Johnnyp Tut 2/19

JP,
Congrats on a job well done. I think you did a fantastic job on that lono. I comend you on trying to do that. It took guts and you really got it close. I'm sure you learned a lot from this experiement. Looking forward to seeing whats next on your chopping block.

JohnnyP,

Is it too cold in your house/basement to apply poly? What about a spray on spar?

-Gman

Rodeotiki- The snow is gone! The next 10 days will be above freezing (at least according to the weather channel) so maybe the pool will thaw.

Congatiki and Loki. I learned a lot from this challenge. Benzart has a style all his own and it was different working with it but very informative. I think I am going back to PNG for the next big piece.

Gman- I thought you'd laugh at the poolside thing. :) I don't think I am going to poly this one, I'll let it dry outside for a few days and then try to antique it to make it look real old. That check down the center and numerous small ones already give it an abused feel, might as well use it to an advantage.

Benzart- That is the best complement I could have hoped for. Thank you. Yes I'll work cheap.

This one is a keeper, but I am running out of room behind and under all the furniture.
JP

JohnnyP, that Lono is so very impressive, how cool you carved that, you just get better and better. How's the weather up there?

That is sweet! You just inspired me to dust the winter cobwebs off my chisels, and find another log to hack at.

man, you've got to be proud of that lono. and what better person to replicate a piece from then benzart. it really came out great. i can't wait to see what you do next. keep up the great work!

Hey Johnny! How's it!?

Any new pics of the Lono for us? Are you done beating him with chains and what ever you are using to "antique" him? We wanna see more of this guy - or are you working on something else up there? Bring it son, we need to know!

-Gman

Mr. JohnnyP,

I jonesing for some picks man! Whattcha got going?

-Gman

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything. Gman, I promise I’m not holding out.

Thanks Bete, Tiki5-0, and Raffertiki.

Here is a club I have been working on for a while and just finished. I also started a crocodile canoe prow from the Sepik River in PNG, but right now it looks like a block of wood, so no pictures.

Shutterfly looks like it cropped the pictures funny.

Thanks for looking. Have a nice day.

JP

Good looking Club! Give us a closeup shot of the detail.

NIIICE...Maori flesh knife! Cool piece!

nice clubber Johnny....gratifying to see that you weren't slacking off the last couple of weeks.
I was wondering what you were up to. Weaether is getting nice over here on the other side of
the lake...how bout you?

Another Really nice club JP. That piece involves a Lot of work as I see it. Very well done.

JohnnyP,

Very nice indeedee! I agree with the others....fantastic job! I'm glad you had so much fun with the shark teeth. How many clubs do have up there now? Let's see the croc prow!!!!!

-Gman

Elidocorc!!!

Awesome club! Love the overall shape, and the details as well

Close ups!!

Hi,
I've been busy recently and did not get a chance to post. Here are a few things I’ve been working on. Kaha ki’i recommended the book “Arts and Crafts of Hawai’i” by Peter Buck. It is a wonderful resource full of great diagrams and how to’s.

Group Shot.

Knife.

Knuckle Duster.

Club. This one would have had a marlin spike for the sharp part, however there are not too many of those washed up on the beach on Lake Michigan, so I interpreted one out of wood.

Here are all the shark teeth or Hawaiian clubs together.

This one is a thank you gift for something that really was a bright spot recently. Thank You. It is just a little token of appreciation.

ATTENTION: Michigan Tiki Centralities.
Get together at JohnnyP’s Saturday June 3. PM me if you are interested for details, etc.
I asked a few of you about May but it seemed kinda booked. This could be the last chance at this location. My company filed bankruptcy and I may have to move soon.

Again thanks for looking.
JP

[ Edited by: Johnnyp 2006-04-24 11:09 ]

JP, You have really raised the bar, and in OAK no less. Beautiful stuff if I may say so..

JP,

Sweet clubs.
I feel sorry for anyone who breaks into your house.
They will have all hell break loose on them.
A land shark attack waiting to happen.

Will

Amazing Works. Sorry to hear about your company. Hope all works out for you.
Where does one get that many shark teeth?

Get work and pictures Johnny P! Hey, sorry to hear about the job though, good luck with that, are you plannig to live in the same state?

