MBL's Tiki Adventure

Ok so Now the Tiki car is essentially done..Lots of work went into this thing. So GMAN.. I know it ain't carvin' but kinda fun anyway...Here are some pics.

More carving to come...just burning the candle at 5 ends....

Tim
MBL

[ Edited by: MBL 2008-10-05 16:13 ]

When do I get mine? Aack!

Sweet ride.......

-G

Ok, so with Christmas on its way, I decided that my mom could use a tiki. So because I am artistically challenged, I stole 4WDtiki's idea, and started to make a tiki similar to one he carved. I am sure that it will not come out nearly as nice as his....4WDtiki has some really good stuff and I just dig his carvings, so I figured I could try and emulate one of TC's great carvers. If it came out half as good as his, my mom would have a nice present for Christmas.

Here is what I have so far. I plan on doing something of a head dress thing, burning it in, and using some spar varnish, ala GMAN's suggestion.
Let me know what you think.

Tim
MBL

Get my rail registered and I'll make you anything you want :)

Kewl piece. You cut yet?

-G

We'll get your rail legal. :)....well out on the streets at least. :)

And no. I have not cut myself on this guy yet, but it ain't over.
Tim
MBL

"And no. I have not cut myself on this guy yet"

Keep trying....

-G$

MLB that Rod is sick! Love that tiki rod!

The tiki is a good first shot if its a first 2nd or 3rd shot.
Better than my first few.
Moms love anything you make.

yeah, the Rod/ Ride IS Sick. I want that bamboo finish in My truck, only in mine make the gas tank look like a giant stick of Bamboo. Can't you just Nail some 'boo to that metal? :o :P
In the beginning, Any tiki you finish is Great except the ones that Bite (don't lissen to that gmanguy :D ) just keep cutting them out and they will get better and better, And they can get by on a blood free diet, regardless of what some peeps say about having to "Feed the gods". (Isn't that what the virgins are fore?)

Yeah. we like that Tiki Rod down here. It gets all sorts of attention. I'm tempted to do some bamboo work on my 32 5-window, but I'm going form something early 50's period correct, so that's kinda out.

As for carving, I am definitely learning...thanks to GMAN's guidance. This guy is far from done. It will look like something more before I am done.
Tim
MBL

whatz up there scooter? Lookee what I found.....

-G

COOL Find GMAN, but whats that Behind it with the square Windows???

There are about 50 old cars in the woodz there. Some real kewl ones. I think they are all way past salvaging, even if one just wanted the bodies. It was neat to see out there in the forest though....

Ok...I realize this is not up to top TC standards...But the good news is that my mom is not a TC member...so she can't compare this to the carvings on the board. :) In an interest to get the Tiki not to smell on X-mas day, I have applied the finish today. It is a spar varnish. I did a little staining before applying it. I thought it would be cool to leave the teeth not stained. Hopefully my parents will "proudly" display the Tiki in their condo.

So here he is...the X-mas Tiki!

Tim
MBL

Good job!

Thanks 4WDTiki! You are a major inspiration to me. As you can see it is a somewhat crude version of your design that my mom will be getting for X-mas. Hopefully, in time my carving will progress to the point where I can do better renditions of all types of designs and come up with more original ideas. I liked your design so much that I thought I would vary little from it, and really only made consessions where it was the result of my limited talent.

Much more work needs to be done on my carving skills, but moms love everything. :) or so I hear.
Tim
MBL

[ Edited by: MBL 2008-12-19 13:50 ]

You are doing just fine. Way ahead of my fist tikis.

Here is the X-Mas Tiki in his new home. A condo on Siesta Key FL....

It went over pretty well with my mom. But then again, what could she say? :)
Tim
MBL

MBL, I think he looks Darn Good a whole lot better than you think, anyway by is looks , YOUR skills are improving a Lot and that's what matters. I Love how you left his teeth un-stained, that adds to the realism of the guy. Just keep making tikis this good and one day you'll be Setting the standard!

Removing duplicate post OOps

[ Edited by: Benzart 2009-01-05 05:04 ]

mbl,

sorry i haven't checked out your postings yet. i like the tiki's, but dude, the cars seriously rock! i would gladly trade you my limited carving ability on tuesday for you hot rod ability today. i know how to put gas in the car, after that i get dangerous. can't wait to see more work, on both.

bd

Hey Benzo..Thanks for the kind words...I'll be working on my carving skills for sure. Gotta make another Tiki for the BilletProof hot rod show in March..I'm gonna start early to get something way better than last year's.

Big Daddy: Also thanks for the kind words...I am mostly a hot rod and amplifier builder...so that stuff I can handle. Right now I am putting together the parts for a 1932 Pontiac 5 Window Coupe with a 1948 Cadillac Flathead V8. It is gonna be a period correct build from start to finish. Then out to Bonneville with it to blow up that motor. :)
Tim
MBL

"Then out to Bonneville with it to blow up that motor"

With Gman and his 32 Ford in tow.......

