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

I can't wait to see how you're going to use the tiles!

Wendy, they can actually stack for a bisque firing so I could probably 5 or 6. I fired 2 in the last glaze firing, I think I have enough kiln shelves and post to fire all three.

Thank you MaukaHale. Hopefully in the next few weeks.

That's great.

Dang, Mike! Those finished tiles look fantastic. And I feel your pain regarding hours invested in this work--my time spent routing/burning/staining wood trim and other accessories for my place is astronomical. The Wife has made such observances, and even local tiki folks this past week suggested that maybe I'm not making choices that result in the most efficient use of my limited time. The thing is, they're right. And I know it. But at a certain point it's too late to turn back...

Love the green tiles, you should mass produce them. :)

Awesome
I’ll bet u could bang out lil tile necklaces
:)

I think my last two big tikis were about 80 HRs each

Thank you Hilda
Jon and Jayme, I suspect our time working on Tiki projects is more therapeutic than financial :wink:

My next three tiles are ready to go in the kiln tomorrow. I was thinking I only needed 6 tiles but what was I thinking?! That 16x44 inch window is going to take at least 10 8x8 tiles

So I started up 3 more. I will need one more in addition to these but I only have enough sheetrock to sandwich three at a time.

Wendy, do you or Dan recognize the material my stencil is made of?

Blank x-ray film? If I saw a lung there I would know for sure!!! Wendy

:lol: Winner, winner, chicken dinner Wendy :lol:

Yes, I went down to Radiology and stole a blank piece of film. Easy enough to cut, durable, and waterproof - perfect for this job :D

When and where? Someday you'll come here! Wendy

On 2018-11-01 19:20, MadDogMike wrote:
Jon and Jayme, I suspect our time working on Tiki projects is more therapeutic than financial :wink:

Indeed! I figured that out last year, early in the process. I start working on tiki, I get to switch off the parts of my brain that are over-taxed by the day job and let the gray matter that's normally idle take over. It's an unexpected (and unexpectedly effective) stress reducer.

These are really cool Mike.
Nice job!

Wendy, I've been to your house. It's your turn to visit me :lol:
Thank you Skip

On 2018-11-02 12:02, Prikli Pear wrote:
...I start working on tiki, I get to switch off the parts of my brain that are over-taxed...

Yup! :D

Making progress on my tiles. 3 ready for the bisque fire, 3 ready for the glaze fire, 3 done. One more to make I think

I let the latest batch dry too long without being sandwiched between wallboard and they cupped some. It would be a problem if they were laying flat on a table but I don't think it will matter the way I'm going to use them.

While I had jade tiles on the mind I came up with a new project, any guesses? (not coasters)

Now to "lash" it together and clean it up

Lots of cleanup to do yet

A planter? I think you should also make a large set and do a hanging light. Wendy

It could be a small planter (it's 4x4x4 inches) but I plan to use it as a mug. Glazing is going to be problematic; If these were a commercial mug they would just be glazed all green. Optimally I would like the tile to be green, the background behind the tile to be flat black, and the ties brown. But the green and brown would need to be semi-transparent to show the detail and those glazes spread when fired :( I have to think about that for a while. My original plan was to make small tiles and glue them to a 4x4x4 acrylic cup so you can see the contents of the mug through the tiles but the 5 sided acrylic boxes I found were $15 each, I thought that was a bit steep.

A lamp would be cool but a bit heavy

Slowly making progress

Wow MDM those look really good. I'm looking forward to their installation. I also know you'll make the mug work. Wendy

I thought they were a votive candle holder.
If you left the cut outs it may be a cool table light.

A while back I tried making a Black Pearl mug but had some glaze problems and I wasn't happy with the engraving

Took another shot at it, I like this one better (but it's really hard to photograph with the mother of pearl luster)

Black Pearl cocktail
2 oz Dark Rum
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/4 Fernet Branca
garnish with Mint

Jade tiles
Pearl mug

U stud...

Thank you Jon :D

Wendy, here's a new ^06 kiln program to try
10:00pm turn on to low.
4:30am at 900F, turn to medium
8:00am at 1300F get called in to work for an indeterminate time, turn back to low so it doesn't over heat
3:00pm at 1000F get off work, turn to medium
6:00pm at 1400F turn to high
7:00pm at 1850F DONE after 21 hours :lol:

Jade Tile Mug

MadDogMike all your pieces have come out so beautifully. I just sat here and went backwards through a whole lot of photos. You are very creative. Keep on entertaining us for decades to come. Wendy

Mike, that mug turned out uber-cool!