JohnnyP,

Dang boy! You've made a whole slew of those things. They really look great. The photos really show them off. Neat stuff. When we get together, I wanna see that book Kaha turned you onto.

I can't believe you got so many great clubs out of those teeth. Awesome!

If you can make it down this weekend, I have several friends from SC heading down to dive the Peace River for shark teeth. We're gonna rack on Sunday! Wanna come with us?

-Gman

Nice work! Super clean!

Sorry to hear about the job.
Best of luck with the trials and tribulations to come.

I may be able to get over to your parts for the gathering... could bring my carving table and chisels :wink:
Keep me updated!

Johnny,
Man, you are really doing some nice precise work. Been very busy i see. Stellar job. What exactly are you doing with all the pieces? They would make a "killer" display all together. Sorry lame joke. You have really got the sewing of the twine through the teeth down. Very clean.

Hope everything works out for you with regards to the job. Who knows, maybe you'll be Florida bound...(cross fingers, cross fingers).

wonderful collection of weapons Johnny...like I said once before...when the bubble bursts and
everyone goes nuts...I'm on your side...remember that! Very impressive work!

Thanks guys,
Ben - thanks. This will be the last of the oak ones for a while, I'm done with the board I bought.

Rodeotiki - These clubs are made with bluegill teeth and are a lot smaller than they appear. Seriously, I have a good friend in Florida that provided them.

Lake Surfer - I would be ecstatic if you could make it on June 3. Need a place to crash? Bring your toolz!

As far as the job goes, thanks for your thoughts and kind words. We are looking at this as a positive thing. Only good things will come out of it and we are looking forward to the new adventure life will bring.

Again

ATTENTION: Michigan or Great Lakes area Tiki Centralities.

Get together at JohnnyP’s Saturday June 3.

Carving, drinking, talking tiki, etc.

PM me if you are interested for details, etc.

JP

Lookin Real Nice Johnny! I really dig that Knuckle Duster. You should check out the book "Fijian Weapons and Warfare" by Fergus Clunie If you haven't already? Great book on War Clubs!

Keep em coming!

I see a lot of these here in Hawaii and yours rival some of the best I've seen.

Great work, I always like to see primitive weapons.

E

Thanks
Tikimecula- I checked out that book you recommended- Looks like another add to the list of going to gets.

Alientiki-Thank you for the complement. I've only seen these weapons in person once at the field museum in Chicago, and they were behind glass. I've been going on pictures in books.

A while ago Loki said I should go smaller. Here is my first attempt. Small is whole another world. It's a lot of fun.

ATTENTION: Michigan or Great Lakes area Tiki Centralities.

Get together at JohnnyP’s Saturday June 3.

Carving, drinking, talking tiki, etc.

PM me if you are interested for details, etc. I am also going to post in the events area.

Thanks for looking
JP

Holy moly he's small! Very cool.

Hey JohnnyP! Awesome new stuff. What's that little weapon that looks like a vienna finger with one tooth sticking out?

JP,
I said small, but you really went small...nice. Did you use a hook knife or exacto blade? How long did you work on him?

More sweetness from JohnnyP. You are getting dangerous.

Agreed, much sweetness from brother JohnnyP. He's been a busy boy. That pendant is really neat, and really SMALL! Jeeze! I guess you used the dime tip bar on that one? I'm digging the faux boar tusks. Paint those suckers white...real cool Johnny!

-Gman

Thank you for the complements - Keeps me going

Hodadhank- I really don't know what that little sausage thing is. I expect it is more of a utility tool than a weapon, maybe one of the Hawai'i ohana could answer.

Loki, this piece was all power. It is made from teak. I don't know if all teak is like this, but you can barely get a knife through it since it so hard.

Benzart I don't think I am dangerous, just to myself.

OK here is the question.

I am currently in the middle of a carving and have a dilemma. Imagine a tiki with teeth like a crocodile, lips pulled back exposing all the teeth. The tips on the teeth are contacting the gums of the opposite jaw., so every other tooth is up /down but has a gap between them. I would like to hollow out the area behind the teeth and I plan on doing this from the backside(similar to what Benzart does with his Lonos mouths). The question I have is: is it better to carve the teeth and the gaps between them and round the backside of the teeth before I hollow out the space or after?

I am afraid of not having wood behind the teeth to support them while I am carving them, but I also do not want to spend hours carving only to damage them during the hollowing process.

