**Okay, I'm getting started on a new project, and have decided to do another step-by-step.

Aaron's Akua Official Disclaimer:**

For all of the new carvers, or lurkers who are thinking about learning to carve:
I'm no expert, just got started myself. Everything I've learned here was by asking the Pros who've been around for awhile.

For all of the Pros:
Feel free to laugh your ass off at my whacky attempts at carving. I have a knack for making things more complicated than they need to be.

Geek Alert: Like most people in the engineering field, I'm at least 75% geek, although I do my best to keep it undercover. On this post, I'm gonna let it all hang out. Anyone who gets queasy with this sort of thing should probably leave the room.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Here's my sketch:

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Who can figure out what famous tiki this is?

Anybody? Anybody?

A-A

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

[ Edited by: Aaron's Akua 2005-11-15 00:26 ]

Leilani!!!

I like it, AA - "Tech meets Tiki". Is that CAD?

http://www.samgambino.com

it reminds me of the one Leroy is carving in the BOT

Cool start! Interesting how everyone starts differently...

I'll wager that your favorite subjects in school were MATH and WOODWORKING

It's a Reloy.

Tikiwahine wins! Buy yourself a mai-tai and send me the bill. It's from page 242 of the BOT.

The sketch above is a distorted view created from an unusual method of orthographic projections using the tracing below.

Yes, Sam. It was done using AutoCAD. More on that later.

That was the "counterfeit" part. And more on the "legitimate" part later as well....

Later,

Aaron

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

[ Edited by: Aaron's Akua on 2004-11-19 18:46 ]

Wood or concrete block?

Kanaka

did you do in 3d or just two dimension. Did you use polylines or lines. If you used polylines you might want to spline them to make it look more rounded.

Look carefully and you'll see a Reloy copy in the backgound

Polynesiac, I never got into woodworking until recently. In fact, I haven't done any art since my High School days until about 2 years ago. Guess I just didn't have time for hobbies. But TC got me started again, and now I'm pumped!

JT, that's some major tiki action you got goin' there. Hopefully my back yard will look like that some day. I see your Leroy right there in the middle. Hope mine looks half as good when I'm done!

Kanaka, this one's going to be made from a mexican fan palm log. I thought I'd try a different method of removing the bark this time - 4-1/2" angle grinder! Started out well, but made a big friggin' mess. I think I might've dusted out my neighbor's jacuzzi in the process...

Cleaned up the ends with a chainsaw at my pal Rattlesnake Jake's house. That's where it's at for now. Hope to get started laying down some outline cuts over an extended Thanksgiving weekend vacation. This is me playing "Leroy" with the chainsaw.

I've been daydreaming about big logs all day. Here's Rattlesnake Jake slicing up some tasty Ficus logs for me. One's 7 ft, the other's 5 ft. Sprayed the fresh cuts with Polyurethane to seal them up & stashed 'em under the porch for now. More on these guy's later. I've got a few other projects planned first.

Rattlesnake Jake's got the carving bug bad. I've got a sneaky feeling that you might be hearing him in the near future...

Kbgator, the sketches are all in 2-D. The tracing is all Plines, and the sketch is all arcs. Arcs are great for this type of thing, cause you can turn on the "grips" & tweak 'em any way you want. I've got neither the time nor patience for 3-D. Keep in mind that the only reason for this sketch is to transfer a photo of Leroy's design to a pattern on a round log. Even the most rudimentary sketch on a log can be turned to magic with a chisel. You just work it as you go. Take a look at the sketch below. The trick is to take a tracing of a photo (Leroy's awesome tiki from the BOT) and translate it into an accurate repoduction on a smaller scale log.

I owe a favor to my friend Randy. Repayment will be in the form of this tiki carving. I gave him my copy of the BOT, and this is the carving that he picked. I really love this tiki... It just seems to leap off the page. So, to keep it on the "up & up", I asked permission from both Sven and Leroy. Here's their responses.

**From Sven: "Please, go ahead, I see the whole Book of Tiki as a blueprint for the Tiki revival."

From Leroy via Bob van Oosting: "Aloha Aaron. I talked to LeRoy this morning and he said it's fine with him. It's available for all to copy---enjoy! Bob."
**
So, with Sven and Leroy's approval, I got started. I scanned in a copy of the photo from the BOT. Then I scaled it down to the size of my log (tracing on the left).

Using CAD, I figured out the circumference of the area where the outline will appear on the log. I made a grid to that exact size (on the right). The end result will be a paper template that I can wrap around the log & lay down my tiki outlines for chiseling.