Great job Mike, I can see a big one of those used as a planter...

Thank you Wendy, Jayme, and Hilda :D Hilda it would be a cool planter but my kiln limits me to 8x8.

Making progress on the big tiles. I placed two stick-on felt pads between each of the tiles and wired them together with some stainless steel wire. Then I tied them with brown poly cord over the wire. It doesn't quite look like jute but I wanted to go for the more weather resistant poly instead. This is 8 of the 10 tiles all connected together, makes 16x32 inches

I had one tile that broke in the kiln and I repaired it with Magic Mender. Unfortunately that repair didn't hold. I glued it back together with some E6000 and glued some metal support rods to the back. I feel confident it will hold this time.

Wow that's looking really good. I've had mixed results with the Magic Mend. Putting a thick layer on after the layer between pieces has helped and when it dries I then sand it.

That tile mug is really something else.

Sweet

Tiles are looking good. I agree with Skip; that mug would also be cool as a candle holder, too.

Mike this is your best stuff ever.

Both are way cool.

You could do so much with these tiles, no reason they could not be a hanging light for your room too might need to make a square hat though.

Hey just so ya know there is plastic binder cane that you can use as well it is tan and will look like the natural stuff and be weather resistant too.

Franks cane and rush.
Man they should pay me I promote them so much.
http://www.franksupply.com/caning/hand-caning.html#plasticcane

Thank you Wendy, Bam Bam, Hang10, Hamo, and Skip

Skip, that plastic cane would have been perfect. To quote Alanis Morrisette "A death row pardon 10 minutes too late, isn't it ironic" :lol: I probably would have been to impatient to order it :D I will keep that in mind if I ever need to re-wrap

Why does it have to get dark at 4:30? I have things to do outside!!!

"Why does it have to get dark at 4:30? I have things to do outside!!!"

Hey it could be dark AND 40 degrees outside.
Now that would really suck!

I am so confused by your photos. Are you building a wall outside or inside? Did you take out a glass window which you are replacing with the tiles or making a whole new window? I can't figure it out. Wendy

You have a point Skip :lol:

Wendy it's outside on the patio. The small, high bathroom window faces out on the patio. I wanted to cover that wall in stained wood and bamboo wainscoating but I wanted to disguise the window. So the tiles will hide the window but still let light into the bathroom

Ooh, Skip's lamp-making instincts are spot-on, as usual. Make a six-sided hanging lamp with these tiles, only instead of hanging it square, hang it point-down. That eliminates the need for a "hat." Run the fixture cord in through the corner, and you're good to go. I think it'd look fantastic, especially with a colored bulb.

Jayme I like the triangular bipyramid idea instead of the cube!

Thank you that makes complete sense.

Today on Thanksgiving, I am thankful that I have projects to work on outside so I don't have to sit inside with the family and watch the parade :lol: I'm kidding of course :D We had two Thanksgiving dinners earlier this week and another one coming up on Sunday. But today is just going to be a quiet day at home.
I am thankful that I didn't drop the electric drill in the pond while I was standing barefoot on that aluminum ladder :o

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, WE HAVE MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR

:)
:)
:)

Happy Thanksgiving Mike

A total stranger on FaceBook was bemoaning the fact that there are no Tiki pie birds. First I had to look up pie birds, turns our they are a ceramic piece (often bird shaped) that you bake into a pie to vent out the steam. Next I volunteered to make him some :lol:

They are all about 4 inches tall with hole from the bottom to the top. Still some cleanup to do but I've got a volcano, Moai, Head on a Bamboo Stake, Luau Pig, and Marquesean Tiki.

Pie time

You are busy as a bee so how about a beetiki? The room looks wonderful and your art is always such fun. Cheers, Wendy

Now it's really pie time. I finished the 5 pie birds

Volcano, Moai, Marquesean, Kamapua'a, and Shrunken Head on a Bamboo Stake. Then I realized that none of these pie birds are a "bird", so I started on a Hornbill :lol: All about 4 inches tall with a vent running top to bottom

Awesome