A small carving and a Memorial project

Thanks Y'all.

Lee, yes, this is THE piece of log I had chosen at the lodge during Coon tiki. You may remember that I didn't even start carving it there. I just drew on the features. I thought the wood was too wet and fragile to start carving then(not because it was green wood but rather seasoned wood that was too wet from rain) so I decided to take it with me and work on it when it dried out good. Think I waited long enough? :lol:

Then I started handing out my photos to the guys who had to leave for home. As for the coloring, I had a quart of colored stain mixed up for me at Lowes and then I did the eyes & mouth with paints. Next I put a walnut stain over it all and wiped off the areas that I didn't want to be too dark. Since it was going to be an indoor piece I elected not to put a polyurethane protecting coat on it. Hope that answers your questions.

Having seen this mask in person, I KNOW it's nicely done! But that's not all my friend 8-FT has been working on! Late last month I had the pleasure of visiting the 8-FT abode and was given this fabulous carving! Sorry it's taken me so long to photograph it. It's nearly identical to the chalkware tikis my parents had hanging at the base of the stairs in the house I grew up in; tikis I've been looking for for years but have yet to find! At the base of 8-FT's carving is the Silver Line Boats logo (my other interest and the source of my Tiki-Central ID). SOOOO COOOL!!

I can't thank you enough, 8-FT!!

great vintage-looking design...congrats to 8 Foot...and to you Siverline for being the
proud owner! Pics can be deceiving...how big is it?

Cool work 8Ft.. UGLY, Well carved tiki and the Silverline Logo is nice as well.

On 2007-02-18 12:35, congatiki wrote:
Pics can be deceiving...how big is it?

He's about a foot tall. Carved out of walnut with the hook knife, if I recall correctly. VERY nicely done!

Way to go 8-FOOT. I think we do our best work on tikis given freely to friends, and that one has TLC written all over it, nice design and very well executed. I know why he gave it to you, Silverline, got photographic proof! Tiki Karma Rules!!

Cheers,

A-A

I am nearly done with a new piece I've been working on this Winter. It really all began before my Father died last year.
One day we were talking in his garage and he showed me these rough cut wooden gun stocks. Someone had this wood and had it sawn into blocks for carving the wooden parts for rifles or shotguns. I don't know where he got them or how old they are but they seem to be old, not newly done. They have a tar seal on the ends. They are various sizes ranging from 1-3 inches thick and 1-3 feet long. Most seem to be walnut but may be an oak piece or two.
I think the long ones would make some great war cubs.

Anyway, he gave me one and said "go ahead and carve it, I'm not going to use them. So I took one home and looked at it a hundred times. I kept thinking THERES A MOAI IN THERE! Well I finally just decided to dig in and see if
it would come out. Here's how it looks now.

I could have put in more details such as on the ears, nostrils and mouth but I found that as the moai emerged,
it felt to me that it should be a stylized image instead of a true replica carving. I am really pleased with it so far. I finished sanding tonight and I have been thinking all along that I want to have the grain very visible so instead of giving it a polyurethane coat, I will be using a tung oil finish. I do not want a gloss or sheen so a flat oiled appearance is what I am after. Should have more pics soon. This carving is walnut and measures 17 1/2 inches tall.

BEEEE - YUTI-FULL!!!

The moai is realy pretty! Great wood color and clean sanding.

Voila......All done!

The photos may be tricking to the eye because the mouth is small and the line you see which sorta looks like a mouth is really the point at which the lower lip stops and the chin begins. We all have that line on our faces but I don't know if it really has a name? Anyway I just wanted to clarify what you are seeing.

Man 8-FT, your carving skills are really taking off! This latest is top notch! Have you considered selling some of these??

woooh! looks GREAT. all smoothed out and everything. great color too.
love it man

That is beautiful!!! Excellent job of recycling.

Smoooooth man :)

That's a true work of art--very stylistic, smooth, nice lines, nice grain-and everything else that has been said about it before--SUPA-NICE!

Voila ? Do you speak french?

Beautiful moai.
Did you stain it?

Bravo

Benjamin.

Beautiful piece 8FT, you have Really Showcased the grain and kept the Moai look true.BEautiful piece of wood and you have certainly done it justice.

That is BEAutiful! Such a nice, dark, prominant grain. You worked it perfectly. That gun handle BLOWS me away! :lol:

The gunstock moai is very nice - that piece is really nice wood too. Sorry to hear about your dad 8ft.

Now the coon tiki diablo tang looks great hangin up there! I need some touch up on mine too... I'm soo far behind...

Sweet Moai 8ft! You nailed the simple flowing lines needed to pull it off.
Maybe do one as a profile and mount on a burlap or contrasting wood backing and frame it?
Swords into ploughshares, guns into Moais!

That moai is gorgeous! The wood is just incredible, and the simple lines just really show it off. Nice finish with the tung oil as well.

8ft, that is very imaginative! The work is beautiful too!

Amy

Beautious! GROG like!

Here are 3 pendants I have completed in the last few months. One is a mini replica of the 8FT tall vintage palm Marquesan tiki from the K.C. Kona Kai originally created by Ed Crissman who worked for Oceanic Arts and restored by me in 2003. It is now in our great room and is the basis of my TC name. (for anyone who did not know the origins of my moniker) I wear this one with my aloha shirts. I also made a Moai with topknot for Mrs.8FT and the last one is a Moai Kava Kava bust and it is my entry for the Easter Island themed carving swap.
Each is 4 inches tall except for the Kava Kava which is 3 1/2". I worked on these mostly in the evenings while watching tv. I guess it is kinda like indoor whittling. (which Mrs. 8FT lets me do if I clean up after myself).
Benzart, I have used the heck out of the hook knife set since you told me where to get it. Thanks again for the advice.

