First Carving...EVER!

Okay.... not sure how I got caught up in this whole tiki thing, but I'm definately hooked! Trying my hand at carving one after being inspired by you all. Not as easy as I hoped...lol Okay, so this little guy has been carved with the only tool I have on hand...an x-acto...lol
Will keep you all updated on his progress.

Oh and, by the way...Symetry is my new nemesis!

Great start - keep us updated

Pretty impressive for an X-acto blade. I think I carved my first little tikis with a $5 set of "wood carving knives" from an art store. What a terrible experience. You seem to have the eye for it; do yourself a favor and get some better quality tools. Your brain will thank you for it.

Very nicely done! Some sanding will clean him up real nice. How tall is he?

Thanks...words of encouragement go a loooong way. He's a whopping 5"...lol I was looking around at some carving tools...they are expensiiiive. The cheapest I found around my area was a five tool set at Home Depot for $40. I think I'll hit a few more places and maybe online...if the shipping won't kill it. Did I mention how much I love this site! So much information, inspiration, and tips.

On 2009-09-02 07:52, Tiki Tack wrote:
Thanks...words of encouragement go a loooong way. He's a whopping 5"...lol I was looking around at some carving tools...they are expensiiiive. The cheapest I found around my area was a five tool set at Home Depot for $40. I think I'll hit a few more places and maybe online...if the shipping won't kill it. Did I mention how much I love this site! So much information, inspiration, and tips.

Yep, tools can be expensive. Well actually, they are expensive. If you are going to carve just small ones for now you can probably keep using xacto knives. Just get some different shaped blades. I have seen gouges for xacto. A dremel with a burr and some sanding drums would come in real handy for you as well.

Welcome Great start! and knife only wow.

Good debut carving here! Welcome on board.
With us it is often said: "There are no bad tools, only ill workers". In a way this is evidenced by this tiki...

J.

Thanks everyone... I think I'm going to try out the Dremel. Will look into x-acto's with different blades though. Gonna try a few small ones out before I try anything bigger. But I'm excited to get into something more substantial.
Oh, I did use a drill to put a hole through for his mouth... so it's almost all x-acto...99.5% lol.

Aloha everyone....been awhile.. life always seems to get in the way of doing all the fun stuff. Anyway, the little wood tiki is finished but I ruined it with trying to stain it. I'll take a pic and post it. Maybe one of you will have a suggestion or two on how I can remedy the poor fellow.

On another note... posting a few pics of a couple other tikis in cast stone. I have them in a range of colors but I only have pics of the blue guys.. will post the others soon too though I think.

Your "Blue" guys are pretty cool, can't wait to see the others!

Those guys are great! Very nice for just an x-acto blade. You'll have to post a pic of the stained problem. Anyway, Welcome to TC. Can't wait to see the rest.

you want to get kit #KB3 here:

http://www.mountainwoodcarvers.com/warren.htm

or from another site or if you can find it locally.

Those are great, really like them.

Thanks for that link PDrake, that travel kit looks perfect.

Love the "blue tiki group." A lot better than my first carving, that's
for sure.

Nicely done. Welcome back.

Thanks everyone...feels good to be back.

As for the stain on the wood tiki, I think it's the sealer I applied afterward. I'll have a pic soon but what happened was that there is a crusty white film everywhere. Not to mention the stain I used looked horribly dark. I think the wood is some sort of pine and very light. How do you folks sand those small pieces so nicely? I have a dremel but it just seems to gouge more than sand. Arrg..

i L;OVE THE COLOR ON THE BLU GUY .
]and the first carving wayy better than what i did. Keep it up
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