Tikis #2 & #3 Carved from AAC Block

Here they are...all critique appreciated.

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"Ah, good taste! What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness."
-Pablo Picasso

[ Edited by: Aaron on 2004-08-01 18:08 ]

LOOK At that detail, Aaron you are learning how to do this way fast. keep up the good work.

[ Edited by: TNTiki on 2004-11-06 16:02 ]

Aaron, incredible work!! I can only hope to get that kind of detail by my second and third try.
I love the eyes on the one with the teeth, totally wicked.

What is that you're carving into? How did you get the surface so smooth? I'm liking the look of that stuff, was it easy to find? And what kind of chisels (if any) did you use there?
Sorry for all the questions.

[ Edited by: Tiki Filippi on 2004-08-01 19:15 ]

Those are outstanding!

Can that AAC stuff be painted with acceptable results?

Great stuff man, please keep them coming as you can.

Alright Aaron...you've gone and drawn a line in the sand...I have no excuses ('cept finding the time) 'cause I've got the blocks, and you know it. You're really good...DAMN YOU!!!

Thank you, thank you THANK YOU!!! This place is so supportive, its really pumping up the creative juices! :D

Benzart: Thanks - I actually did these some time ago, I just couldn't find the pictures. I trying to get the hang of carving fan palms these days.

TNTiki: They don't weigh a lot, probably about 5 lbs.

Tiki Filipi: a) This is Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC). b) It sands up real nice. c) No, I had to drive out to Phoenix, AZ (from California) to get it. There's not a lot of it made on the west coast. But you can probably get it a lot easier. And it's CHEAP - about $3.00 to $3.50 a block. Check out this post - it will tell you everything you want to know abot the material (literally): http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=10055&forum=7&6 d) You can use everything that you use to carve wood (including a regular wood saw), but beware - it will dull up your tools.

Kono: I'd stick with the natural look, but it's easy to check out stains and paint on the waste pieces. I tried a little redwood stain on a piece and it looked like sh*t (excuse the digitally altered expletive). It really looked like you used a magic marker on a piece of styrofoam. This stuff comes in grey, white, or tan, depending on the factory where it's made.

Tiki-Toa: Thanks, Man!

Bamboo Dude: HA HA - you better get started! I'll call you later!

Really folks, thanks for all of the support!

excellent work, really like that second guy with the teeth. clean crisp cut, very nice.

[ Edited by: TNTiki on 2004-11-06 16:03 ]

TNTiki,

You're right, they're probably too heavy to ship - but there's still hope. I'm a west coast guy, and not very good at geography. I've been to Nashville and Memphis, but I'm not sure where K-Town is. Anyway, if you checked out the link that I made for Tiki Filipi, you'll see that there is a big Mfr. of AAC in Louisville, Kentucky:

Eckart America, L.P.
4101 Camp Ground Road
Louisville, Kentucky 40211
Phone: (502) 775-4243
Fax: (502)-775-4249

Is this too far for a Saturday drive? You may want to call them & find out if their product is sold locally in your area. You may be able to just pick some up at a builder's supply house of do-it-yourself store.

I bought mine at E-Crete in Arizona, and had to buy a whole pallete of the stuff. They just don't sell it locally in California (because of our shaky ground, the Bldg Codes won't allow it) Still, the whole batch cost about $140 for 40 or so blocks ($3.50 a block), and I split them with a friend. The guys at the factory were pretty stoked to find out that we were using this for sculpture, because it's pretty mundane stuff - like CMU blocks used for building walls.

Maybe you could go in on a pallette with other TC users in your area? It never hurts to ask.

Also, I found this posting for a free sample of the blocks at sculptor.org http://www.sculptor.org/Stone/Marble/CarvingStonesOffered.htm

The ad says:

"Ohio: Duffy Building Systems: Autoclaved, aerated concrete. A lightweight concrete that can be sculpted like basswood, but is durable like normal concrete when coated with proper sealants. One-fifth the weight of regular concrete, 600 to 700 psi compressive strength. Ship anywhere in the US. Call for free sample. Contact: Don Duffy at [email protected] or 614-419-4563 in Columbus, Ohio USA."

I emailed this guy the other day, and haven't heard back yet, but it's worth a try.

I hope you find a way to get some of this material, it really carves up nice! Good luck!

Aaron

[ Edited by: TNTiki on 2004-11-06 16:03 ]

TNTiki,

Maybe you should post that in the "My First Tiki" section!

Really, you should try it, though. It's pretty hard to screw up primitive art - it just looks more primitive.

That Moai looks so futuristic...is it a Moai from outer space ??

Yes, as a matter of fact, it is. How did you know?

Octane: Thanks for the comps; deeply humbled...

TNTiki: Sorry, I never answered your question. All of these are long gone. I sold them to a tiki shop in Oceanside for 75 bucks apiece - they sold them to someone else for $150. I know I could have got more but I had just started carving, a little naive, and jones'ing for a new set of chisels. My philosophy is that the hobby should pay for the tools.

I'm just carving for fun now, trying to tikify my place, but if I ever sell some again I'll definitely go on ebay or post them here at TC.

You know, I am starting to daydream about a new dremel set...

