New stuff added!!

Aloah Tom!!! You got it really smokin my friend. Nice carvings of the most unuasual suspects all individuals and all there own tiki,Once again you and so many incredably talented artists posting on TC,Mahalo for sharin,Aloha your friend , Mooney

Very Nice, love the variety you have going with your famous
classic style.

Thanks for all the praise. Just doin what I do.

LS - if I'm still on fire you can pour a drink on me at Hukilau.

TB - that guy was rescued from "the box" in my workbench.

LLT - there are so many responses: being on the beach, a warm summer night and you fondling my wood... :wink:

TL - these are the ones that I bought at Woodcraft. Cheaper, but not quite the quality that Benzart promotes (?) http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=266 I like the 320 for finish sanding. 150 grit takes too much off for the little guys

Mooney - Just trying to keep up with YOU. Damn - slow down. In case some of you don't know, Mooney and I will sharing a table at Hukilau. I don't have a lot of stuff, but between the two of us we should have some really cool stuff for sale.

SS - famous? I will be available during Hukilau for autographs and photos. :)

Here's an update on the Trio - these have come to a slow crawl towards the finish. They are very close - unfortunately they won't be done before Hukilau.:( My schedule is slammed up to the event so I won't have much time to work on them. The good part is that I'm going camping in the Keys this weekend with my 2 girls and a bunch of my friends! Sun, rum and plenty of fun!!

aloha alohastation,

your cranking out some awesome pieces man, keep it up!

the trio look great too, perfect posturing on them.

cheers.

Great stuff Aloha. You make sooo many pieces and find a way to put individual personalities in each and every one. Every one of these makes me smile. I really like the happy teko in the trio. Have fun with the Conchs.

Aloha Tom!!! Your carving are very cool my friend! You have an incredable talent. I would have done some hookknifing in the Hukilau booth as well but I diddnt want to Bleed all over everyone,Keep up that creative imagination and those most Excellent carvings, Aloha your friend Mooney

Thanks big time for helping me like you did Tom, I really appreciate it. It was Great seeing all your top shelf stuff in person too as the pix just never do it right.
Come on up again some time soon. Bring wp too!

What a weekend! My camera died on me before Hukilau, so I'm hoping everyone else will help me remember everything that happened. Thursday and Saturday were my best days(I actually missed everything on Friday night :( and on Sunday).

Thursday at the kickoff party was a blast hangin with Bohemian. Thanks again for letting me crash! I tried to meet as many people as I could, but still missed a few. GreentikiPat and JD - you guys are really cool and had a blast with you guys (BTW - Pat is maybe one of the most talented artist here! He can do it ALL). While taking a break at Bahia Cabana Thursday, I looked over and recognized a straw hat that I had seen on TC. In a very awkward moment at the toilet, I asked if he was HaiKai (it was), I introduced myself and together we agreed to shake hands once we were done. Classic introduction! I also got to swim with the mermaids under a full moon - the glare almost killed me!! Enjoyed a few past midnight dips in the ocean - which felt fantastic - as it turned out, also under the SAME full moon! Met TOO MANY people to mention everyone, because I don't want to leave anyone out. The West Coast crew were representing, I really tried to meet as many of you as possible and can only remember a few so give me a shoutout. Also got to hang with LLT Saturday night after the Mai Kai - thanks for swaps!! How strange is that - leaving a Restaurant to sober up at a Bar? Gotta love the Mai Kai! There were alot of great moments and even more great people. I'm trying to work out making Tiki Oasis, we'll see.

Please don't let the Hukilau die!!

On the creative front - when I finally had a moment to relax on Sunday I dove into the large log that has been calling to me. All the tiki I had seen over the weekend really got me motivated and I carved into the night. Pictures soon.

Well, bring on those pictures already!!!
Aloha, man what a good time 'eh? Lots of fun, lots of tikis, lots of drinks...errrrr, your name was Tom, right?!! he he
Many mahalo's for the tour and the meaning behind so many works of art. I just wish we could do it EVERY weekend!
Oh well, let's get back to work!
Surfin' (dave)

On 2008-06-19 10:38, AlohaStation wrote:

blah blah blah.. Pictures soon.

*(sorry to doctor the quote Aloha)

Sounds and looks like you had a blast at Hukiklau - I wish I could have been (a fly on the wall?) at your meeting with Haikai! :lol:

Now what were you saying about diving into a large log..?

Alright - I things are just starting to slow down enough that I can get some carving time. Here's the one I started after Hukilau - its my biggest tiki yet. Most of the rough out was done with chisels. This weekend I hope to drag him outside and hit him with the grinder to refine some of the cuts. He is so tall and skinny that he will need some support to keep him standing - I have a few ideas for that.