Orthographic projection normally uses 45 degree lines to project lines from a flat side view to a flat front view, keeping everything nice and proportional.

To compensate for the fact that the side view was a round surface, I used an ellipse rather than a 45 degree line to project the lines.

I created half a tiki face with this technique. Then I just mirrored the half to make a complete sketch. That's another great thing about CAD. You can work on half of your design, mirror it, and everything is exact.

Leroy's carving looks like it was made from a large palm trunk that was cut & turned upside down.

I want to make a scaled down version of the carving, and I want to keep it as close to the original as possible. That means I'll nead to trim my palm log down accordingly to match. This just might be my excuse to buy that Arbortech grinder blade that I've been eyeballing for awhile (apparently one of the favorite tools for TC's own Cheekytiki and Lake Surfer).

I'm also going to have to tweak that sketch to accomodate the larger diameter on top and smaller diameter on the bottom.

I suppose I could just eyeball it & sketch some lines on a log, but that would just be too easy, now wouldn't it? I have to say, copying is not easy. It would be ten times easier to just do an original design. This is a real challenge though, and bound to be fun.

Hope to post more after the holiday weekend. Until then....

Cheers!

Aaron

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

[ Edited by: Aaron's Akua on 2005-01-14 14:44 ]

I'm keepin' my eye on this one- I want to see how your wrap design works out-

[ Edited by: hi-jinx on 2004-11-20 23:39 ]

[ Edited by: hi-jinx on 2004-11-21 10:20 ]

This is way too technical for me...totally cool though.
Any math/computer graphics teachers in the crowd?!?!? Project based learning at its finest with the end result of a cool tiki!

Thanks for the updates aaron! Keep 'em coming!

(and you project based learning teachers, start adapting this to your curriculum!)

Screw the tests!!!!!! hands on education RULES!!!!

"Hey, at least I'm housebroken."

[ Edited by: Polynesiac on 2004-11-21 11:06 ]

Okay, enough about CAD, let’s talk carving.

I went on a search for that Arbortech grinder blade today. Looked all over & couldn’t find it. As a last resort, I stopped by Harbor Freight. Now, I’m generally skeptical about Harbor Freight tools. The old adage “you get what you pay for” usually applies. But this hairy-scary chainsaw blade jumped off the shelf at me. And it wasn’t cheap. It’s called the “Lancelot” by “King Arthur’s Tools”. Okay, with a name like that I’m still a little skeptical. But look at this thing. It just screams out “GIT SOME”! And the packaging says it’s great for cutting cows hooves among other things. Definitely worth a try. I’ll let you know how it goes.

A-A

That thing looks like it could do some damage. If your posts start getting shorter i will assume your typing with less fingers than before your recent purchase. Cant wait to see the results

We sell those at my work and I have been wondering if they would do the job. Looks a little scary, but less so than an actual chain saw.

Watch out for Harbor Freight tools... they buckle under high use... I had a Chicago angle grinder from Harbor... the bearing seized up after heavy use...

I now have gone to a DeWalt... it takes all the abuse I give it...

Adobe Illustrator works good for drawing tikis too... same results... maybe a little easier for non CAD users too...

Aaron....be careful with the Lancelot/Squire....Damn thing nearly took my pinky off just reaching for the handle. Hold on to it tight and DO NOT even think about using it without the guard. Watch your steps around the tiki as well. One fall and you missing limb's.... It's an awesome tool once you get the feel for it......

G.

Aaron, Actually yhe Lancelot was around before the Arbortech wheel I believe and it is not the normal "Made in China" that Harbor Freight sells. They DO sell some name brand stuff, So Proudly use it but with much caution. It's just another wood removal tool that has the ability to remove more than wood.
So what are you waiting for? We can't see the pix till you post them so we're waiting on you.

My Leroy, didn't take too long to carve this one.

Hey KHem, That really looks nice, Almost 3-D. That too artist has a gift.

Man this thing is gonna look awesome!
Check Leevalley.com for that grinder attachment, they have just about everything you could possibly need -
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?SID=&ccurrency=2&page=44838&category=1%2C130%2C43409%2C43424
if the link doesn't come up, it's item #99T33.20

Now this is really starting to get interesting! Kon-Hemsby, that's some nice ink. Really good work.

Hey, Jungle Trader. You got any close up shots of that Reloy of yours? Any other Reloys?