Thanks for the help.

John

JohnnyP,

I don't think I would finish carving the teeth and then break out the big stuff to hollow him out, nor would I hollow it out and then start the teeth. I would get the hollowing close, but still leave enough wood to support your work; then, I would do the teeth and slowly remove the wood behind them. Hope this helps.

-Gman

Dear John,,,
I think it would be best to carve out the front and sides of the teeth Only. You can take the gap between the teeth really deep, but don't carve the backs of the teeth out until you get the Back side of the carving hollowed out. As you go in deeper from the back then you can finish shaping the teeth all around. This way if you need to set the teeth further back, you will have the option, where as if you carve out the backs of the teeth before hollowing out the back, you are set at that depth for the teeth. I hope this makes sense. If not you can call me and I will try to help further.

Thanks guys,
Appreciate the help and advice, Hopefully it will help me from messing up.

Benzart- yes it did make sense

Pictures soon.

John

Johnny-always keep a tube of superglue gel in your carving kit. If you get a chip that wasn't meant to be, it will pop it right back on. Cyanoacrylite loves wood (any organic material) and the bond is actually stronger than the original woodfiber bond, and when sanded it's invisible. That's an old antique dealer's furniture trick that made it into this phase of my life..

JP,

I hope to see pics of the big project this weekend. Please don't hold out on us any longer. I don't think I can stand it.

-Greg

Wow JP! That's some fantastic work there! Where did you get all those teeth? Very nice, and as Benz said "and out of oak too!". I'm impressed...

We want pics!!!!!!

Here are some pictures that are long over due for Gman. The weather actually cooperated today and I managed to get some carving in. I worked on a few clubs and managed to finish blocking out a PNG crocodile canoe prow.

Here goes.

Roughly blocked in with chainsaw and angle grinder.

]

Details sketched in for carving.

Maybe tomorrow I’ll get more time on it.

I finally assembled all my sandpaper to do the Benzart sand paper sharpening system and actually took the time to sharpen a dull cheap Stanley flat chisel through 2000 grit. It was able to shave hairs off my arm. I then took it to some wood. I have to say, I did not know carving could be such a pleasure. I have never felt something cut through wood, even knots, so easily. I did not know what I was missing. The surface of the cut wood felt like glass, even on end-grain. And this with a cheap Stanley Kmart chisel. I've sharpened them with grinders and wetstoned, but have not gotten results like that. Never again will I use a dull chisel. Thank you for the tip Benzart.

Thank you TikiGap. I am trying to find some pictures of New Guinea bat carvings, when I do, I'll send you the link.

Thanks for looking
JP

JP,

Yep, that's what I wanted to see! It looks great. you said this what what, 6 feet long? It's hard to determine the size in the pics. I imagine it must be awesome in person. I can't wait to see what you do with that Foredom on this bad boy. The pen layout looks serious. Sweet stuff!

Thanks for posting!

-Gman

"The saw is family"

[ Edited by: GMAN 2006-05-20 18:43 ]

Johnny, Nice to hear you are enjoying Sharp chisels, they DO Make a diffrence and this canoe prow will certainly look better for it. This is new and interesting, I Love the piece. Very Nice design

Thanks Gman and Benzart

I've been wanting to do one of these for a while. I just got a Foredom, with a recip handpiece and a load of Flexcut chisels. I wouldn't have attempted this piece without those tools. Thanks for the tool advice Benzart.

Gman- here is a preview. It'll be in the mail tomorrow.

This is the first time I carved walnut. What a nice wood to carve. I need to find some more.

Have a great day.

JP

WOW Johnny, that looks awesome! Those tigers look perfect in there. The color of that walnut looks so warm. Did it cut like butta? That club is gonna look great here in my collection and I will enjoy it very much. Thank you!

I can't wait to see what magic you perform with that Foredom and super chisel set - you dogg! I'll be waiting to see the next croc update.....

Everyone - If you are reading this post and like what you see, you need to contact JP about picking up one of his clubs. These are first-rate.

-Gman

Johnny...your canoe prow looks like a very cool and ambitious project...and your weapons are always
great. You have your work cut out on the "croc prow" and I'm sure you are up to the task.
Thanks for posting...it's been a while since you did something of a larger scale...