MadDog Mike's Platterful of Pupule - El Tiki/Ben Wilson Wall Finished

'Tis the season of the Ape. Good job MadDoggers.

MDM,

Excellent work, as always. Your imagination never ceases to amaze me. Please keep it coming.

Aloha!

Paul

Thanks guys, love you all! :) Tiger, it looks to me like a self-portrait. The eyes are a little more orange than the amber/brown I was shooting for but he makes me smile.

It may be a little while before I post here again. I have several mosaic projects to work on, some Christmas presents. My Quetzal mosaic is almost done, working on a Baltimore Ravens mosaic table and a 3x6 foot community art mosaic of a 1913 car race. I bought a concrete bench mold and I'm working on a concrete and ceramic fall leaf bench, a garden gnome bench, and maybe a mermaid bench. None of those are tiki so I won't post them here but maybe I'll post a link to them :D I'll be back to more tiki project soon enough.

Sir Artist MadDogMike, I absolutely love your work and genius imagination!

I've got some catching up to do.:lol:

If you want to wish MadDogMike well and smile at the same time check out his post on the Ohana page. Heal fast we want more art from those hands, Wendy

Time to share some more photos. I know you have some. Happy Halloween, Wendy

OK, Wendy's calling me out :lol:

I bought a concrete bench mold and I'm making ceramic pieces to embed into the concrete to make custom benches for Christmas gifts.

A couple of the benches are not tiki related (fall leaves and lawn gnomes) so I haven't posted any pictures, but this one will have a Hawaiian couple. I need to make some sort of name plate to put the couple's names on, maybe I'll sneak a tiki in. The Hawaiian guy is 3 pieces, total of about 10 or 11 inches tall and 3/8 thick. The gal is 2 pieces (I pilfered the designs off the interweb, the only thing I can draw is flies)

If it looks like those pieces are in the sink under water, that's because they are :) Underglazes fire to a dull finish, it's hard to tell if you got good coverage until you put the clear glaze on top and fire it again. Then it's too late to fix any errors. But if you put them in water, you can see any places that need to be touched up. In this case I can see that the shell necklace on the guy needs to be outlined so it shows up better and the flower & lei on the girl need more pizzaz.

I also finished up a Baltimore Ravens mosaic table top this weekend, my first mosaic table top. It was a pratice piece for a tiki table top I want to do later :D

A great project you've got going there, the under water test is pure genius. :) Smart and talented, you got it going on my friend! :lol:

Wait... you have to drown your work in order to put it into fire? Something ain't right here. :wink:

Cool stuff Mike doggy I dig it. Can't wait to see more progress.

Thanks Linda and Tiger, that water trick seems a bit crazy but it works!

Some more work on my Hula Dancers concrete bench. A lot of techinical mumbo jumbo here, you can just come back in a month and see the finished project if you want :lol: Here are the completed tiles in the 16"x32" bench mold

This is my second bench I am casting, I had a few problems with my first one and want to experiment to see if I can fix those problems.

The concrete has to be vibrated really good to get it to settle around the tiles and give it a good smooth finish. That means the tiles have to be stable in the bottom of the mold so they don't move around. On my first bench, I stuck the tiles to a high tack adhesive film and put it in the bottom of the mold. It kept the pieces from moving around but the film is thick, it left an impression in the top of the bench and it chipped the concrete a little when I unmolded it. This time I am going to try to adhere the piece directly to the bottom of the mold. I need a glue that stick well enough to hold but not so good that it pulls the tiles out of the concrete when I unmold it, also something that will stick to smooth plastic and ceramic, something that any residue is easily removable. I am giving rubber cement a shot. Rubber cement placed on the face of the tiles and on the bottom of the mold then stuck together. When it was dry, I rubbed off the excess glue so it doesn't leave a mark in the cement.

The dancers are made from more than one piece (3 for the guy and 2 for the gal) because long flat pieces tend to warp in the kiln. I glued some steel rods to the back of the tiles to help keep them in line relative to each other. The rods will stay there, embedded in the concrete.

OK, enuf boring details for now. I may pour concrete this afternoon if the rubber cement ever dries :D

Hi Mike, mortar has a lot more sand than concrete. If you have some concrete left why not sift out the rocks and patch the bench holes with that. When you stain it there may be less variation. I know my mom did that for some of her projects.

You are going to be a master bench maker to add to your resume. Your leaves and figures are wonderful. I'm looking forward to the next set of photos. Wendy

I hope this turns out Mike, next spring I need to repair the two outdoor tile tables on my patio.

Really like your handmade tiles, so cool!

I love this project! :D What about a low heat glue gun, everything I use it on seems to come off easily
in a very short time! :lol: The rods are a great idea for strength.

