My 1st small scale tiki

Since I'm still recovering and am not supposed to play with big logs I figuered I would try something small.

Congatiki is about 4" tall and carved from butternut. I used mostly a box cutter and a dremmel, oh and a grinder to rough out the conga shape.

A question for the pros, what are some techniques for sanding down the eye cavities, etc.? My finger bones ain't used to this dainty work.

Raffertiki still rocks. Looks really good Raffer. The key to the smoothe eyes and small detail is to Not have to sand it in the first place. go to your hobby shop, or Here
http://www.treelineusa.com/cgi-bin/shopper?preadd=action&key=290-0302
and get a hook blade to go into This handle
http://www.treelineusa.com/cgi-bin/shopper?preadd=action&key=290-0501
With the hook blade you can make cleaner cuts around the eye and on the eyeball itself. Be very careful because it Really LOVESFingers and has a terreffic appetite for blood. the blade is sharpenable also.

For using a boxcutter, you got a Lot of detail. You won't believe the difference of a good knife though.

very nice tiki....raffertiki....nice to
have a wooden namesake!

Thanks for the info Ben. I already placed my order, even though I don't really see how it will carve tight recessed areas such as the eyes. How would you approach it?

Congatiki, the conga image seems to keep recurring in a lot of my art, so I'm sure you'll soon have more wooden namesakes. Do you play the congas?

Wel, when you are setting up to do the eyes, draw your lines and create 2 little mounds, one for each eye, get the depth down from the nose and cheek so the mounds are basically the "closed eyes". then you draw he eyelids in and cutout the lids part that opens them up, then you draw in the pupil and line it in any way you want.
good luck. I'll explain more tomorrow.
Cheers

Hey raffer...howz it?

I'm sure Ben has a much cooler way of doing it (and I can't wait to read his response too), but I'll give you my .02 for what it's worth....

I usually do all the fine detail on my small guys using the different dremel carving attachments. I do use the sanding disk, but sparingly because it tends to burn if not done carefully. Most of the "sanding" is done with the carving attachments. Once I carve the general outline, I carefully take away the wood little by little (or a lot at once, once you get the hang of it) with the carving attachments.
Once it's all carved and almost smooth, I bring in the folded sand paper and sand along the crease of the fold in the hard to reach places of the carving. I start with not so fine grit, then work my way to super fine (or whenever you feel the work is done).
After that, pop on the polish attachment for the dremel and shine it up!

works for me...but I can't wait to see what Ben says.

Hope this helped, bro.

Lookin' nice Raff. I'm glad to see your recent mishap hasn't slowed you down a bit.

I used to lay carpet many years ago & cut myself with carpet knives more times than I care to remember. Ben, that hook knife scares me. But, considering the source, I might have to get one.

Polynesiac, I'm so glad you posted that. I used your recent advice, but promptly burned out my Dremel sanding disk (Arrrrgh!). After that I used the exact method that you just mentioned, good ol' 60 grit folded up & shoved into the crevices. That and lots of cleanup with Flexcut palm chisels.

Thanks for asking the good questions, Raff. I too await Ben's words of wisdom on the art of making "rough" into "nice".

A-A

Very cool Raffertiki - even more knowing that you used a box cutter. If I tried that, I know what would happen - I'd end up getting the blade stuck in the wood and breaking it off! That's me with a blade and a block of wood. Keep up the good work.

Keep the conga-tikis coming...i seem to
have a lot of conga designs in my paintings...conga players...etc...they have
nice curves! i do play congas and other
ethnic percussion but not in a profession
sense...tho we have kicked out a couple
of homemade cds.

Raffer- looks great!
For some of the sanding I use these mini sanding blocks, they are a life saver for me...no cramps in the fingers and wrist anymore. Go to...
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?page=20183&category=1,42500&ccurrency=2&SID=

I use "c" thats pictured there.
Congatiki...lets jam! I got a basement that looks like a musical instrument store!

Raffertiki,

Nice start in the world of carving. Did you use a lathe to shape that piece of wood or were you able to buy it that way?

OK, Here's a pair of eyes about 1/4" round carved in Very soft bass wood (which I hate!) I started with a small gough to get the basic nose bridge and the mounds for the eyes.
Here are the knife blades I use and a sanding star I use



This step is where you want to do as much sanding as you can to get it smoothe because it will be the basic end product around the eyes.

Once you get it smoothe and get the mounds even and equal and level, then you mark the eyes with a pencil


Next I use the small hook knife (since these are small eyes) to cut the outline of each eye. Keep the depth even about 1/16 th" deep all the way around. You are just making a slice for each side of the eye. 2 slices per eye. Then I begin to cut the "eyelid" off the eyeball itself. Using the small hook and small straight blade I just cut down to the edge of the eyelid and round out the eyeball a small bit at a time.






It takes a bit of practice but after a few you get the hang of it.
Just try to picture an eyeball up close, or better yet, find a picture and enlarge it until the eyeball is as large as you can get and then study it and use it for refrence.
I know I skipped over a few steps but I hope this helps.

