Paipo's Stone Tikis - 1st Thread - Jun 06 - May 08

Thanks Benz - I'm enjoying doing some jade again, as it uses some different techniques which I need to practice every now and again so I don't get rusty. Much as Tama specialises in the hei-tiki, I've always liked doing hooks and couldn't guess how many I've done over the years.

hewey, I collected this jade myself from South Australia - not right at the source but close to it. Having grown up in OZ, I love using stone from there, unlike a lot of kiwi carvers who only use the local stuff.

Johnny, I'm kicking myself - when doing the inside cuts, I thought I should take some pics as it's a technique I don't think you guys have seen. I'm back out there soon and will show you the tools i used and explain how I did it in my next post.

In the meantime, another couple of hours have passed:

[ Edited by: Paipo 2006-11-06 18:32 ]

WOW, Paipo, I Knew shis was going to be an Extrordinary peice, it's Awesome. You don't even have to do anything more to it, just Box it up and send it over.Sweet

Wow I agree is perfect like it is! very very beautiful congrats!!

Finally something finished! GMAN, if you're reading this, you asked me way back if I carved any Taniwha. Well, this and most of my other hooks are based on fish/serpent type forms - on this one you can see the head, fin, spine and tail:

JohnnyP, as promised, here's some info on how I did some of the shaping on the hook.
The main hole at the bottom of the cut is just drilled with a round burr. Next I score the cut line on each side to a depth of about 2-3mm with a disc burr (seen here on left):

Now I go back and forth on each side with a V-wheel in my "point carver" - a grinder with a chuck on one end that will take a range of different tools. These is based on the foot-powered ancient Chinese jade caving machines. After a while this will break through and complete the cut, and at the same time give a nice bevel along the edges. Working the stone against the tool (as opposed to the other way like with a handpiece) is the key to getting those smooth "machined" lines.


Some of the other tools (1/4" shank)shown above are then used to clean up aalong the curves and lines, gradually decreasing the water supply so they sand instead of cut. Ditto with the handpiece. After that it's just some hand sanding and it's all done!

I Really love that piece, he looks so Prehistoric. Thanks for the continued tips'n tricks, they help a lot.

Thanks for the lesson. You must have spent a long time learning these tricks. Thank you for sharing so generously.

JP

The nice thing with the point carver is it's slow and easy, so you can't really screw it up, unlike cutting and shaping with the handpiece. We did learn this technique at "rock school" - in fact that machine I pictured was from there many years ago - but most self-taught carvers have one somewhere in their studio too.

Got a new piece roughed out today in between other jobs:

This is gonna be a cute little bugger, any chance it was inspired by L'il Scarlett at dinner time?

On 2006-11-09 07:52, Benzart wrote:
This is gonna be a cute little bugger, any chance it was inspired by L'il Scarlett at dinner time?

*Or 3.45am... :lol:

This wee Ku is looking ku-ewl!
*His brother has just found life at Gmans bench, or was it in : The Twilight Zone.... 'doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo...' T3

I dunno, I think my new little guy looks closer to the Ku From The Black Lagoon - in a Ku-ish kinda way. Either way, I would be proud to have any of my stone carvings look like something Paipo has done. Paipo rocks!

Paipo, any progress on ths bugger? I sure would like to see where you are taking him.

-Gman

Yeah, Too strange for me. Gman, WHERE You been the past week? I think we don't hear the whole Story??

I wuz in NZ hanging with Paipo and Tama :o

Thanks for the prodding fellas...he's not quite what you think he is, but the next lot of progress pics will make it all clearer!

Haven't had time to get much done, with people turning up, carving shows to attend with Tama, margaritas (sue me!) in the workshop at 3am...phew! But I did fire up "The Resinator" and make a couple more castings. Practice and more practice means these guys will be appearing soon in a Tiki Marketplace near you. They will be very limited (12 of each) as I don't want these particular designs to be overexposed, partly out of respect to those who have purchased the originals. I do have plans for some all new pieces for the mass market which will be highly affordable, with a little help from a Hawaiian brother...stay tuned!

Meanwhile, these turned out kinda cool...the milk chocolate edition (AKA "Paipo Joe's Crapawood") Tiki Kaitangata and Crying Ku. Lots of burr work and a session with the craft knife for that authentic "weathered timber on the heiau" look:

Three brothers, wondering if they have a long lost cousin in Florida?

They look great man! :)

Paipo, I Really think you did a bang-up job giving them the Weathered wood look. What a difference. They look like aged wood. Looks like your practicing daze are over?

Paipo,

The Resinator must be set on "clone mode" as these casts are fantastic and look perfect. The wood detail looks great - must be time consuming? You should send all three of those guys to Florida for a vacation and DNA testing so we can put this fraternal debate to rest! :wink: Killer stuff man. I still have this Coco Joe's Wahine here. I'll get him out to ya soon. Can you PM me a shipping address?

Have another Margarita for me.

-Gman

Thanks hewey, Benz and G. Sorry GMAN, I forgot to respond sooner, but I'll PM you some details now.
In between getting some orders caught up #17 "Putorino" is done now:

Wow, There you go again making it look as eazy as 1,2,3. Slap, Bang,Chew'em up and spit'em out. And you worry about all us newbie carvers. Excellent piece paipo, the detail is just So Precise, it makes the guy breathe.

That is absolutely wonderful! Is it going where I think it is?

Kia Ora Piapo!

Nice stonework always, cuz! On to yer handful of resins... I for one, am extremely excited to see that you'll be making some "Piapo Joe's" ( :lol: love that brandname)!!! The cannibal should be shared and enjoyed by other TC'ers! Crying Ku is just a cute lil' buggah as well!!

