My first pieces . . . and pekapeka updates

Update

Gift given to Aunt. Me thinks this one was a hit. :)

Working on my next peice - a celtic cross for a little girl. Then there is a wolf for a friend, and a snake for another. I wont bore you all with progress pics, but if it is okay with ya'all, I will post finished pieces. (Any one have a bright idea on how I can hollow out a 6x4inch cube to make a snake bangle that wraps around the upper arm?) :-?

Thanks for your kind words Benz and Robin.

KS

(Any one have a bright idea on how I can hollow out a 6x4inch cube to make a snake bangle that wraps around the upper arm?) :-?
KS

Sure, Very Carefully! But I'm sure our Jade guru will have a way!

Well, I am still here - been busy at work, so not alot of carving.

Started, finished and delivered an Aussie black jade celtic cross/shamrock/strawberry leaf with a ruby insert for a young Fraisiere.

Have another peice in the pipe line, but thinking maybe it is time for something tiki! The problem being, they keep showing me what they want me to make, and they are not tiki!

Oh well - still enjoying loitering around all your posts.

KS

Hi KS. Wish I could help with your question....I do remember seeing some huge diamond hole saws...maybe that would work.

Looking forward to your next project.

On 2007-09-24 09:09, Robin wrote:
Hi KS. Wish I could help with your question....I do remember seeing some huge diamond hole saws...maybe that would work.

Looking forward to your next project.

Kia ora KS - Robins onto it; the only 'simple' way to remove large amounts of stone like that is to core-drill out the central waste/unwanted stone. Monumental masons (headstone guys) often have industrial sized cores for drilling out flowerpot holes (well ours does anyway..); perhaps they might lend a hand? You can buy quite a range of inexpensive diamond cores nowdays (Chinese 'crimped' tools - crimping diamonds into the cutting edge seems to be the cheapest method of attaching them), perhaps even cost effective enough for this one job..?

Keep us posted on any progress. I for one am happy to see any non-tiki pieces youre carving too - email me privately if you dont want to rock the TC waka by posting them here..

Tama :)

long time no see . . .

Not been doing much carving of late . . . but my daughter has decided she wants a Tiki, so, of course I sent her off to look at the forums here, and she really liked something of Tama's.

So next . . . a Tama inspired peice (i hope you dont mind Tama!)

pictures to follow . .

KS

Hi Folks - I have some picture updates for you

As I said, my daughter saw one of Tama's tikis, and wanted me to try and make her one like that (hahaha)

So we drew it up, and cut out the form

Then I just got stuck in, no more pics for a while.

Nearly finished - scritchy scraching out the tool marks - and something dreadful happened - you can see the evidence in these pics taken after the fact . . .

At this stage, both my daughter and I were rather happy with progress, then I left it wrapped in a towel and forgot it was there - and . . .

dissapointed, I had to break the news to my daughter. I got busy with new designs for another slab, and she chose this one

So yesterday I got started . . .

and that is it so far

Thank you for looking

KS

OucHHH, KS, That really Hurts, So Sorry to see that happen to you. That is a Fear I have every time I carve Jade or stone that I'll drop it and have to pick up the pieces, Now I'll even Worry More after seeing it Actually happen! I Really Feel the pain for you man, Damn you must have really taken it hard especially having to tell/show your daughter. Well, The next one will e better which will be hard because this one was looking Great!
Actually now that I'm seeing this horror in my mind I painfully remember that I Did break one too, a Hula dancing Lono who was the dancing mate of a Hula girl and they were for a wedding cake, OOuch. It never gets better. :cry:

On 2008-07-10 12:17, kiwishaman wrote:

Nearly finished - scritchy scraching out the tool marks - and something dreadful happened - you can see the evidence in these pics taken after the fact . . .

Ahh, the old forgot-it-was-wrapped-up-in-the-towel-and-shook-the-towel blunder: unlucky.. It was looking good too. Thats an oddly 'clean' break for nephrite; is it 'Aussie Black' jade? There was some debate as to the structure of this stone when a local supplier started importing this stuff (despite having all the right 'ingredients' to be regarded as jade some insist that the 'felted' nephritic structure is missing - hence it isnt as strong as it could be..