Wendy, Chris & Linda - thank you so much. Linda, I think hot glue might be too thick. The rubber cement held OK, now to see if it releases when I unmold. Wendy I'm glad you told me about the cement:sand ratio in mortar mix, I didn't know. So instead of mortar mix, I took half a bag of concrete and screened out the largest gravel. I mixed it and poured enough to surround, but not cover the tiles. I could still see them to make sure they didn't shift around while vibrating the bubbles out of the concrete.

I let it set for about an hour then mixed up the rest of the concrete (un-screened) and poured it over the other concrete.

I think I'll give it 2 days to harden and unmold it on Thursday, we'll see what happens :D

I really enjoy how you try different media & diverse projects Mike, Your a real "Tiki Renaissance Man".

Daaaang! that's a LOT of work!
Go Mike GO!!!!!!!

Hi Mike, it's looking good. My mom taught me how to lay brick and I taught Dan. We have mixed enough mortar to put down over 8000 bricks. It's as much fun as clay. So I can feel your projects. I've never layered concrete I'll be interested to see how the two layers stick together. I hope it looks as good as your last bench. Cheers, Wendy

Very Cool Mike! - Mahalo's Wendy for calling Mike out on this one, I'd love to try and make something like this sometime.. I'm digging the couple you picked out too, AWESOME!!

So... you have to drown your victims and then bury them in concrete?

Are you the Aloha Mafia? :lol:

Looking good can't wait to see how it turns out. :wink:

Thanks guys, but this one was a FAIL! :lol: When I unmolded the bench it broke in half (across the bench, not between the layers) Because the concrete wasn't cured yet I was able to salvage the Hawaiian guy and the nameplate, but the gal suffered a broken leg in the incident and had to be put down :(

I'll make a new gal and go back to the technique that worked on the first bench. I'm ready to pour another non-tiki (garden gnome) bench this weekend, we'll see what happens

Bummer Mike, sorry to hear that brada.. On a bench this size do have to add rebar or the metal screen to keep it from cracking?
I'll keep my fingers crossed for the next one..

Sorry the bench failed Mike, although knowing you, the next one will be great!

Man, sorry to hear about the bench Mike. I don't know how you have the patience with projects like this...I would blow a gasket. I think from what small experience I have with concrete Beachbumz is right: you need re-bar or wire mesh to bear up the weight, especially if someone is actually going to sit on the thing adding more weight. If it were me I think I would use both just to be sure. Good luck with it, hope the next one turns out OK.

Thanks for the sympathy guys :D I'm pretty patient so it's not a big problem, but I am on a Christmas deadline so I need to get moving on this. And because I'm just in this for the fun, the journey is good even when the finished project doesn't work out (however, it is much more satifying when a project works out like you planned :lol: )

The directions say that mesh or rebar are not needed because of the short span of the concrete bench, and the first one worked out without any reinforcement. The concrete is pretty fragile when it comes out of the mold, it needs to cure for a week before it can be really handled. Maybe the area I unmolded it on wasn't quite level enough and stressed it? Maybe sifting out some of the rocks was a bad idea? Maybe the rods attached to the ceramic pieces affected it somehow. Vezzini said that when the job goes wrong, go back to the beginning. So I'm going back to the industrial strength contact paper in the bottom of the mold like the first one.

Sorry about your set back with your bench. We do learn from our mishaps though, wishing you much luck with the next one. You can do it! :)

Hi Mike I'm so sad that this happened. I don't think it was the removal of the rocks. I'm betting it just hadn't set. Being able to take out the guy showed that. Did a crack show up before removing it from the mold or happen as you removed it? Is it colder out than when you did the first one? It takes longer to cure in the cold. Bummer. Best wishes for the next one to go perfectly. ): Wendy

Wow! I missed so much the last month or so. Mike you're kicking butt! I've enjoyed reading all the comments and suggestions and am sorry your hula bench didn't work out...this time! I have faith the next one will work out. Then there's the chimp...hysterical! The hats a work of art! I don't think he looks THAT much like you!

Nothing for sale for Christmas? Well get busy ha ha. Looking forward to your next post here, Wendy

Thanks for your encouragement all. I WILL get this bench to work, I'm not too bright but I am tenacious (have you noticed that same trait in your spouse or children is called "stubborn" :D )

I recast my Hula Dancer bench again and tried a different method. In a few days I can unmold it and clean it up to see what I have. I am a little worried about the temps for the next few nights, we are getting near frost and I don't think freezing is good for fresh concrete.