I guess a lot of artists have been influenced by Leroy's carvings. Here's an idea. How many of you guys have done "Leroy-inspired" projects? Any kind... paintings, carvings, stained glass, mosaic, etc...

Post 'em here. Let's see what you got!

A-A

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

[ Edited by: Aaron's Akua on 2004-11-22 19:50 ]

Thanks hi-jinx, Polynesiac, & RT.

Swanky, where do you work? You're gonna be my new best friend.

Lake, thanks for the advice. I think you're right about CAD. It's not really the best for manipulating graphics. It's just what I'm used to because I use it every day. I'll probably try to get a trial version of Adobe Illustrator & see what it can do.

Tikifreak & Ben, thanks guys. I have a real respect for this chainsaw tipped beasty. I'd like to keep all of my appendages for now. Gary, have you used the "Squire"? Is that a smaller version of the "Lancelot"? If so, it would probably work really well for detail. At least rough detail. Ben, you're right. Harbor freight sells a lot of junk with some quality stuff mixed in.

Surfintiki, thanks for the link. That Lee Valley wheel sounds a little more stable. And it's solid, which sounds better that using something with a chain. After I wear this one out maybe I'll try it.

I'll try to get some pics up after the Thanksgiving weekend. Thanks for all the great advice!

Cheers!

Aaron

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

[ Edited by: Aaron's Akua on 2004-11-22 19:47 ]

I won I won!

I've always loved that tiki, it has such a great feel to it, modern yet classic.

Good luck with the chainsawing...we've got a little one at home I've been wanting to wield, but I'm deathly afraid of the thing bouncing back at me.

I can't wait to see some more progress pics!

AA, I don't have any more images of that one. So, looks like I'll have to carve another one....damn.

Well Dard I May have to carve one myself. I did get a few hurricane logs. Hmmmm.

Well then, I guess it's settled...

Jungle Trader, Benzart & A-A do Leroy. This is gonna be a great post! Make sure & post lots of progress pics, guys!

It this entrapment, or what?!?!

Quote by A.A.

"I've been daydreaming about big logs all day. Here's Rattlesnake Jake slicing up some tasty Ficus logs for me. One's 7 ft, the other's 5 ft. Sprayed the fresh cuts with Polyurethane to seal them up & stashed 'em under the porch for now. More on these guy's later. I've got a few other projects planned first."

Daydreaming huh? I walked into a dream come true this past Tuesday as I visited my wood source... since the country club is closed for the season my arborist friend has been busy bringing down trees...

I pulled the car around the dirt hill that hides the wood dump from the golf course and my eyes fell upon 70 white and spruce pine logs... most in 30-40 foot lengths ranging from 3 foot diameter bases to 6 inch tops... and he said they have to bring down 20 more in the next two months!

I wish I had a truck to haul many of them away... though I haven't the space to store them. Many of the logs are going to someone's personal mill to become barn boards, some chunks to chainsaw carvers... I've started my own pile stored there with the feature piece being 2 1/2 feet in diameter and 9 feet long...

You might say I've got too much of a good thing going now...

Sounds like a good problem to have, Lake. I'm most interested in the 2-1/2' x 9' monster, and what you have planned for it. Keep us posted. And... careful with the back, buddy. No injuries, please!

A-A

Careful with those big logs. Moving one by myself is the likely cause of my recent slipped disk. If there is no one around to help you move it, wait for someone.

Hey, Raff. Hope you feel better soon. You & Ben both.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Okay, I didn't get any per se carving done, but I did get my log all set to go. And Ben, before you tell me to hurry up & get this thing carved, remember the other old adage "well begun, half done". (I do need a good kick in the ass once in awhile, though! Don't let me slack off, Ben. LOL!).

My log didn't look anything like the one Leroy used, so I had to make a few modifications with the new "Lancelot".

This a 1:1 scale print that I made on the 36" plotter at work. Using the sketch that I made from Leroy's scanned-in photo, I figured out the scaled down diameter and offset of the top & bottom of Leroy's upside-down palm trunk.

Then I measured everything out & marked up the log using a square & the old "angle of the dangle" method to keep everything straight.

A little chainsaw disc action removed lots of non-tiki wood.

The Lancelot worked like a charm & saved lots of time. With all of your Tiki Central safety tips, I decided it might be wise to actually read the instructions. Not a bad idea.

The first day's grind took it down to the larger (top) diameter. The next day I tapered it down to the smaller offset bottom diameter.

Smoothed it all out with a rough sanding disc & leveled out the top & bottom.