Yes, Right on looking great and BIG!

Yes keep the Hukilau going I would love to go someday.

I thought you were carving a big tiki ... not a giant one :lol:
Very nice work as always and interesting challenge too !

Ben.

I was wondering what they did with spare telephone poles? :lol: Great start, can't wait for the final unveiling. Happy Carvin'

You need to get some saw horses. :lol:

2 chairs and a cooler! Your poor back!

That's a great start on such a big tiki. I'm guessing 8 feet? More?

He'll look great standing up, and towering over people.

Love the variety in your work, from pens to poles!

Damn, you weren't lying about the next tiki being big.

Its a shame I live so far away from you and can't help you move that sucker around.
:P

GO BIG!
that's gonna be BOMBS!
BIG IS GooD!

Not only is the size impressive, but the design is very cool too.

Looking good, AS!

Thanks for the props. I've been wanting to do something REALLY big, and he's just a warmup. I'm still waiting for the right log to drop in lap. Next up will be a 4' piece of Coconut.

L.S. - Yes, I do need some saw horses. Normally I work on my WorkMate, but this guy is a little too long for that. You guessed it 8' tiki with 3' of extra log. Sawhorses are on the way because I crushed one of the chairs while moving the log. The cooler is for a different type of "support" - my garage faces West and in the afternoon it can get pretty hot in there (imagine a box that focuses the heat of the South Florida sun while blocking any breeze, and the fans just blow hot air) - it holds my hydration.

Blindy - This guy weighs about as much as your concrete tiki - damn! We will not have a problem with anyone taking that one!

I worked on him some more this weekend and should have some pics this week.

Here's an update on the Big Guy. The palm is really soft and isn't holding the detail as well as I like. Its been a while since I have carve Palm so I'm still trying to get used to carving the soft wood. He should be done soon. If anyone is interested I am willing to trade him for a plane ticket from Ft Lauderdale to San Diego for Oasis (plus shipping). A bargain for a 11' tiki - PM me. Enjoy.

That would be a two-way ticket, right? It would suck to lose a top notch East Coast carver like you to the Westies.

The big guy is looking sweet. 11' of palm must be a handful. Sanding him is gonna be a stinker!

-G

Aloha, the Big guy looks Great, Yes the palm is a Lot softer than the hardwood you are used to and it will chew up your tools if you don't watch them. Coconut palm is Much Harder and allows much tighter detail if you are lucky enough to get a piece cured . Looks like you got Excellent detail out of this soft cabbage palm tho, NICE JOB.( as if I expected less :lol: )

From the looks of it, you don't need much sanding, if any! Great idea on the tiki/plane swap!! Ha

That tiki looks great! I hope you can trade/sell it in time to make it to Oasis.

This new one looks fantastic.
Your work seems to be always smooth and neat.

Benjamin.

G$ - Yes I am hoping for round-trip ticket. My family might miss me if I didn't come back. Sanding is a pleasure compared to Mahogany. 100 grit paper and your done!
Benz - The palm is soft and a real challenge. I carved this guy with 2 chisels and some power tools, to lessen the impact on my good carving tools. He was actually carved with 1" and 1.5" Craftmen chisels - $20 total!! I carved some after posting these pictures and ended up removing the tongue because it was just crumbling/chunking. Talking about Coconut Palm - I have a really nice chunk curing in the wood shed. The other half was given to wplugger and the entire log dissolved into thread-like strands (very bizarre) while mine is very solid and curing nicely. I'll give it a few more months before carving.
Surfin, 4WD and Benella - I got the idea from the guy on Craig's list that trade up to a house from a paper clip. Of course the fact that my wife doesn't want it in the house, helped.:wink:

What a great piece this is. You should bring it here to So Cal with you when you come this way... You'll never know... :)

A.S., the big guy looks great!

Bet he takes half the time and effort a chunk of pine does. I'd love something softer than all this ash I'm stuck with right now.

Good luck, hope he sells. Airfare is the thing keeping me away from San Diego this year.

Lake - the real problem is that this is too soft - you can see in photos how the cuts are not so crisp. I think its gonna look great when its finished, it will look very weathered.

Here's an update. Just about finished chopping and just have sanding to do. Then paint, fire, and Poly. I'm going out of town this weekend so he won't be done till next week. I heading to Daytona for a weekend of binge drinking and hopefully some hurricane swells. If you are in the area and want to hook up, PM me. This trip to Daytona is why I am trying to swap this piece - its going to take a big bite out of my budget (family obligations), leaving little $$ for San Diego. Somebody hook me up - I saw tickets for $350+, pretty cheap for a 8'+ tiki. Enjoy.