My main focus lately has been a little teardrop trailer I picked up and am refurbishing for Mojave Oasis II. I have been doing mostly trim, paint, flooring, electrical, etc. But when I start to do the "modest tikification" I'll post some pics.

Way to cool for school, Mike! you should post progress pics.

Mke,
Cannot wait to see the Tiki teardrop take shape. I've always wanted one of those! Maybe one day...

Peace,
Jason

Tiki Teardrop trailer!!!!!
Most Excellent Mike!
:)

Rad trailer Maddog, that's gonna be siiick!!!

Good luck with the bench, too!!!

Good luck with that bench Mike.. The trailer is very cool, can't wait to see what you do with it..

Just a thought...:lol: :P

Dang it MadDog,

Is there any medium left for you to make stuff with?

I keep waiting for the post where you say, "Here's the electron microscope I found: I'm going to etch a moai on an isotope." I, too, really want to see what you do to the trailer.

I don't watch television anymore. I just read to keep up with what the Tiki Centralites are creating. It's a lot more fun than T.V. and it doesn't bum me out.

Thank you for the kind words peoples. My bench projects are sitting pretty right now (pun intended) Everything is cast, now to let them cure and concrete stain them in 2 weeks.

TikiDaye, not sure a teardrop trailer would work for a family man like you - inside dimensions are 4x7 feet, it might be a little cramped with a handful of kids :o

Beachbumz, thanks for that design tip but I think I'll go with something a little more subtle :wink:

ProfG, for my next project I'm going to build a giant laser and engrave a Moai on the moon :lol:

Here's some progress shots of the trailer. There was an open seam along the outside of both sides, I covered it with aluminum angle and added a drip rail over the door. I am still trying to decide if I want to get some regular 13 inch automotive wheels and lose the 12 inch trailer wheels. I'm am planning to spray the trailer in automotive paint to match my car in January. The kitchen area in the back needs some paint and formica.

On the inside I tore out the nasty carpet and replaced it with vinyl flooring, caulked all the seams, added trim & moldings, added a couple of shelves, a light fixture, a curtain rod, & a clothes hook, and painted. Here's my blank canvas

And here's my inspiration

It's a fabric called "Tahitian Cannibal" designed by Dawn Frasier/Sophista-Tiki available from Spoonflower. I bought some fabric for curtains, bedding trim, etc. Dawn was graciously gave me permission use that graphic as a motif for the trailer, I've got some plans for various projects. My fabric should come in early next week and then I can get busy sewing and decorating.

Be good to yourself and to the ones you love
Life is short, smile while you still have your teeth.

[ Edited by: MadDogMike 2011-12-07 20:31 ]

I am following closely......but not tailgating.....

more
more
more

really looking forward to progress pics MDM.
seeing all your other work, the trailer's gonna be a real beauty.

Looks like a fun project, Mike

The Tiki Teardrop Trailer has brought a tear to my eye, what a beautiful thing to make your own! Looking forward to progression. Congratulations on your acquisition! :)

MDM,

This is EPIC, a culmination of many of your skills in one project...You need to make a mug that looks like it once it's finished...Then you can keep it with the trailer for going to events...Thanks for always inspiring my desire to create...

PAul

Amazing project Mike! Can't wait to see more pics!

This is so cool, can't hardly wait for the full MDM conversion!

I'm with hang10tiki MORE MORE MORE. Mike you do know that since you can also sew that you have to make a shirt that matches the curtains with Dawn's fabric. You wouldn't want to clash when you go to Amy's Mohave events. I'm so impressed! Wendy

Posted on Dawn's thread.

Hi Dawn, I think all your fans who visit here should now go to MadDogMikes page at
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=29606&forum=18&start=1080
to watch him use your wonderful fabric to decorate his trailer. It's going to be outstanding. I've told him that he also needs to make a matching shirt or maybe you have one made already? This is such fun.

Best Wishes on your Palm Springs show, Wendy

[ Edited by: danlovestikis 2011-12-08 11:04 ]

Dang Mike what DON'T you turn into some kind of freaky tiki art project? :lol:

How many people can fit into that little 'ol teardrop without crying? :wink: Looking forwards to the restoration/tikification progress.

El Bumperino! Howzit goin' Mike?

Still alive and kickin' Chris.

This week has been tied up organizing and cooking a Christmas Luau for 60 people.

Was it any good? Here's the "after" picture :lol:

Next week work and Christmas. Hopefully the week after I'll work on my trailer some. Got my Sophista-Tiki fabric in from spoonflower.com - need to sew some curtains and such. Got the logo ready to send off for a magnetic sign decal for the side of the trailer. Got the inside covered wall-to-wall in a 4 inch memory foam mattress, need to work on some bedding too.