis everywhere in my studio... time to find them all new homes...

might be time to add some lake tiki to the collection..i like those small ones on the far left and the first large dark one right behind them...p.m. me some prices...maybe we can do a deal in the tiki terrace parking lot this friday.

[ Edited by: Tipsy McStagger 2006-04-06 05:17 ]

LAke, your work continues to get better and better. That Post cover is one of the best pieces you have ever done,Be Proud! Your finishes are also getting much better and more refined looking. Keep up the better Work.

You get more press than any of us, Dave! That post cover is nice! Those Imperial Luau tikis that I had actually served that function; came in twos.

Nice going on the Press. The post panels are great.
JP

Very cool article on you Lake Surfer.

P.S. The post cover turned out great!

Great article.

Also I like the how the post turned out in the tiki bar. It looks great.

The tiki you posted below that is really fun. Making any more of those??

Sally & Jay

P.S. We added a little baby girl to the family last Thanksgiving.

Great stuff Lake! These latest ones should bring good mana for the summer.

Lake,

I like the "new" style guy. Congrats on the paper coverage. The box looks wikkid. Nice stuff. Keep it up - don't ever stop. I hope spring comes quickly for you so you can get closure on the rest of those bad boys - get them all polyed and ready for new homes.

-Gman

Hey!

The Tiki Box is great! Cool idea!

You guys rock... thanks a lot.

Ben... as always... we're our worst critics... but starting in on the panels I was pretty happy with the way it was going...
After you carve for a few years cuts become almost automatic... like writing... you can already see the cuts and angles before you start. I've got a long ways to go... but I'm getting there I think.

BK, thanks. As usual... I always gravitate towards the Marqs... wanted them to be the showpanel of the piece.
The press.... awwww... just some local newspaper. The exposure is nice though... I sell tikis... I buy more tools.

Jim/Bete... thanks... new pieces at Tiki Terrace tomorrow night... including the new guy on this page...

Sally&Jay... I may try a few more of the new design... it just kind of came together... have to see what overall reaction is to it
Congrats on the baby girl!

Surfin... can never have enough Mana... and bring on summer!

Gman... thanks... snow in the forecast for Friday... yea, snow. Welcome to Wisconsin.
60's next week...

Thanks gap... it was a great way to cover up an ugly old pole.

[ Edited by: Lake Surfer 2006-08-04 22:21 ]

Nice work on the post cover! If there is more to the article I'd enjoy reading that as well.

Lake your stuff is awesome. Very nice job on that support covering, I'm sure it makes all the difference at the bar.

Those mirrors are really cool - are those carved? or is it not stained in parts? either way they are super cool!

Thanks Sneaky and Poly...

The mirrors are stained then carved.
I've done some that are carved and then painted.

Bumping Lake, sorry dude, you aren't getting away that easy! Thought you would just let your thread slide on down to the next page or two and get lost huh???? Not. You work too hard for your stuff not to be seen.

Digging the mirrors there bro'. Nice cool little sellers. Make a bunch for the Hukilau this year. They'll sell I'm sure.

Thanks for the PM.

Be cool;)

G.

Some of us were at Tiki Terrace Sat. night and saw one of your tiki's carried out over the shoulder of a very happy customer.A real nice large carving Lake.

Thanks Mel!

Here's some new wallhanging tikis on classic Hawaiian surfboards...

[ Edited by: Lake Surfer 2009-05-07 23:17 ]

Gman... today I had a Poly Party... temps next to this big 'ol Great Lake are only in the low 50's so drying time was slowed...
Bright April sun helps though.

These guys will find their new home in a surf shop where they will eventually find their way to another home. :)

[ Edited by: Lake Surfer 2006-08-04 22:23 ]

Beautiful work Lake. Nice finish smoooooth.

Yes Sir! That's some great stuff man! That big guy has awesome lips. I hope they all transition to new homes fast and your pockets fill with cash :) I hope it gets warmer for you guys....fast!

Thanks for posting them :tiki:

-Gman

Cool tikis as usual. The signs are top notch. I'm not exactly sure how you achieved the look, but they sure work for me.

JP

Lake, you da man...I agree with GMAN about the lips on the big guy...awesome...

The surf board is great too...makes me want to catch a few today...maybe I'll pull a sick day..

Keep up the great work.

Lake,

Sweet tikis. I noticed that most of your tikis come out rather dark in color. Are you staining them prior to coating them in polyeurathane or is it just the wood you are using?

A logger friend turned me on to this liquid epoxy stuff that makes my tikis rock hard, I have been using this stuff on logs that have dry rot.

Hopefully, you are catching some fresh water waves.

Will

Great pictures of your projects Lake Surfer, very nice work!

Thanks all!

tfisherart... smoooth is the goal... makes all the sanding and sore fingers worth while!

Gman... Mahalos! I've been trying to finish that Palm Kahuna for 4 months now... with an inevitable home I was spurred on to finish it finally. I did them a few years back, but this one is so much more refined with more carving time behind me.

Johnny... thanks! the signs... a trade secret only the tikis know... and they 'aint talking :wink:

Loki... thanks... when Scott from the Tiki Terrace said "surfboard sign" I was stoked to make one... right up my alley!