The matau's looking good - be careful with it! :wink:

Thank you Benz for your kind words

Tama, yes, assie black jade - sold as nephrite, from WA. comes up like a mirror. I think i had cut the wrong way - not able to see the grain . . . i think i got it right now :D. Fingers crossed.

Update:

Managed some more grinding today

and i have to get ready for work!

oh well, more tomorrow!

(I think i have the bug again :D)

KS

[ Edited by: kiwishaman 2008-07-10 19:18 ]

Here goes - the Hei Matau - finished to the shine requested by the commissioner . . .

thanks for looking

KS

Nice shaping! Deceptively simple-looking but I know how hard it is to get these looking right. Im sure the recipient will be stoked! :)

Ty Tama for your high praise.
being aware that it would not be as simple as it looked, i took my time with that one.

And wanting to be sure i could do it again . . . i grabbed a piece of the shitty so called aussie (mud) jade, and had a go at it. Four hours of scritchy scratchy later - hard to seal the stone properly.

Today i went for a drive to visit a jadey that lives a little over an hour away, and came home with these beauties . . .

a piece of rock that has some pretty colour thru it ????inunga streak????

another piece with nice colour

and the prize of the day

i just wanna go slabbing now lol . . . may have to wait till the weekend.

catch ya'll later

KS

Hello Tikiphiles :D

A pic of a few peices i am working on at the mo

and one with them wet

Hoping to get one finished over the weekend.

Thanks for looking

KS

Hey thats some mighty fine work mate i just found this thread your doing really well for a beginner excellent finish on the tiki!

Greencarving - thanks for your encouragement.

ok - first of that group finished sanding - just need to make the cord and toggle . . .

front:

back - kinda looks opalised? a bit like labradorite, but without the colours . . .

and from the botton - showing the scarey crack that became glaringly apparent as i sanded:

not sure what it is - pounamu - but maybe serpentine rather than neprite? Though it cracks and flakes off like the stuff i bought as NZ green neprite last year. . . it has a beautiful blue through it.

will try and get some daylight shots tomorrow - to show the translucency that this stone has

to show translucency - not as much as i thought - but a very interesting piece of stone. . .

I can see i should have made the inner hole thinner - to show off the translucency of the stone - shame i gave up on that too soon. (the stone is damn hard, and took forever just to carve away that hole!!)

happy happy happy (sorry Benz for stealing your line - but thats the way i feel - at least till the crack breaks off!!)

thanks for looking

KS

[ Edited by: kiwishaman 2008-07-24 13:02 ]

Excellent stuff Kiwi! This thread is great for teaching me something. AND I realized I've been going to my bookmarked "Tiki Carving" page, which didn't include "other" tiki creations, so I've never seen your threads, as well as others...fixed that. So, HELLO there!

hi all

two more complete over the weekend:

Spent the weekend at the beach - we had a wild storm up these parts - yet by Sunday morning, the waves were less impressive - will post a couple of pics later.

Working on one of the tikis ATM. :tiki:

thanks for looking

KS

[ Edited by: kiwishaman 2008-07-28 20:01 ]

Hi Y'all

Here is an image of another black jade Hei Matau - ordered by a friend in the States - will be on its way tomorrow morning. . . .

and a few pics of the Tama inspired Tiki I am currently working on

Hapu Wahine

Thanks for looking

KS

KiwiSharman ,
I really like this wee man , his haka stance is tika

and this lad , with lashed joins , could well be Ruamoko ,
throwing a tantrum in the womb

On 2008-08-04 15:41, Toataiaha wrote:

and this lad , with lashed joins , could well be Ruamoko ,
throwing a tantrum in the womb

Very fitting Toataiaha, it was for my teen daughter who is very good at throwing tantrums hahaha - from the moment of birth - who knows, maybe even in the womb. :lol:

How would I lash the joins? Put more holes in him to join him together? then make some flax cord to lash it?