Tiki-Nathan checked the wrap design to make sure everything looked kosher. It did.

I used my paper template to lay down some ink. I'm pretty happy with the way the sketch/projection/wrap method worked out. It all looked a little "iffy" until the lines actually made it onto the log.

The nose still needs some work, because the nostrils look like a couple of big martini olives, but that's okay. Everything else looks proportional and that was the big hurdle for me.

Just barely got started & I'm ready to move on to another (original) tiki. This copying thing is way too hard!

More pix to follow...

A-A

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

[ Edited by: Aaron's Akua on 2004-11-28 20:42 ]

That is looking good. I bought one of the arbor techs and man did it make short work of a pine log. I have saw dust in places that shouldnt.
Thanks for sharing, look foward to the finished tiki.

The Quest for the Missing "Leroy"

After staring at that photo of Leroy’s tiki for about the hundredth time, I started wondering about whatever became of it. So I decided to do a little detective work.

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PM to Sven: *“…Just curious, do you know the fate of that large tiki? Did it go to a restaurant or hotel somewhere? Did you take the photo yourself? Was is completed or in progress at the time?… … in the photo it looks somehow not finished, like Leroy was going to do more with it - staining or varnishing or something…” *

PM from Sven: “It went to a bar in the Southland...Anaheim I think, that was called Tiki Hut or something, but really wasn't, just a dive where local Punkbands played. Ask some of the TCers from that area. like Poly Pop, Bong or Doctor Z. It was not a lucky Tiki though, the place closed, and the big guy went into private hands. The man to ask is Leroy himself. No idea if he did anything else to it, it looked pretty finished when I took the pic.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

So emailed Leroy, & PM’d the Doc, Poly Pop and a few others...

PM from Doctor Z: ”Sorry, my friend - Anaheim is not my neck of the woods. If Sven says it's where punk bands used to play, that's right up Bong's, Bamboo Ben's (they're old OC punks) or maybe even Trader Pup's alley. The only problem is that Sven didn't say WHEN he was there - recently or years ago. ….. if you want to put a "professional tiki sleuth" on the trail, get in touch with Sabu - I am merely his sidekick: he is truly the master tiki detective and I'm sure he can find out for you. He relishes 'the hunt' for these things more than anybody I know! Sorry I personally couldn't be of more assistance, but best of luck - both with the 'hunt' and the carving (can't wait to see it!)…

PM from PolynesianPop: ”Aloha Aaron! Yes, the tiki in question was at a place called "The Tiki Bar" in Newport Beach. The place was just what Sven describes - a total dive bar that was tiki by name only where a bunch of punk rock bands played regularly. If I'm correct, that tiki was one of 3 that they had chained to the bar there. Bong ended up with one of the 3 I believe (but not that one). I'll ask him and see if he knows anything. "

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I did some searching on the web. It turns out that the Tiki Bar is actually located in Costa Mesa. It was later reopened as a new club called “Rain”.

I also searched TC. There’s lots of posts that mention the old club. Here’s one from Crazy Al:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=9454&forum=1.

Lots of post, but no pictures (dammit!). I’d love to see the old tiki in its new setting, chained to the bar to protect it from all of the rowdy drunken clubgoers!

PolyPop alluded that he might know the final Owner who picked up the Leroy after the demise of the Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa.

I have a feeling we’re about to crack this case...

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

[ Edited by: Aaron's Akua on 2004-11-30 14:32 ]

Aloha,


Mahalo,
Al

Thanks for the pix, Al!

This answers a few of my questions. The pic of Leroy with the chainsaw in the BOT definitely showed the finished product - it wasn't stained later. And the tiki definitely weathered some, so we can also surmise that no varnish was applied either.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

So what became of this tiki icon after the Costa Mesa "Tiki Bar" took the big dive?

Did he wind up abandoned in some Costa Mesa alley, having witnessed far too many drunken fistfights from his perch above the bar, jaded by the smell of urine and vomit and the sight of countless late night parking lot fornications?

Or was he taken in by some kindly tiki collector, rehabilitated and restored to his original majestic tiki splendor?

The quest for the answers continues....

I did a little more Leroy investigation on my lunch break today. Here’s the reincarnation of the “Tiki Bar” in Costa Mesa, now known as “Rain”. The Leroy tiki, obviously, is no longer there. If this place was a "dive" before, it's definitely gone downhill since!