Finally GMAN was able to get out to the Hot Rod Ranch/Damnation Speed Shop. Here he is in the Freaky "T" Ki!

Tim
MBL

Vroooooooom! Gman likee!

We had a great time on Sat talking hot rods and touring the shop. Got to run around a bit in some of them too. Here's some pics of the flock...

And hopefully we can get this real steel 32 Ford Pickup on the road for GMAN post haste...Something to haul his Tikis around in.

The build will be traditional if I have anything to do with it! :)
Tim
MBL

That tiki came out cool - love the 2 tone stain on him :D

So is that really Gmans pickup? huh huh?

Cool Pic's Gman look like gangster!

OK well it's that time again BilletProof is this coming weekend, and we are getting our hot rods ready for the haul to Ocala. But I also carved a Tiki for the "Best Wagon" Trophy. It is very similar to the X-Mas Tiki but I liked how that guy came out so what the hey. Here is the new guy drying from some spar varnish:

And for those of you who think it is impractical to own and drive a traditional hot rod...this is what happens when you fill up at the local 7-11...

Yeah...bikini model chicks want to walk barefoot in the dirty parking lot to take a pic with your car... :)
Tim
MBL

dude, get her number for me......... :)

Looking good the tiki that is. :)

That tiki looks like an old dude asking for some change! Priceless- I love it!

Yes, Excellent looking tiki but not "looking like an old man asking for change", instead, looking like an old tiki who saw that chick in her bikini hanging on his car and realized that he is just a tiki head with arms and no body".
Nice Cypress tiki there MBL

myspace

[ Edited by: Benzart 2009-03-17 18:26 ]

Hey Benzo! Thanks for the kind words. Is that a cypress log you say? I wasn't sure. This is the one that was really watery when I stripped off the bark...and it smelled of coconut. What kind of cypress do you think?
Tim
MBL

[ Edited by: MBL 2009-03-18 03:56 ]

MBL, theres only a few types of cypress but in Florida I would say Bald
Cypress. Here is a shot of Aloha Station's Cypress Moai, grain look familiar?
Of course his carving is Way small compared to yours so the grain looks bigger and not so fine.

Check out Alohastation's thread HERE for more on that.

myspace

[ Edited by: Benzart 2009-03-21 08:38 ]

That Cypress has got some serious grain. Lot's o' possibilities with that wood. Nice work.

Thanks for the info Benzo! I will look into it more. You are probably right.

So the BilletProof Show came and went. We gave the Degenerators' trophy to the best wagon this year. Here is the tiki on stage just before being presented to the winner:

And it seems that a strange side effect of having built this Model T Roadster...chicks seem to have a hard time staying away from it :)

A good time had by all.
Tim
MBL

How was Big Daddys show ?
I wanted to go but I didnt think they would let me in. My 53 chevy has cast [halabran] wheels.

Oh man, I think I've found a new hobby! :lol: :lol:

Dude, the show was amazing. We showed up on Friday and did the whole pre-party thing. Then Saturday was great. There was about 650 cars there. My buddy with the Tiki T Sedan won a trophy for Best Flake. Sunday morning, we drove home...in the roadster through horse country, smelling exhaust and orange blossoms. Couldn't have been better.
Tim
MBL

Here are some more pics of the weekend. Here is when we first arrived with the trophy and the Tiki T Sedan:

Here with the other trophies made of metal:

and the winner of the Tiki:

We all can't wait until next year.
Tim
MBL

mbl, just awesome photos, and the cars look good too. keep up the good work on all your projects.

bd

Well...The Tiki T was in a photo shoot today. They took a bunch of pics and got some good ones of the interior with a fine pinup gal. Here are some shots of the day.

And the owner Jon with his Damnation Speedshop Pickup..

Tiki's Hotrods and Pinups...get better? maybe not. :)
Tim
MBL

Tim, I'm the guy that won that Tiki in Florida and I can tell you, I could not be happier. Although I've never tried my hand at woodcarving, I do enjoy woodworking. Your work is classic stuff. The Tiki is so cool. I've attached photos of Tiki on my road trip in Florida, Texas and cooling his heels at home in New Mexico. Many thanks to you and to the Degenerators Car Club as well as the Poor Boys club. I had a great time. My road trip covered well over 6,000 miles in two months. On the way home I attended the Lone Star Roundup in Austin Texas. Tiki was securely belted in on the passenger side of the front seat for that show.

In short, I wouldn't trade him for anything. Well, ok, maybe for that scrawny little gal at the 7-11 gas stop.

Norm

Wish I could have been a part of it... A good time was had by all?

Great time. BTW, I was staying in Jensen Beach for part of my trip.

Dam that tiki has got it better than the dog!

that scene is sooo 50's americana. dad's home in front of the tv after a hard day of ropin' cattle and mom has brought him a beer, curled up on the couch next to her man and started doing her nails! hahahaha! love it.

bd

I just went through this whole thread.....very cool rods and tikis!!!
It looks like you're havin' alot of fun....keep up the great work!!