TY

KS

On 2008-08-04 15:08, kiwishaman wrote:

and a few pics of the Tama inspired Tiki I am currently working on

Looking good Merran. I really like how your Hapu Wahine is turning out, although maybe she needs her gender worked on a little more; I can still see the 'ure'.. :o

Youre keeping nicely to your lines and achieving good depth - I know how difficult it can be keeping to lines and getting used to tool 'widths' etc.

Keep up the good work sistah! *(I figured out the confusion too - its the 'man' in KiwiShaman..) :wink:

On 2008-08-04 16:26, kiwishaman wrote:

On 2008-08-04 15:41, Toataiaha wrote:

and this lad , with lashed joins , could well be Ruamoko ,
throwing a tantrum in the womb

Very fitting Toataiaha, it was for my teen daughter who is very good at throwing tantrums hahaha - from the moment of birth - who knows, maybe even in the womb. :lol:

How would I lash the joins? Put more holes in him to join him together? then make some flax cord to lash it?

TY

KS

hi KS,
yep , you're on to it , but I suggest that you glue the joins first , to make a more stable lashing . If the join looks a bit ragged , and the glue shows , so be it , thats part of the feature.

Ruamoko , as we know , is the guardian of earthquakes etc( seismic activity ).
He is the unborn child of Papatuanuku , and throws tantrums from time to time (same as your daughter did :lol:).
From the resulting scars (moko)on the earth , we get the term Ta Moko (tattoo).

Jock

I was ruminating on this as I walked up to the mechanics to pick up my car , that the purists may recoils at the idea of a hei-tiki being glued and lashed .
But the hei-tiki was originally a female foetus , and rather rare ,
( possibly , according to one school of thought apparently , worn by women who lost a child through miscarriage ),
so the 'traditional' way has morphed already , to include male tiki , and adolescent and adult forms.
Out of curiosity I may run it past a mate of mine who is classically trained in these arts , he may have a novel answer to give me :)

On 2008-08-04 17:27, Tamapoutini wrote:

Looking good Merran. I really like how your Hapu Wahine is turning out, although maybe she needs her gender worked on a little more; I can still see the 'ure'.. :o

RAOTFLMAO - See - I told you I needed some lessons on design elements!!

Show me where the offending appendage is and I will cut it off!!!! :lol:

Hmm - it is for an older woman at work who may be offended if I gave her 'wahine' features - any other way to make her look female apart from that lovely wee form you carve under their bellies?

thanks for the praise too - yes - finding the right tool for the job is one of the things that takes so long in making a new form. "Hmm - which tool would do this best, and where do I start!!" :lol: That is why we get addicted to it no? The challenge, followed by respect for the stone, and joy in what we can accomplish.

TG for electricity!!!!

And Toataiaha, thank you for your suggestions, and help. I await your further reflections on the broken tiki. He sits here on my table and I look at him everyday, wondering what I will do with him.

KS

ps- I am getting myself some books on Maori legends and some more on carving - so hopefully my understanding of design elements will start to improve after I have poured over more books!

OK, as promised - a wee peek at the pekapeka - saw a picture of a manaia in a book I have, and thought - hmmm- that would make a nice pekapeka. So I worked with the design in an attempt to come up with something that was not a copy of any of the masters here.

So here it is - not all holes drilled yet - but the basic form is now becomming apparent.

A few days off the tools now, as I am full on with my 'day' job.

Thanks for looking

KS

On 2008-08-05 17:33, kiwishaman wrote:

A few days off the tools now, as I am full on with my 'day' job.

Awww shame, you must be bursting to get on with it! Its at that magic point: drawn up, blocked out, internal holes centred nicely.. From here on in its all fun! Griiiiinnnnd, shaaaaaaape, neeeeeooow! :lol:

Hang in there, the time will come & will be all the more enjoyable for having waited. Cant wait to watch the progress!

Yeah and I'm just Bursting to see the progress, C'mon KS, Make some time,,,When you can?
:P

Ok - sorry to keep you waiting :D

My first day off work, and I had to get a bit of housework done before I earned the reward of a bit of carving.

Pekapeka progess

Dang those holes take time!!!!

