Tikisbytyler - Carvings From Neptune - Lono and pals

I seriously doubt they can pull your license for a "noise complaint" in the early afternoon, but they might be able to pull it for "manufacturing" or "light industrial" work being done without the proper papers, especially if your license is just for selling. But it's not like you are chain sawing every day, right? Is there anyway to move into the garage? That would reduce the noise.

Neighbors like that suck. I guess you need to check the TV listings and make sure you aren't creating any noise while Matlock is on.

My license is as a "woodworking" establishment.
The city and the officer suggested the same thing about moving it into the garage.
Problem with that is I don't have a garage.
I'm going to talk to the neighbor today, though. - Wish me luck!
Probably ought to take the ice pick just in case.

I did go tool shopping last night to try to find some alternative methods.
Got a couple new gouges (man are they expensive!)
Also bought a "lancelot", anyone else ever use one of these things?
Friggin thing is meaner than the devil himself!
Basically a disc for the angle grinder covered in small chainsaw teeth, waiting to remove wood, limbs, fingers, or whatever else gets in the way.

Hopefully today brings more positive news than yesterday.

I have a whole new level of respect for you purist carvers out there that use hand tools only!
45 minutes into this through & through mouth design I'm headed inside to get something to eat & let my wrist rest. Much cleaner results than jamming a chainsaw through there, though. I'm guessing I probably have 2 more hours of work just on his mouth now.

I'm used to a little shorter time frame!
Relax, & enjoy the carving process, Tyler - What's your damned rush anyhow?

Mahalo

It sucks having crappy neighbors! Could be a blessing. Forcing you to use chisels may be their downfall - 2 hours of chainsaw = 8 hours of pounding. What you will find is that your designs will become cleaner and more defined. Plus once you get "in shape", you may find that you like the chisels better and that they are faster. I would advise getting a urethane mallet - less stress on the joints when doing heavy hitting.

Thanks for the encouragement & advice, AlohaS. I was out there pounding with the mallet today wondering if the cops were gonna show up again & tell me to go back to the saw & get it over with. I looked at urethane mallets at woodcraft, but they want like 60 bucks for them I wasn't sure what size I would need anyways. You know of a less expensive place to get a quality one? I saw one on the net somewhere for 20 but not sure if I trust it. My old handmade cherry wood mallet has never let me down, but it is starting to get a little brittle.

So any advice on sanding? I like the texture from the gouges, but I think I may need to add some extra padding to my sander or go with hand sanding if I want to clean it up without losing all the nice strokes of the blade.

Yo Tikisbytyler
I don't use the chainsaw that much, but when I do I use a 4hp 16" electric chain saw. It's not quite as loud at full power as my shopvac is during regular use. It's a little slower than a gas chain saw, but it's way quieter. Also, it's either on or off, so there is no idle noise when you are not actually cutting. I think it only cost me about $60-70 and I've had it for about three years now.
Or? Get a police scanner so you can hear when they are on the way. :)

Hand tools are better anyway
Buzzy Out!

Calling it quits for today.

Amidst all the senseless drama, I am pretty happy with the way this guy is coming along so far.
Started shaping in the headdress a little and gave him some shape around the mouth, of course a little dental work.

See ya tomorrow if the rain holds off, folks!
(otherwise I'm crankin up the flexshaft & grinder and pretending Mango doesn't intimidate me)

Tyler,looks to me like your hav'n no trouble adapt,n to the chisels.
the new guys come,n along great.Wood is good make a urethane mallet
that I got off ebay for 30bucks that is pretty kool,Id recomend the
20 ounce as I bought the 30 and Im start,n to look like popeye down
one side.Cheers Watango

Wow, what a drama going on! Your not a complete carver til you own fifty-million tools!! Ha Ha

Don't let me intimidate you... at least until after we've met at Hukilau. :wink:

I have a urethane mallet that I got off of eBay, it was red instead of green, and it is 18oz. I hardly swing with anything more than my wrist or from the elbow, and it drives a sharp chisel fairly deep. About the only time I have to do a hard swing is when I'm using a 1.5" round gouge for serious material removal. You will need to build-up your fore arm muscles in any event, as the urethane mallets are much heavier than the wooden ones. I paid ~$29 including shipping. It is much quieter, almost a soothing sound. I also think that a urethane mallet will save the wear and tear on your chisel handles.