Hey guys thanks for the comps and the tips. There are a few new toys I will need to order. Those little sanding blocks look to be very useful.

Did you use a lathe to shape that piece of wood or were you able to buy it that way?

I got the conga shape using a grinder and eye-balling it. Be sure to use thick leather gloves if you try it.

Ben, What can I say? I think you just made everyone's day. I can't wait to start my next piece so I can try out your technique. Two hunks of sasparilla wood should be arriving any day now.

Damn Ben! Whaddya got, a telescope on yer camera?? No seriously, those are great macro shots, what kind of camera are ya usin'?
Raffer- Are we the only tiki-heads in New England?

Surfintiki, I'm using a Nikon CoolPix 950. It's more than a few years old and only has 2 megapixels,but great for Macros. Thanks.

My hook blade and handle just arrived. I'll give it a try and keep you posted on progress, flesh wounds, etc.

Can't wait Raffertiki, but please be careful. It was not very fair of me to show you how to do that complicated eye. After I posted it I thought "what an Ass I am for doing that"
here are some pix of a carving half done that was done Only with the hook blades. The trick is to lay out your carving so that all you do is cut "V" lines. Some deep and some not. After you get the basic shape in all V lines, then you startshaping the eye, nose and mouth, still with the hook blade
I will try to go thru the other side step by step...maybe.

hey Raffer, I like that style. It's different. Keep it up!

ben-
is that basswood you're using?

Ben, I feel like I should be paying tuition. Your first example was good, but this second one really nails my question perfectly. I'm going to tweak the one I started, then try my hand at another more detailed one.

Do you sharpen your hook blades with your sandpaper technique?

Thanks Jungle Trader. I'm working on a way to give the drumhead an animal skin look.

Time to check that squirrel trap.

Surfintiki, the last one is Mahogany, but it's the sapwood and fairly soft. The first one was bass wood(did I say I Hated it?I Do)
Raffertiki, yes I use the sandpaper to sharpen the hooks but with a twist. I have cut smaller pieces and glued them around a 1" pipe with contact cement. I shoved handles into the end of the pipes and use them like files to sharpen the hooks.. I just came up with this recently, having searched for a sharpening method for a long time. It is the Only way I have been able to sharpen the little bloodthirsty bastards!



I really hope this helps.
You guys just learn what I'm showing you, thats all the payment I need.

Great first go at it Raffertiki. Watch out though once you start carvin' it becomes another creative itch that needs scratchin'.

Ah Ben, those tools of yours look like the things you would find a Ninja making use of. Your kung-fu is the best, Thanks for this and your other posts giving all of us grasshoppers lesson or two.

Chongoliosan

-- I believe that our Heavenly Father invented the monkey because he was disappointed in man."
... Mark Twain

Come explore http://www.lost-isle.com

[ Edited by: Chongolio on 2005-01-07 17:31 ]

Great work Mr. Raffer.
If'n Ben ever does offer classes I'll sign right up with you. Tiki 101.
I'm just reading and learning, taking lessons from Master Ben.

The online classroom of Tiki Central. I had a small piece of Bass wood and thought I would give it a try. Do I get any extra credit?

Yes AS, you get an A+ for the day,, Excellent start.

Damn hard wood. This sassafras was advertised as being the softest hard wood. I'll need a laser to carve it, or at least a dremmel. Butternut is somewhat better, but still a hand cramper. The were both easy enough to rough into a conga drum shape with a grinder, but I need something SOFT to try out Ben's techniques.

What is a good wood to start out with?

Hi, Raff. I've been told that Basswood was the easiest thing around for carving, but I didn't think it stained well. Surfintiki proved that theory wrong recently, though. His basswood lamp turned out really nice, stain and all. Maybe you should try that?

Ben, your step-by-step is great. Thanks!

Hey Aaron, yeah I'll try to score some basswood. In the meantime I toughed it out with this butternut. I didn't quite acheive the desired effect with the eyes, and I don't really know where the mouth came from, but I definately felt more in control with my new blade. And very little blood lost.

Nice... I guess the hook blade worked better than the ol' box cutter. Well you asked the right questions. Is your next project going to be a carving also? Or another painting? Or another "Marooned"? Man, you got too many talents! Good luck!

Aaron

Thanks AA. Next project? I have a print in progress, a screenplay that I have to finish, and I promised to carve a tiki birdfeeder for a charity auction by March I don't know which will be finished first.

But at least I am 5 Marooned on the Mainlands ahead of my 2 per month schedule.

Maybe I have that Mania condition that MEAN GENE was talking about.

RAffertiki, I see a big difference with the new blade. Was it hard to get used to and how bad did you cut yourself? Keep up the work but NO Slacking on our Marooned beachcomber. we can't be missing Any of those installments!

A minor scratch and pin prick. No more than a couple sacrificial drops.