Also been working on another wee thing - will post it soon . . . :D

KS

YES, That is a Lot of "jade Dust" gone down the drain through those holes. Lookin Good KS. :P
:D :lol:

Here you go Ben - just for you - the update

A bit more smoothing done today . . .

Thanks for looking

KS

KS, The Pekopeko is really starting to take shape! Looking great. They do make reconstituted stone and wood, adding resin to scraps and forming a block for carving and stuff, so they could do jade too I think?

another pekapeka update

and one to show some translucency

and the other form I told you about earlier inspired by the storms we have had of late

thanks for looking

KS

On 2008-08-11 02:57, kiwishaman wrote:

Dang those holes take time!!!!

Hey, thats my mantra! :lol:

The pekapeka's looking great KShaman - having fun? Nice looking stone, lovely colour. Sorry if youve said already, but what/where is it from?

A round of pakipaki for your pekapeka progress!

On 2008-08-12 20:44, Tamapoutini wrote:

The pekapeka's looking great KShaman - having fun? Nice looking stone, lovely colour. Sorry if youve said already, but what/where is it from?

I bought it as an offcut from a jadey up this way - an offcut from a mere he had made. I dont know its origin, I asked him if he could sell me a nice piece of the green stuff, and that is what he gave me.

I must admit, although it is hard to cut and drill - man it weaves a magic on you. I feel it is part of my soul! I desperately want to make a piece for myself - but that is not my aim here lol. This pekapeka is destined for yet another friend.

I have a mania form I am playing with, which I may end up making for myself, but I need a few more skills first. It is only in the designing stages lol.

Sorry I have no more information about the stone - it is a lovely clean green - and you can see it on the previous page I think, when I posted my purchases the day I got them.

Cheers - and thanks for your feedback Tama

Thanks also Benz for your encouragement.

KS

Looking Sweet KS, Sorry I Missed you this morning, I was right there and just didn't look up. They need to put a doorbell on shout so you can ring it when you are calling someone! :lol:
Carving Jade really grabs you at least thats how it is with me. Once I make the first cut I'm hooked it wants total domination, it's strange, none of the other media do that to me though bone kinda does but in a different, challenging way! Get some rest then and then get back to work on this one, the end is Near..

Still working on the pekapeka, but am also working on a completely new project. . .

A friend asked me to carve a 21st key for her daughter, so I sat down and designed it, she approved the design. Next we had to find a piece of wood to do the job. Scrounging around in the wood pile, I came up with a lovely piece of Rimu. After a long discussion with Benzart, I trimmed it up on the trim saw, then drew up the design on the board. Next step is to have it approved by my friend.

So here is the beginning - the design on the wood.

Thanks for looking

KS

On 2008-08-13 04:51, kiwishaman wrote:

Sorry I have no more information about the stone - it is a lovely clean green - and you can see it on the previous page I think, when I posted my purchases the day I got them.

Found it - the 'prize of the day' piece. Most definately Sth Westland stone, the same that I use mostly. Good reliable stone once youve learned its ways. Its generally pretty easy to read this stone for flaws, grain etc, its only drawback being a tendancy to 'orange-peel' if oversanded. Basically there are small veins and blebs of harder material that become exposed and burnished as the softer surrounding matrix is sanded away more quickly (microscopically speaking). If you hand sand this is pretty much avoided & this stone looks great with a matte finish in my opinion.

Thats an ambitious project youre about to embark on - good stuff, thats the attitude/approach that will fast track your education! Choosing a design that will require thought/pondering/working out of cuts is really the only way to get your head 'around' 3-D. Best of luck!

Thankyou Benz and Tama for your support and kind words. It is ambititous yes - but as you say - that is how we learn. And hey - I have some of the best teachers around - right here!!!

I have been working more on the pekapeka, and have some more shots to share.

Thanks for looking!!
KS

lookin good lookin good keep us posted!