Will... I hit the tikis extra hard with the propane torch... that could be it... also I'm getting to the bottom of the gallon of stain... time for a new can as it settles out over time and the darker stuff is at the bottom. Part of it could be the wood... a little darker pine.

No waves yet... a very quiet weather pattern setting up over us lately... patiently waiting here and pleading with the surf gods.

Bete.. thanks again!

Back to work...

[ Edited by: Lake Surfer 2006-04-20 13:06 ]

Lake, love it! Looks sweet. The sign are looking really cool.

So, are you coming down for Hukilau? Made up youz minds yet? Keep in touch about that if you will.

G.

Gary... so far... just waiting on info where and when to pay vendor's fee... and where we'll be hooping it up!
Then reservations... and get some tropical wax for the board! :wink:

Friday I take a trip to the surf shop in Michigan to drop off a bunch of stuff. I made a tree to hang and display the tiki idols I made for the shop to sell. Have to build one more for myself now... should go faster now that I've done one already and resized it a million times!

[ Edited by: Lake Surfer 2006-08-04 22:21 ]

Man thats cool, Good thing that shop is no where near me. I would end up buying them all and then having to steal the tree.

Kuel stuff Lake. I Likes it a Lotz

Yeah, that is awesome. Nice P.O.P. stand to boot. They look ready to snatch up. Any clue what the surf shop sells 'em for?

The display is a work of art in itself and complements those great pendants. I'm sure you'll be restocking that one often.
JP

those are great lake. i make some about the same size. what kind of wood are you using and, if it's not too much, how much do you charge. you can PM if you'd like.

Where is the shop. City?

Hey guys... thanks!

Rodeo... I based it on many POP trees that I've seen that I would have wanted to steal in the past. Instead, I'm glad to make my own. :)
And I have an excuse to make one finally.

Mahaloz Ben!

Surfin... Thanks... the POP is the Graphic Designer/Advertising side of me coming out. When I'm not freelancing I'm doing tiki... and the two have been going hand in hand lately. I've done some POP for agencies before, but nothing handmade. Wait, I take that back. I won a contest from Mennen back in college... had to do a POP for Speed Stick for a local grocery chain. I won with a beach volleyball design... handmade net and all. :)

Don't know what they will go for in the shop... have to discuss that with the owner who's a friend... but I'm leaning towards trade for supplies like surf wax, resin, fins, surf dvds... :wink:

Thanks Jonny P! I hope so! All that good mana around should keep us in the waves for months!

pdrake... I started with hand shaved pine branches and 2x2's... moved on to oak and maple wood... harder to carve but better, crisper detail.

teaKEY... New Buffalo, MI... right across the border from Indiana. There's a great surf spot nearby we call "The Dogpound"
Ryan, the owner, will be carrying a lot of my creations since there isn't an Exotica this year to do work for.

Inbetween jobs... took some more chunks off this piece of P. japonicum Maxim (Japanese Cork Tree...)

Pain in the ass to carve but has some neat color to it... light yellow on the outside and tan heartwood. I've done three out of this wood.

[ Edited by: Lake Surfer 2006-05-01 22:50 ]

LAke, I can forsee this cork guy being extra cool when you're done. Can't wait to watch him unfold.

Love it man. I REALLY like those eyes, I may have to borrow that look somewhere down the line!
Lookin' good.

The eyes have it.
JP

Ben, Surfin and Johnny... much thanks.

The goal is always deeper and crisper... no shallow cuts allowed.

I think I've been channeling ancient Hawaiian carvers lately and going back further to a time when the gods ruled

I feel the mana flowing these days through the tools to the wood... Ben talks of it all the time, he's found it.

I'm finding it myself more and more every day.

Lake,

Yeah, the eyes and the nose have me so far...I can't wait to see what the whole thing looks like with the headdress. "Corky" is gonna be great!

-Gman

Real nice Lake...you are channeling...sounds like you are feeling that excitement when the
chisels just seem to go where the wood demands....cool carving.

BUMP for Lake!

Received the new issue of "Tiki Magazine" and noticed a nice picture of the man's stuff under the Hukilau event page.

Kinda looks the way I remember it from last year's Hukilau. Hope to see it again..........

Way to go Bro'! Now there is some much deserved recognition for a cold water Lake Surfing Tiki Carver from Wisconsin!!!!!

Kudos to you my man. I'm proud for ya!

G.

Thanks guys... and Tiki G. I'll have to get a copy and check it out...sounds cool

Boy I have a lot of work to do... but I can't wait for October. :)

Started prep work on a haul I made on Friday... Basswood, Pine and some really nice pieces of Ash.

And this beauty will become something special for myself and will hit a couple surf parties in the late summer as a "show off" piece.
6 feet long 2 feet in diameter.

I pissed one of the neighbors off with my angle grinder sanding this afternoon so I'll have to wait until Monday when he goes back to his law office. I'll resume prep work then without any interuptions. :)

Anticipation.... can't wait to sink the chisels into this one!

Lake,

Nice score. I could do with a nice piece of ash.