[ Edited by: TNTiki on 2004-11-06 16:04 ]

I dont know if I am doing this right but here goes.
I am a friend of Aarons and he has asked me to post some information I have on the AAC. Two of you picked up the free blocks I had in my back yard. Enjoy.
I have found that watercolor and acrylic paint work well on this material. And you can age the colors by simply scraping away some of the area you painted.
There is also a product out there that will react chemically with cement but I dont know how it will work with AAC because the chemical compound for AAC is different than regular cement, but it might worth a try. It's an acid stain for cement. I would speak with the mfr's of both the AAC and the acid stain to be sure you dont cause an explosion or meltdown of some sort.
To see what acid stain can do to regular cement, see this site:

http://www.kemiko.com/photo_gallery.htm#

Wow Aaron! They are awesome! Want to see some more of your work.

Great stuff, Aaron. Keep carvin...hows that palm coming? :)

Juanzai: You made it! Welcome to TC. How was Hawaii? I'll be posting more later. Brouse around & check out the REALLY GOOD stuff. Hint: Check postings by Benzart, Chikitiki, Cheekytiki, Gecko, Flounderart, Polynesiac, Tikitony, Purple Jade, & way too many others to list - the talent here is endless.

(Juanzai & I are good friends & former co-workers)

Well then, welcome to TC Juanzai...great name, dude. You're gonna get hooked!!!

Polynesiac,

Thanks for making me post these tiki pics. My TC peers seem to like them. :)

The palm tiki is coming along, but at a much slower pace than I'd like. I'm using regular wood chisels for the rough stuff and flexcuts for the clean cuts, but found myself daydreaming about Dremels about halfway through.

I'm only getting about 3 hours a week in on it, but it's getting there. All of the good feedback on this posting is really feeding my enthusiam! We'll see what happens. I'm hoping to post a new tiki in about 3 or 4 weeks.

Are you & Barbara going to the Long Beach Tiki Festival? Check out this link & send me a PM.

http://www.alfredosbeachclub.com/tiki_festival.htm

From the look of those AAC Tikis, cant wait to see the wooden ones aswell!

Aaron, I love how those turned out! The lines look so even and smooth.

Does the block chip or break very easily? I'm worried that the first time I touch it with a chisel, that the whole thing will crumble at my feet.

I want to try some of this stuff, but I'm having a terrible time finding a place that sells it near here.

If anyone knows of a place that sells it in Wisconsin, please let me know.

No one I talked to even seemed to know what I was talking about. I found a place in Green Bay that sells the equipment to make AAC, but not the block itself.

Thanks Cheeky - working on it.

Finkdaddy,

If you handle it properly, the AAC won’t give you any problems. Here’s some tips:

1. Store it in a dry place. If you leave them outside (untreated) exposed to the weather, the material will probably get screwed up & give you bad results.

2. Don’t use a hammer when chiseling. Go easy with the mallet. A lot of the work can be done with chisels alone and no mallet. You can use files, rasps, rifflers, dremel, chisels, sandpaper, etc. Basically anything you would use on wood. I can’t remember the technical name of a tool that worked really well for me – it looked like a hand plane, but the underside cutting edge looked like a cheese grater. You probably know what I’m talking about. Use a regular wood handsaw to make the big profile cuts.

3. Wear a paper mask. This stuff generates a lot of dust, and you don’t want to breathe it.

4. Use some kind of cushion underneath the work when chiseling. This is true for working on any kind of stone. I cut off some old jeans pants legs, filled them with sand, and sewed up the ends. I set the blocks on these when working.

5. Don’t go out on a limb with thin projections or thin sharp edges in your design. Just keep the Tiki a little on the chunky side, and you won’t have to worry about pieces chipping or breaking off. Anything along the line of what I’ve got posted here should hold up fine. And no, it won’t crumble in your hands.

6. Use sandpaper all over when its done. This will clean it up nice, give it a super smooth finish, and erase any chisel marks. Put a coat of off-the-shelf concrete sealer on it when you’re finished. This will brighten it up and harden the surface somewhat. Then you won’t have to worry about it getting wet.

I think these can go in the garden or Lanai, but you may want to keep them in the house. They probably won’t compare to a JASCO coated wooden tiki for longevity if you put them outside. I’m not sure how they will stand up to being peed on by the dog & bombarded with sprinklers.

There is a manufacturer of AAC located in Wisconsin.

Masa-USA, LLC
2231 Holmgren Way
Green Bay, Wisconsin 54304
Phone: 800-284-5507
Fax: 920-497-0389

I’d call them & see who their distributors are, or if you can “will call” some from the factory. Tell them you are a carver & see if you can get a partial pallete or a few blocks. Or, make a TC posting to see if anyone local wants to go in on a palette. I think a palette is about 40 blocks, so it may be more than you need or want. I know my wife was not thrilled when I dumped a palette in the middle of our garage floor!

Good Luck! Make sure and post.

GO PACKERS!!!

Here's another one close to Wisconsin (relatively):

Thermacrete, LLC
214 West Sheridan Place
Lake Bluff, Illinois 60044
Phone: (847)-577-7400
Fax: (847) 392-4077