Following another lead, I paid a visit to a cool cat named K.C. Heylin, proprieter of “Beachdude Inc.” who lives & works in Newport Beach on the Balboa Penninsula.
He used to sell mostly Hawaiiana, but now sells a really nice line of Tiki t-shirts, stickers, clothing, etc., called “Tikiheads” on the internet. You can check out his website at http://www.beachdudeinc.com.

When I mentioned the "Leroy" Tiki, K.C. knew exactly what I was talking about, but not where it went. Instead, he steered me to another local “serious tikihead” known as “Sarko” who owns a local metal refinishing business, and apparently has a really awesome tiki bar on-site. K.C. thinks this guy might know where our infamous tiki landed. Still hot on the trail, but I’ll have to save Sarko for another lunchtime excursion.

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

[ Edited by: Aaron's Akua on 2004-12-06 16:49 ]

Not that this really matters but if memory serves this was the The Cookoo's Nest (the punk club you mentioned). When they closed it down I vowed never to drive by it again, maybe I would have changed my mind had I known it had been turned into a Tiki Bar....NAAAAA!

On 2004-12-06 23:09, DawnTiki wrote:
Not that this really matters but if memory serves this was the The Cookoo's Nest (the punk club you mentioned). When they closed it down I vowed never to drive by it again, maybe I would have changed my mind had I known it had been turned into a Tiki Bar....NAAAAA!

Not the Cukoos Nest but very close. Ever see Stevo put a rat in a blender?

The RevBambooBen sent me by this place:

**Ben: “This place the Tiki Hut is on Industrial/15th and in between Superior and Newport Blvd. Not the old one (name? brain fart) that was on Placentia (next to the old Cuckoos Nest and Zubies). The Tiki Hut (on industrial) has a big tiki on the roof that has kinda round eyes but the mouth is similar. Every time I drive by this place no one is home. Not sure what the hell it is.” **

I’m not sure what the hell it is either, but I did find it. Not a bar, not a restaurant, & nobody was home. Ben’s been feeding me some good leads on locating the original Leroy, as have a few others here on TC (mahalo!). Not sure if I’ll ever actually figure out where old Leroy landed, but it’s something to do on my lunch break while the weather’s crappy (can't carve), and I’ve met some really cool local tiki peeps in the process. This is my one and only attempt at doing a little Urban Archaeology, I guess.

Was this the Orange County “Tiki Hut” that Sven was talking about? Strange coincidence that there is/was a “Tiki Bar” and a “Tiki Hut”, both located in Costa Mesa, both with big tikis on the roof, and both within about a mile of each other.

Dawn & Matt, I pretty sure the tiki bar you’re talking about was located on Placentia, and is now extinct. I don’t think this was it.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I managed to do a little carving last weekend before it started raining. The weather’s been crappy & cold ever since, so I haven’t got a lot done.

I wanted to carve this tiki using mainly power & air tools, but it turned out that it was just all around easier to use chisels for the main features. The palm wood is so wet and stringy that burrs & carving bits seem to bind up instantly.

I’ve got a nice set of Flexcut large chisels (mostly too big for this work), and a small set of Flexcut palm chisels (great for detail, but this is not a detailed tiki). So I’m reduced to using flat Stanleys, which seems to be working pretty well anyways. A good quality set of mid-size chisels is pretty high on my tools wish list.

**Cheers!

A-A**

Aaron, a little info on these: that place the tiki hut on 15th st. is a shop or garage some guys have that they work on/ detail /store/build cars. I work directly across the street and see it everyday when I pull out of the driveway. It used to be just a plain warehouse/shop. Then one day after work there was a large tiki on the roof, then a few weeks later another one appeared. Then many months later the mural was painted. There is also some more murals around the corner at a car wash place on Placentia with lots of bamboo. As for the Tiki Hut nightclub, I drove past there for years wondering how long until it went out of business and I could make an offer on that "ugly head thingy" on the roof. One day I drove by and it was gone and the place was painted and renamed Rain. It was originally Zubies, a country western bar and shared a parking lot with the Cuckoo's Nest which made for an interesting time every night at 2a.m. when they both emptied out. Which inspired a Vandal's song. I too know K.C. and live right by him on the peninsula. Next time stop in for a drink at the Red Tide Room.

Mahalo NN2 for the info's. BooBen was dying to know what that place was, so there you have it - a tiki auto detailing place. Anything can be tiki I guess. There's a tiki car wash a few blocks away from there. I like Costa Mesa...

I parked right across the street from this place today, probably in your parking lot. Too funny - Tiki Centralites are everywhere! PM me on that drink - I'll take you up on it next time.

A-A