Search the forums for more info on the Lancelot. I will second or third Benzart's advice about getting a speed controller for it. Then you can slow it way down so you aren't skeerd of it, but still respect it at all times. Keep your guard on the grinder. The electric chainsaw is a great alternative, and gives you a great excuse to by a generator is hurricanes weren't enough. Then you can carve off-site if the need arises.

Good drama and a great carving! what more could we ask for.

Hand tools are better anyway

Less loud, better finishing, more precise... It's a part of a solution like an electric saw.
Maybe you could carve a nice tiki to gift at your neighbor...

You have support here, keep the faith!

J.

Thanks to all for your support & not bitch slapping me for being whiny.
So to close out that ridiculous little chapter - I finally got the neighbor to talk to me.
We came to a nice even ground with agreements on time that work for both of us.
The good part is I have some new toys/tools now & a new respect for a variety of methods.
I think this will make for a marked increase in the quality of my work.

Also been intrigued by all the bone carving going on around here so I picked up a 6" piece from the local pet store that looked nice & solid, fixed the roof on my workshop, dug out my grinder, flexshaft and what burrs and stuff I have. Right on time it started raining. Just roughed out a shape so far.

Maybe I'll catch up with you eventually, Mango. By the way, between my wife being laid off from work & some other factors I will not be attending Hukilau this year. Maybe we can find another opportunity sometime. I would really like to meet some other Florida carvers & see work in person. Maybe that chop can become a reality sometime this summer.

More updates soon.
Tyler

Alright, really enjoying this medium, think I'll spend a little more time planning next time instead of just going at it free form. Now, how the hell do I polish this thing?

Comments, suggestions, critique?

Polishing out all the bumps and valleys is still the hard part for me. You learn pretty quickly to leave extra material so you have something to sand down. I would say try to find a cone-shaped sanding burr (perhaps a diamond one) and a steady hand to hit the high spots. My first one I used 60 grit sandpaper and wrapped that around flat and semi round pieces of wood for a makeshift sanding block. Then I followed up with 120 and a buffing wheel for the Dremel. I've added needle files to the list now, and they seem to be working out. I still use a lot of sandpaper though.

Played with a few methods of polishing.
Still needs a little clean up work.

Also started a second piece:

More soon.

A little more work on the second bone piece. Trying to learn how to focus my camera this close up.

Thanks for looking.

Not sure any more whether the rain causes the bone carving or the bone carving summons the rain.

OK one more little piece of bone and then I really have to get back to work on some wood that I have already been paid for. Definitely coming back to this though. Lots of ideas for bone projects in the future. How different is working with stone? Do i need different tools?

I know this isn't tiki and probably belongs on the "other" side but I guess I didn't want to start another thread yet and am returning to my typical domain later today.

Comments, advice, etc.?

This last piece looks great. What did you use for the eyes, did you inlay something? One cool thing about Manaia designs, there's not a specific "look" that I saw. Are you staining your pieces, or is this just the bone color showing through? You're moving along nicely, and I think trying to tackle a Manaia design for your second piece is da ballz.