After almost finishing reading the "Jade Country" Book yesterday, I'm all enthused about carving more jade and also a tiny bit more knowledgeable! First, Nice 9 hole pekapeka, he/they is beginning to breathe and take on a life of their own, you have done well. After reading the book too it's no wonder you have not been able to determine where the jade was from, of course the book is old by 30 + years but some things don't change.
Love your Stormy piece Especially after living through Tropical Storm Fay who has been a real PAIN and looks to be the first storm to impact the WHOLE state of florida coming ashore here 3 or 4 times ! You should make copies and market them here in Florida :P
Agree with Tama the teacher in that the key s an Ambitious project and that I believe you are up for it. You seem to have the patience and "Sticktoitiveness" it takes to do such a piece.
Can't wait to see the postings for that piece.

I fess up Ben - I have been unable to stay away from the rimu, and the chips have commenced flying, but no pics yet - sorry. not enough progress yet for pics!

And there are a couple of wee tricks i want to try with the pekapeka before I post again.

Thanks for dropping in, and thanks for the kind comments Ben and GreenCarvings.

KS

Choice design there KS ,
I love the barley twist , and the interwoven tails of the manaia.
It puts me in mind of some art that a mate of mine has done on occasion , of combined kowhaiwhai and knotwork .
good skills all round I reckon .

cheers ,

Jock

In the heart of my soul . I would that I had been born in Celtic lands
But I was born here . a Celt in Maori lands . And my heart is content

[ Edited by: Toataiaha 2008-08-22 13:48 ]

Thanks Toataiaha for your kind comps.

ok - a few more chips have flown this morning - not alot - but more :lol:

Still sorting out what these different chisels do :lol:

here is an update - i guess my next step is to sort out the 3Dishness of it - after I have finished carving out the coils.

thanks for looking

KS

Ah the Fun of learning what each chisel shape does, and Why are There so MANY? Just to make tool freaks like us BUY them. You can actually do most all your carving with 1 or 2 tools.
This piece looks like it is coming along Nicely, I Know you spent a Lot of time on the design process and it shows. Keep up the good Work

Thanks Jock, you mean someone thought of it before me? :lol:

Thanks Benz,I have taken some more pics for you :lol: - still waiting for all the shots you promised for your thread!!

ok - the 25+ year old reciprocating craft tool :

umm - the old craft tool, one end of the board, and the new chisel I found when I um, kinda, accidently, wandered around the hardware store:

and umm - the dremel that kinda jumped into my hands and insisted on coming home with me:

Bad girl bad girl bad girl - it's okay now, I have told myself off enough :lol:

and the latest chip by chip pic of the board:

Thanks for looking

KS

On 2008-08-26 15:52, kiwishaman wrote:
Thanks Jock, you mean someone thought of it before me? :lol:

Thanks Benz,I have taken some more pics for you :lol: - still waiting for all the shots you promised for your thread!!

ok - the 25+ year old reciprocating craft tool :

umm ..and the new chisel I found when I um, kinda, accidently, wandered around the hardware store:

and umm - the dremel that kinda jumped into my hands and insisted on coming home with me:

Bad girl bad girl bad girl.. :lol:

*Do I see someone afflicted with the carving bug? I know those first symptoms well; excitment at tool purchases, making up excuses for said purchases. First a handtool, then its a powertool.. Then its just a slippery slope before you're showing us your new air-compressor + wonderous attachments for carving carnage. :wink:

ps: have you ever seen those large knobbly steel burrs for woodcarving? I bought a set years ago and havent used them yet.. :lol:

pps: are you going to cut the key shape out of the surrounding slab? I can see that spiral going alllll the way round.. :)

On 2008-08-26 15:52, kiwishaman wrote:
Thanks Jock, you mean someone thought of it before me? :lol:

Thanks Benz,I have taken some more pics for you :lol: - still waiting for all the shots you promised for your thread!!

ok - the 25+ year old reciprocating craft tool :

umm - the old craft tool, one end of the board, and the new chisel I found when I um, kinda, accidently, wandered around the hardware store:

and umm - the dremel that kinda jumped into my hands and insisted on coming home with me:

Bad girl bad girl bad girl - it's okay now, I have told myself off enough :lol:

and the latest chip by chip pic of the board:

Thanks for looking

KS

The Privileged ,
We who to get witness the birth of a beautiful addiction :D