carving time?

I'm curious how much time people spend on their carvings. The first two I did, the Tang and Marq, I didn't really keep track but estimated 25-30 hours. I'm working on a Lono right now and trying to keep track better and probably have about 40 hours in already and I feel I have quite a bit more to do before I consider it finished. I've had the design/drawing time, the time chiseling out the rough shape, now I'm in the fine tuning stage with a dremel, then there is the sanding and staining.

So I'm curious how long it takes other 'newbies' that are learning what cuts to make, how deep to go, figuring out proportions, etc, and the more proficient carvers on here that know their routine and what needs to be done.

Thanks,

Scott

I think i work kinda slow, finding my way along. I'm sure there's at least 80 hrs in any 4ft tiki I have done and 120 - 150 hrs in a 5 or 6ft tiki. One problem may be bc i tend to use a lot of pine since it's plentiful around here. And the pine logs I have been using always seem to have a problem that slows me down like knots and areas changing grain that cause me to slow down so I don't tear the wood. I also have to be careful when cutting down across the grain to keep it from tearing. Hope that helps.

Hey Goat, I think it really depends on what kind of details you are attempting as well as what tool family you have chosen. I can easily spend 40 -80 hrs on one piece.

McTiki

wow. I'm feeling like Speedy Mc Racer at this point.

I can do a decent 2 to 4 ft Moai in an hour or 2 and a decent similar tiki in 3 to 6 hours. When I say "decent" I mean presentable...not super-detailed & gouged out to the extreme. Obviously that figure can go up drastically depending on size and detail. I have about 20 hours into what I consider my best piece, which is a 3 ft Hawaiian lono I did recently.

I would say that I'm pretty damned fast with a chainsaw & grinder. I can bust out a rough piece in pretty short order with a saw & grinder. It really just comes down to how much time I want to spend with a hammer & chisel detailing it (which, to me, is the most rewarding part of the process).

But then, I've only been doing this for 2 years & I'm completely self-taught. No one ever showed me anything...I wanted to do it & just kinda figured it out. I still don't know what half the chisels I've seen are even used for! I'm hoping to get out and meet some of the more experienced guys here on the forum who live here in FL so I can learn some more (specifically about using chisels) and improve my process.

Most people on this forum are self-taught and with that, styles and techniques vary. Time is irrelevant unless you have the end goal of selling it - its mostly about the reward of having a nice Tiki. Power tools are faster and chisels give character. I like to use both and depending on what I'm doing the tools often dictate the rate of progress. The type of wood also is a huge variable. Its difficult for me to estimate the amount of time I put into a piece, because I work on them when I can, for however long I can. Often its only a few minutes at a time. It usually takes me a few months for something big - but only a few hours for the small stuff. I also put a lot of time into finishing - sometimes as much time as it took to carve. Carving does get faster the more you do it - your cuts will become deeper and more direct.

If you're interested in learning more - look for local wood carving clubs/shows/classes. All the same principals apply to carving tikis as carving eagles, bears... its how you use the knowledge that will define your style.

On 2011-06-24 06:59, AlohaStation wrote:
Most people on this forum are self-taught and with that, styles and techniques vary. Time is irrelevant unless you have the end goal of selling it - its mostly about the reward of having a nice Tiki. Power tools are faster and chisels give character. I like to use both and depending on what I'm doing the tools often dictate the rate of progress. The type of wood also is a huge variable. Its difficult for me to estimate the amount of time I put into a piece, because I work on them when I can, for however long I can. Often its only a few minutes at a time. It usually takes me a few months for something big - but only a few hours for the small stuff. I also put a lot of time into finishing - sometimes as much time as it took to carve. Carving does get faster the more you do it - your cuts will become deeper and more direct.

If you're interested in learning more - look for local wood carving clubs/shows/classes. All the same principals apply to carving tikis as carving eagles, bears... its how you use the knowledge that will define your style.

Ditto what AS said. Throw whatever tool you have at it to get the job done. If you have a big piece to lop off and have a chainsaw, by all means use that. Don't stand there chipping away one itty bitty chip at a time. :lol:

I too can only work on mine while juggling real life. It's hard to get anything done working a few minutes at a time. It often takes me 20 or 30 minutes just to get into the "flow" and figure out what I'm doing. The angle grinder has really saved me a lot of time on rough sanding. Detail sanders are a life saver too. But mine broke...

Thanks for the feedback. I'm not really worried about how long it's taking, just a bit surprised. It's still fun to work on and see the progress. The pieces I've done have all been with eucalyptus and are probably 12-18 inches tall. So too small for any chainsaw action or large grinders. Maybe things would go a bit faster if I used different types of wood, the eucalyptus just happened to be trimmed nearby and decided to grab some to try carving. Hope to get some lono photos posted soon.