Tiki Totem Pole Care - Collecting Tiki

S SugarCaddyDaddy Member Huntington Beach, California Joined: Jun 03, 2002 Posts: 1500	S SugarCaddyDaddy Posted posted on Mon, Jul 15, 2002 9:36 AM Hola!...oops, I mean Aloha! I've searched for this info in the discussion area, but could not find it, so I am bringing it up as a new topic... What "care" is needed for totem poles? Does the pole have to have any type of fumigation to keep unwanted bugs out? If you do get bugs, what fumigation process is best? Does the pole have to be treated or sprayed with any type of sealant annually? Is it ok to wash down the pole or should they be kept as dry as possible? Should I expect splitting if exposed to 6-8 hours of direct sunlight each day? Will there be any type of swelling when exposed directly to rain during the rainy season? Is a palm a better choice over railroad tie or telephone pole? If you get a painted pole, what type of paint should be purchased to re-paint when the original paint becomes too worn? What depth is safest to plant your pole in order to prevent it from tipping over? When buying a pole (ex. 4 or 6 foot), is that a true total measurement or is it actually longer to allow for planting into the ground? (note that some people charge by the foot, so that extra 1 or 2 feet for planting, at an additional $50 to $150 per foot can really add to the overall cost, especially since its not a carved or exposed area). When planting into the ground what preparation should the ground have so that you don't rot out your pole? Yes, it's alot of questions, but I like to get as much information as possible before I make my investment. I hope that some of you who make/sell poles can do a webpage dedicated to upkeep of poles. Thanks everyone! SugarCaddyDaddy Oh, last question and this might be a question for BigBro....Is there any type of known 'ceremonial blessing' that should be said when adding a tiki pole to your home? [ Edited by: sugarcaddydaddy on 2002-07-15 09:46 ]
B bigbrotiki Tiki Socialite Tiki Island, above the Silverlake Joined: Mar 25, 2002 Posts: 11621	B bigbrotiki Posted posted on Mon, Jul 15, 2002 10:24 AM The best person to ask all of these questions is Leroy at Oceanic Arts. I just know that railroad ties are dowsed in some heavy anti-termite toxin and telephone poles start to smell like tar in the sun... I simply invented a ceremony for the blessing of my Easter Island Tiki that was carved by Leroy (http://bookoftiki.com/010.html). I christened him Big Daddy Olu (Olu = cool) and from a Hawaiian dictionairy made up an incantation that roughly translated into "To be uncool is to be the coolest" (this was 1993). Than I had friends lay down tropical fruits as an offering by his feet, and, dressed in the appropriate garb, poured flaming 151 rum into his mouth from a Tiki bowl. The amazing thing was that briefly the flame ran out of the side of his mouth, but for 30 seconds or longer a small blue flame was flickering out between his lips. It was as if the spirit had enterd him..

Hola!...oops, I mean Aloha!

I've searched for this info in the discussion area, but could not find it, so I am bringing it up as a new topic...

What "care" is needed for totem poles?

Does the pole have to have any type of fumigation to keep unwanted bugs out?

If you do get bugs, what fumigation process is best?

Does the pole have to be treated or sprayed with any type of sealant annually?

Is it ok to wash down the pole or should they be kept as dry as possible?

Should I expect splitting if exposed to 6-8 hours of direct sunlight each day?

Will there be any type of swelling when exposed directly to rain during the rainy season?

Is a palm a better choice over railroad tie or telephone pole?

If you get a painted pole, what type of paint should be purchased to re-paint when the original paint becomes too worn?

What depth is safest to plant your pole in order to prevent it from tipping over?

When buying a pole (ex. 4 or 6 foot), is that a true total measurement or is it actually longer to allow for planting into the ground? (note that some people charge by the foot, so that extra 1 or 2 feet for planting, at an additional $50 to $150 per foot can really add to the overall cost, especially since its not a carved or exposed area).

When planting into the ground what preparation should the ground have so that you don't rot out your pole?

Yes, it's alot of questions, but I like to get as much information as possible before I make my investment. I hope that some of you who make/sell poles can do a webpage dedicated to upkeep of poles.

Thanks everyone!

SugarCaddyDaddy

Oh, last question and this might be a question for BigBro....Is there any type of known 'ceremonial blessing' that should be said when adding a tiki pole to your home?

[ Edited by: sugarcaddydaddy on 2002-07-15 09:46 ]

The best person to ask all of these questions is Leroy at Oceanic Arts.
I just know that railroad ties are dowsed in some heavy anti-termite toxin and telephone poles start to smell like tar in the sun...

I simply invented a ceremony for the blessing of my Easter Island Tiki that was carved by Leroy (http://bookoftiki.com/010.html).

I christened him Big Daddy Olu (Olu = cool) and from a Hawaiian dictionairy made up an incantation that roughly translated into "To be uncool is to be the coolest" (this was 1993). Than I had friends lay down tropical fruits as an offering by his feet, and, dressed in the appropriate garb, poured flaming 151 rum into his mouth from a Tiki bowl.
The amazing thing was that briefly the flame ran out of the side of his mouth, but for 30 seconds or longer a small blue flame was flickering out between his lips. It was as if the spirit had enterd him..