You are kicking some major mulch on this mammoth monster. You have scaled it up really well, it looks like one of your pens. Nice work. I wish I were going going to Daytona for the weekend.

Ditto JP, Nice looking Pen-tiki. I hadn't thought of why it looked so familiar! It is not easy to make a large carving lok like a small one with all the crisp, smart detail like that, Especially in that mushy palm, EXCELLENT JOB!
Oh yeah, come on up and get some wood (Raw though :P )

Woah, the big dude is impressive! Does it come with a free matching pen? :wink:

Not much to say about this one that hasn't been said, real nice stuff
going on there. Your style works very well in BIG WOOD.

how much freakin ink will it hold Aloha? Nice cuttin.

I'm back from torturing my body in Daytona. Hurricane Bertha's swell arrived Friday afternoon just as I got there and subsided on Sunday afternoon as I was leaving! 3 days of perfect 3-5' surf and drunken happiness. I sit at my desk and ponder how sore I actually feel. Thanks for all of the comments. Yes it does look like a pen and I thought about sticking a pen in the bottom just for kicks (the bottom of the log has a crack that could fit a nice fat marker). The proportions are about the same as a pen only multiplied by 100. I've gotten alot of responce on the swap but I fear that shipping may be a killer. Fedex and UPS are too expensive and frieght companies like to milk you for oversized containers. Quotes are coming. I should have him ready to be finished by the end of the week!

Right on Aloha. Glad you partook in the swell. Such a treat for us in July, to even have waves. I'm sore as hell. back to work.

Wooooooooooooooooo! Surf in July!
We've had swell here too for the last 3 or 4 days. Yes sore, and red eyes. Back at work, and it's offshore and head high. I'll be on it from 4-8 tonite. Not much posting from me lately!
The surf gods are live and well on the east coast.

On 2008-07-14 06:53, AlohaStation wrote:
I've gotten alot of responce on the swap but I fear that shipping may be a killer. Fedex and UPS are too expensive and frieght companies like to milk you for oversized containers. Quotes are coming. I should have him ready to be finished by the end of the week!

I was one of the masses that dropped you a line about it, but I suspected the shipping would be brutal. Whatever you do, don't consider shipping it by Greyhound! I bought a Tiki Farm tiki bar off of eBay along with a matching shelf. The shelf arrived about 3 weeks ago. The bar never did. Another guy I know shipped 12k worth of large R/C planes to a fly-in through Greyhound and they disappeared. He finally did get them back about a month later. They never did make it to the fly-in destination. You might have to ship it by car carrier or something :wink: Hopefully you can find a local customer?

Alright, I have recovered from a fantastic weekend and started working on the big guy again. Painting with fire! My wife came busting out into the garage thinking the house was on fire and quickly changed direction when she saw me with the torch. Oops - forgot to turn on the fans. He is done being burned and I am now waiting to confirm if a local person wants him. If they do he will be stained dark - If not I will probably do a 2-tone stain job. Its getting down to crunch time and I still haven't found anyone that wants him!! Actually alot want him, but shipping him is becoming an issue. Here's an updated photo.

GO TOM GO!
is that the one you showed me at Hukilau?
i wuz kinda drunk.....
anyways-it looks GREAT!
Keep it local-save on shipping!

Great job! That would like great by my pool here in Ft Lauderdale... maybe I could attach some wheels to it and tow it down (I've seen crazier things on I-95).

LLT - You may have seen him as the twinkle in my eye. I started carving him that Sunday during Hukilau.

Two20 - If you are interested I will deliver him for FREE. I live in Deerfield Beach!!
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=28980&forum=12&6

awesoem aloha station!

Big guy looks great! I hope you can find him a home! I'd love to see you for Oasis. (You've still got a reserved spot on my couch if you need it!)

Mieko

Wow, with that shadowing, it makes such a dramatic difference. Sweet.

awesome Karving bro wish i can get him

The Big Tiki really rocks Tom! My vote would be for the 2 tone finish. Can't wait to see this one totally done!!

Here's the latest. He's almost done! Stained and the first coat of Spar Urethane. The wood grain is beautiful and totally unique to Palm. All the yellow "threads" are actually splinters waiting for flesh - I took a closeup of the grain. I included the foot only because I had to stand on the cooler and hold the camera over my head to get the entire image. Gives a great sense of scale.

Mieko - get that couch warmed up.
Surfin - I really enjoy doing the burning and feel that it adds quite a bit to the cuts.
Kreepy - sometimes wishes do come true!
Tres - I did go with the 2-tone color and hope you like it.