Thanks, Mango!
The eyes are these tiny little spiral shells. I don't know what they are called. I picked them up a while back to do some markings in the ears of a large Moai. What is the typical material of choice to adhere something like this? I just used what I had on hand, which turned out to be some epoxy I was fixing a picture frame for my wife with.

the color is just the natural bone color. After all sanding and polishing I rubbed it with a little beeswax on a rag.

http://tikisbytyler.com

[ Edited by: tikisbytyler 2009-06-08 09:40 ]

Oh crap, I think I'm addicted.
Rained again today, so hit the bones again.
More of a contemporary style rather than the Matau type.
This may be a little obsessive, but I really want to tie this one on this weekend and see if I can hook a redfish on it. Is that going too far? Anyone else around here ever try it? And what were your results? Am I just risking losing my hard work? Fuggit I gotta try!

Ok, I swear I'm gonna take a break now.
But I had to try this shape while I was feeling good.
I know my stuff is still rough around the edges, but with HUGE thanks to all the talented carvers on this site I find myself being pushed to try things I never would have without you guys.

So I shaped the head before I really did any sketching and did not leave myself enough room to do it right, but learned a good lesson for next time.

Thanks for lookin.
Let me know what ya think!

That's a good first hei tiki, I haven't worked up to that yet. If this rain keeps going though, I might have too. I learned pretty fast to leave extra material that you can sand/form down to the final shape. You only (usually) make that mistake once (I hope).

Hey, anybody out there got know-how on binding this type of hook?

I thought I would be able to find it on the net relatively easily, but no luck so far.
I have tried a couple of times now & not happy with my results so far.

Any links/ sketches/ suggestions greatly appreciated!
Thanks

This just resurfaced last week, check out page 4.
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=23134&forum=7&start=0

A little sunshine finally and time to get back to the project I am supposed to be focusing on right now.
A little more shaping on the headdress and burnt in just to give me contrast & thereby direction. Nothing is sanded yet. Still lots of detail work to go.

Enjoying taking my time on this guy.
Wish it wasn't sold!

Thanks for looking.
More updates soon

look'n pretty Kool!

Thanks Watango!

Most of the detail work in the headdress is done now.
Moving on to shaping the body a little more.

More to come soon, now that the bulk of the carving is done, I won't post any more pics till he is sanded, stained & finished.

Thanks for looking!

Yeah I'm Liking the way this one is shaping up. Lots of Great detail and plenty deep.

Nice Nice Nice way to go at it.

Ok, maybe one more shot - he's just about dry. Fourth coat of 'thane went on about 3 hours ago.
She's coming to pick him up Sunday.:cry:

At wedding ceremonies, he will be used as a podium with a bamboo pole thru his mouth holding a banner on each side. Each banner will display the name or family crest of the bride & groom & a lei to be exchanged in the ceremony.:D

Wow, I really need to clean the sawdust off my windowsills & electric meter, huh? Looks about 3/4" thick!

Very cool , now what would it cost to have this go missing after the party and mysteriously shipped to Canada? lol

"Mysterious" shipping is extra!!!

pm me regarding anotber purchase , mahalo

Finished up Excellent , I Really love the traditional look of this guy with your own stuff thrown in!.

Thanks Benz! Had a lot of fun with this one. (really didn't want to let him go!)

T'Ville: Can't wait to make another shipment to Canada! (Let's just pray delivery goes a little smoother this time!)

Took another stab at the Hei Tiki.
This one came out a little more like what I wanted.
Still learning. (Hopefully I'll never stop)

The eyes are just some little spiral shells I have a ton of.
Anybody wanna hook me up with a source for paua?
All I can seem to find are things made with it and drilled beads/pendants, not the raw product.

Mahalo in advance & thanks for looking.

Tyler

OK, so I got a little skippy with the saw this weekend and got quite a bit done.
Sorry for the cell phone pics, I'll get some better shots when the sun is out & I know where the hell my camera is.

Had a request for one of my older styles and knocked out this guy.
The pineapple is a little cliche, but hey that's what they wanted.
He's about 4.5' tall:

The next one was a little study in the Moai form.
Actually only about 16" although the pic makes him look larger.