Those resins are really coming along and the faux "crapawood" is da beeezknees! Always looking forward to see what you come up with next..."Always good, fresh and Piapo Hot!"

Flip-flOp-fLipPp...

Putorino?
Does it whistle? If so, I quit! Surely youre not that clever?? (if not, I bet we see one soon... Bah, you are that clever arent you..?)

Sweet little fella in any case! Good job. Where IS it going?

*Better be quick, Was tempted to have my Weetbix with Pisco instead of milk this morning
-gotta grab these opportunities when we can Daddy!)

Tama

Hey Benz, yeah I wouldn't say I'm spitting them out, but there are few tikis to come over the next while now I've got some other stuff done. This one was fun to carve and was a little quicker than most of them.

Jen - I'm not sure? This little guy said he wanted to live as close to Forbidden Island as possible, so I asked him if 0.8 miles sounded good enough?

Jonesey, thanks as always for your ongoing support - I'm looking forward to getting the "Paipo Joe's / Crapawood" launched in the next few days. I really like the woodgrain look, now I just gotta work out how to get that crazy lava rock texture they use!

Tama, no sound from this guy, but you're on the money...making this one has got me thinking about flutes, birdcallers and the like, along with Vantikis musical mugs. As mentioned above, this he's moving in right near one of the world's finest tiki establishments, where I'm sure he'll have many good outings. I'll be back to you soon, just a little stuck at the moment with work and personal stuff to finalise the "lads'/tiki/carving" get together yet.

On 2006-11-13 16:09, Paipo wrote:
Jen - I'm not sure? This little guy said he wanted to live as close to Forbidden Island as possible, so I asked him if 0.8 miles sounded good enough?

YAY!!! I'm so excited! It's finally my turn to say "HappyHappyHappy!" :D :D :D

nice and cute man :)

I like your style.
Nice work.

Ben

Yeah, Ditto that,
Ben

Thanks Jen, hewey, and Ben(s). Not a lot of progress stone-wise as I've been putting a bit of effort in to the casting side of things, but I started a new piece, have done more on the Tangaroa and also have a new micro marq underway. There should be a tiki motherlode coming soon!

[ Edited by: Paipo 2006-11-15 13:12 ]

Very nice, Paipo, I love your style

Amy

I can't get over how clean your rough-outs are. Another nice one coming out soon.

Is it just me, or do Paipo's recent creations all look to have a little bit of the "sleepless daddy" influence?

Whatever it is, it's working! Great work as always, Paipo!

when are the resin "woodies" gonna be available? very cool texture. here's a pic of skulleater and niku hangin' out in the tiki room.

How does today sound!?! Check the marketplace in an hour or two. I have a blister on my finger from braiding cords!

Go! Paipo GO!

On 2006-11-15 15:54, Paipo wrote:
I have a blister on my finger from braiding cords!

Blister in the Sun? Let me go on....flip-flOp-fLipPp...Gone Daddy Gone!:D

...waiting and waiting and waiting and waining a wagiiiingk aaahhhnnnnnnnddddddddzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZ...

Man! SkullEater is great! Nice! Very Nice!

On 2006-11-15 15:54, Paipo wrote:
How does today sound!?! Check the marketplace in an hour or two. I have a blister on my finger from braiding cords!

bad timing for me. you need to check the kings schedule before selling anything.:D but braddah jonesEy is hooking me up with tiki kaitangata! :D :tiki:

On 2006-11-15 13:11, Paipo wrote:

[ Edited by: Paipo 2006-11-15 13:12 ]

This one has some attitude. I enjoy your progress shots, as soon as I finish up a few more wood projects, I am going to give the beach stone a shot.

JP

Cheers for the comments, and also thanks to those who grabbed some of the resin pieces. They've gone pretty well, so I haven't been carving so much as casting lately. Visitors and baby duty have kept me busy the rest of the time, but I did manage to get in some more tiki time today...yet another Marquesan, pretty much done but for some cleanup:

Cool. Is it stone? Kaikoura beach pebble..?

Tama

On 2006-11-20 02:41, Tamapoutini wrote:
Cool. Is it stone? Kaikoura beach pebble..?

Tama

Yep, the stone that looks like bone and carves like butter. I found a box of 'em a couple of days back and thought I'd give it a whirl.

Did a little more on the ol' Tang , I wish I hadn't started carving both sides! 1 down, 1 to go:

The new Marq is finished too, although it doesn't really look any different from above:

Nice. extreamly crisp.

I like the white one. Looks like limestone? I can tell a big difference from your last post. The devil is in the details.

JP

I think it probably is a limestone JP, but quite a hard one. I've never got a decisive answer yet, and some of these are much harder than others, with inclusions of flint and quartz. It's a natural pebble from a beach on the East Coast and it looks and carves pretty much just like bone. I have handworked it before with little gravers and files, but this is all handpiece work. It's hard to tell from the poor light in the pic, but it has a beautiful creamy ivory tone.

The tang looks great man :)

Ooooooohoooo. as usual great stuff Paipo. So busy with work havn't had a chance to carve anything apart from some fishooks recently, good to see the Tang.
Regards
Flynny

Raipo, I Really love that white stone, the Marq is really cool too. Now about the 'Tang, that guy Really Really looks Fantastic! Where did you learn how to to those?
Your other new guy looks like he is gonna be a show stopper too. Whatz Next?

Paipo,

That Kaikoura beach pebble is beautiful! Oh yes, we can tell by the pics that it is creamy smooth, like bone. It reminds me of butterscotch candy for some reason. Very sweet!

-Gman

Paipo, more great stuff as usual..... love the Marq... the white is beautiful.

Amy