You are doing nice work with the pendants 8 Foot...all three are really nice.
I always have a soft spot for the Kava Kava...the lucky winner in the swap should
be very pleased.

:tiki: 8FT...Cuz, ya needta get cookin' some pendant resins! Your OA moniker needs to be doing the "8FT Lambada" around the necks of swinging ohana during all the pool parties and tiki events this summer! :D

Call up Finkdaddy...he's poppin' resins like candy!

Flip-flOp-fLipPp...

8ft, I'm super happy to get that Kava kava, he's an awesome pendant. I really wanted to draw one of the sweet hand carved pendants and I apparently had some good luck.
The cocojoes Ku around my neck is finally gonna get sum time off.

Mahalos,
ST

Sweet Stuff 8Ft, nice to see more stuff from you. Still can't get over how beautiful that rufle butt is. Spectacular wood and the piece you carved in it Really showed the wood to it's Best advantage. Very WELL done, as are these 3 guys. Nice paint on the Moai And the 8ft tiki.Of course the Mr KavaKava turned out great too and he is a Difficult carve!

Love the pendants, 8FT! The Moai from the rifle stock is well done also. It has a nice angularity to it. Keep on a carvin' , man!

8ft,

The pendant arrived on my birthday. I've been wearing him most of the time. Great piece!
I'll take good care of him.

Thx,
S
T

The pendants are realy pretty and lovely! Great jop! I´m waiting for the next pictures!

It's been a while since I added any pictures so here are a couple of new pendants I finished. Approx. 3" each.

Very nice! Greetings!

beautiful!

Nice... What are using for finish? polyuretahne or wax? Look way shiny shiny, I love'em.

Mo pendants! Mo pendants!

Ah HAAA! I knew you had to be working on something! It's been far too quiet over there! Those look GREAT! When are you gonna start casting these??

Well, today is the first day of Winter and in the Midwest we are getting freezing rain and snow. Several inches are on the way. So before the yard was totally covered in snow again, I ran outside to get a few pictures to share with you all.

In 2006 I had the very good fortune to be able to attend the first Coontiki carving seminar in Tennessee. One of the other attendees was Jungle Jim who lives in Florida. He and his buddy Tony brought a chunk of palm log to give away and I was really glad to take it off their hands! As you can imagine, here in Missouri we don't get too many chances to acquire palm wood to carve. Well, I hauled it home and then let it sit in my garage for a year and a half before I decided to actually start carving on it. Now believe me, in that 18 months or so I gave a lot of thought about what to carve because I don't know when or if I will ever have another chunk of palm. Well I finally decided firmly that I would love to have a Big Bob (wouldn't we all?). Therefore, behold my new buddy Tikibob as done by 8FT Tiki..........

The log with ends squared off.

Carving under way...

Painted and done. Here he is visiting another tiki oudoors. Bob will be living indoors!

Left Face.

Back Side. Here you can see the top which is concaved to resemble a mug.

The finished carving measures 23" tall.

Right Face.

With 3 coats of Minwax Polyshade it brings up a shine that mimics the glaze on a TikiBob Tiki mug.

Well, the streets are now covered here and the ice pellets are really dropping so it looks like a white Christmas in Kansas City this year!

SO from the 8FT's and our new buddy "Bob",
Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

I once was lost............but now I'm found

[ Edited by: 8ft tiki 2007-12-27 17:04 ]

That Bob is dead on perfect. I wish I had one of those sitting around my house. Keep up the great work!

Very nice work, looks awesome :D

Merry Christmas 8 Foot. Nice job on the "Bob" and I also like the pendants
that you posted quite a while ago that I missed. "Bob" will look great
indoors, will you let him mingle with the 8-Foot-Tiki?

Hey Conga. Yep, Old 8FT has welcomed Bob warmly and you know it is starting to get kinda full in here with those two plus the big Pisco and Frankoma War God tikis too. Sort of a theme ......giant booze bottles and tiki mugs!
Yeah I love this room!!!!!! Cheers & Merry Christmas.

8FT

Merry Christmas 8ft, it looks like you have an Original Bob there, Excellent carving as usual from you. Nice to see your work here again.

Thanks Ben. I like the end result but the dust that comes from working the dry palm is incredible. From what I have read, carving a fresh palm log has its own challenges (mold etc.) I guess timing is critical to get the best results. The only previous work I have done with palm is the restoration of the 8FT himself. Hopefully some day I can luck into a big juicy palm log to do a larger carving. But then I'd like to try that Basswood Conga is always working with too. (I think I may have wood envy.) Well, it's back to the oak, sycamore and walnut for me.
Later, 8FT

"Well, it's back to the oak, sycamore and walnut for me." We ALL should be so UN-Fortunate, Damn that Walnut and Oak and Sycamore too even, DAMN...:lol:
HappyHappyHappy

W O W !! I can't believe I missed this! Your Bob is SPOT ON! I know after all that drying time these logs weigh practically nothing, so that had to make it harder to carve. What did you use? A combination of chisels and the hook knife? Tell me more!

Aw shucks, thanks. :blush:

I used a big box cutter to get through the outer husk.
Then I used some smaller chisels and the hook knives. I don't think I ever even picked up a mallet because I wanted to keep control of the chisels and not knock off a big chunk I intended to keep. SO a lot of restraint and patience was helpful (along with a dust mask and shop vac!)
Now, When are you going to work on the dry log you have waiting at YOUR house?? Have you decided on a design?

8 FT... a very nice finish on your "Bob."

I've still got a chunk of palm over a year old from Wayne Coombs... would only be the 3rd palm log I've carved. It is like Styrofoam when dry and I found I didn't even need a mallet.

bump