And since I was on a roll, I really missed that Akua Kai I sold so did another little play on the same style:

This one is a little less detail, but only about 30" compared to the 48" frame of the original.
The wood had some damage from beetles (those are the dark spots you see)
but I think it adds to the overall character of the piece and gives it a sort of aged look.

More soon; I just stripped a 6 footer that is HEAVY! About 16" in diameter.
Probably gonna be one more study in this headdress toting Lono/Akua/Kane style I've been diggin on so much lately. Local bar on the beach said they wanted something big, maybe this will fit the bill!

Mahalo
Tyler

hey that last ones great too! hmmm ( they are all great!)
Gotta say as the purchaser of now 3 of Tylers Tikis his work is fantastic, his shipping is very reasonable ( even up to Canada !) and any hut ,cove ,moku,or room would not be quite as tiki without one !lol
Unless your Crazy Al collection has left you with little room for more! lol

( just giving this dude Tyler the thumbs up )

Well done you are on a roll.

T'VILLE; thanks, man. You are too kind. I hope you will enjoy Lono, he should be about half way to you by now! Let me know when you are ready for your next installment. I'll keep trying to upgrade.

Seeks; Thanks for your kindness, I take a lot of inspiration from your work so I really appreciate the kind words.

Beginnings on the six footer.
Again, sorry for the cell phone pix.
Gonna try some type of lattice work in the headdress with some negative space.
Didn't leave myself as much room as I would have liked, though.

Thanks for looking!
More soon

Nice a 6'er! Very cool looking thus far.
Its hard getting the length and width in.

Great beginnings Tyler, keep making yourself do the difficult stuff, you learn more that way.

Thanks, Seeks. he is going to have a squat little body, but i think the overall effect will be nice. Don't think I'll get the intricacy i wanted in the headdress.

I appreciate the encouragement, Benz. I am happy to have so much to learn!

Looks like the rain might force me back into the shed to work on some bones again.
Actually have about four orders to fill in the pendant department anyways.
Just really want to get some body work in on the big guy.

On the bright side, my father in law's neighbor is cutting down a nice thick Sabal to make room for this obnoxiously huge boat he bought, so I should be getting some new big wood.

OK, that didn't sound right... or did it?

Nice chunk o' log! How do you manage to handle something that big alone? The headdress might be on the short side, but the proportions look good.

On 2009-07-08 09:46, TikiMango wrote:
How do you manage to handle something that big alone?

Ah, if I had a nickel for every time...

I'd have exactly one nickel.

Thanks for the kind words, Mango. And it's all about leverage, ropes & low hanging oak trees! :) :o :)

i got the manaia in the mail yesterday. i'm very impressed! smooth lines and a great design. the shell eye looks great too. i can't believe i got this for 99 cents! my advise is you need better pictures. it's the only reason i can think of for why it didn't get more bids. mahalo tyler!

Thanks, Kingstiedye

I'm glad this one went to someone who appreciates it.
E-bay seems to be a hit or miss thing, and I've fully accepted that.
Photography has also NEVER been my strong suit.
This was my first manaia and only my 2nd attempt at bone carving, so I guess I also did not have a lot of confidence in it myself. I also had to repost it twice on e-bay because I did not know you had to state the species of animal the bone came from and they deleted it twice.

Anyways, I'm very glad you are enjoying the piece!
Sometimes we luck out and the universe "throws us a bone", so to speak.

Mahalo!

Another Moai headed to Jersey!

This is before sanding & deep brown finish.

So the cops came out again & delivered a letter from the city manager stating that based on that complaint about a month ago they have decided to pull my license & fine me $750/day if they catch me carving here again. The first pic above is at my new "shop" It's a storage unit in the industrial section of town over by the navy base. On the plus side, I don't have to pay the electric bill, my wife can't sneak up on me with the "honey-do" list while I'm trying to carve & it's so friggin hot out there I HAVE to lose some weight out of this deal. The show must go on though! Maybe next week I'll get back to work on the big guy.

Mahalo for looking!
Tyler