New stuff added!!

fantastic stuff AS,to bad I live in the wrong Melbourne.
Hukilau looks and sounds like a HOOT!

Well STILL Excellent work, I guess that one slipped up on me, How could I knot no mahogany?
:o

Just a quick drive-by post as I get ready to leave for Hukilau. I finished a lot of stuff that I had lying around for the event . these are just one old project that got finalized.

The plan is not to drink too much tonight and save my strength for the rest of the weekend. I'll let you know how it goes...

Sweet!

That's incredible work AS.

Yes! I can smell the quality on this one.

I haven't posted since before Hukilau so here's an update. Hukilau was fantastic - met too many new folks to elaborate on everyone and was happy to see some familiar faces. Some shout-outs to Tiki Hana, Greentikipat, Suzanne, and a new contributor Tiki65... I want to thank everyone that supported me and took some of my stuff home. It was a blur, so shoot me a PM if my stuff has a new home in your home. I spent most of my time talking and ended up losing my voice by Saturday night. Some of the highlights were the bands, swimming with the mermaids (again), early morning swims (way past midnight) with pools full of rum, and seeing the Mai Kai close to capacity! My favorite quote of the weekend was, "He's too drunk too catch the pool." Thank you all again!!

As everyone's focus shifts towards Oasis - I offer this to everyone...
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=32804&forum=12&4

Here are some leftovers from Hukilau and some new carves I've done since. Top-left is a chunk of Basswood that I got from Benzart at Hukilau (started it while sitting at the table with him). Didn't have a whole lot of time to work on him there, so I finished him up on Sunday while rekooperating. Top-right was carved and cast into pendants and earrings. Bottom-left is a redo of an earlier pendant. And the last two just needed better photos.

Lastly I offer up my Swap piece. I need to finish the cord and I will post my final image on the Swap thread.
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=32054&forum=18

It's all fantastic stuff, but the swap piece is my favorite. It's got to be hard to let that one go.
Someone is going to be very happy with that. :D

the swap pendant is beautiful tom! if only i had some artistic talent to get in on the swap. ya gonna be at oasis this year?

Freeeak'n SsweeetT Tom! Your carving expressions are signature... standing out and above!! Keep whack'n da wood!!! :D

Some folks creeping back out of the woodwork...

SD - The Swap piece was fun. I will definately be doing more PNG pieces in the future. A lot of cool stuff there. Lets see an update from you!

Bullet - where have you been hiding?? I'm hoping to be at Oasis. This will be going on Craigslist tonight... http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=32804&forum=12&4

KTD - Thanks for the props. I really dig your Swap piece!

Unfortunately I spent the weekend battling some kind of Cold. So my Swap piece will be submitted as-is. I was hoping to add some unhatched iguana skulls (found them while digging on my mountain bike trail) to the cord, but the turned to dust as the ants cleaned them. Maybe I'll find something else before I send it out. I'm heading to the Panhandle for the 4th and who knows what I'll find up there!

That swap piece is SWEET! :o

Holy crap almost a month since my last post! I guess I need to get busy!

On 2009-07-21 10:25, AlohaStation wrote:
Holy crap almost a month since my last post! I guess I need to get busy!

LOL, yeah, funny how that happens! :wink:

Here's something. These were started and I plan on making these into small lamps. They just need to be sanded and finished. Carved in Cypress salvaged from the Mai Kai renovations. I hope to have these ready for Oasis.

If you've been watching, I recently sold a large tiki to pay for my trip to Oasis. Well I still need help so I'm offering up some Hukilau leftovers in the marketplace. Any support will be greatly appreciated. Check them out here...
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=32804&forum=12&start=15&18

A.S. You are just CRANKIN'! Man I love your PNG, very tastefully done with the color. Go Go Go

Great stuff, Tom... love the PNG!

Nice color choices!

Good luck, hope you can make it to Oasis!

Since I missed you at Hukilau, maybe I'll get to see ya in San Diego!

Nice eye candy. Way to work your way there.

nice looking future lamps. like the giant "mole" on the guy on the right. waiting to see the final product, should look great.

bd

I love the idea of those Mai Kai cypress pieces. What a great way to infuse these tikis with history and vintage origin. Your work is still excellent and on par as always. Have fun!

Aaron

Yes, you'd best get Busy, Busy, Busy, times Flying by. Agree that the Mai-kai renovation scraps make those Cypress pieces a lot more alluring. Excellent stuff and your finish really enhances the wood and the wood enhances your pieces! Cool.

I really like the PNG piece as well. I will probably do a larger one in the future. Right now I'm on a mission!

Those are gonna be cool lamps!

Totally bummed - I just got out of a meeting with my boss and I will not be able to take the time off for Oasis. Weeks of planning finally came crashing down. I had a sneaking suspicion that was going to happen last week, but I tried to stay positive. Oh well - there is always next year.

two words....
BOSSES SUCK!

bummer,man!
fingers crossed for next year....

YOU are not alone... I too will be working instead. :( Stiff upper lip, Tom...TO10!!!

I have two words also.."I Quit" Thats Why I Started my own business..This bites dude . Hope things change around..

Sorry to hear that Tom... now who am I suppose to live vicariously through at Oasis!?

OOOUUCH!
Sorry to hear this news Tom. Maybe you didn't get the message right. Call the boss from Oasis and apologize for misunderstanding. HA :o

awesome work! I'm loving the cypress. I have a tiki i just finished (my first finished one) that i'll have to take pics of. I was pretty sure it was poplar but after looking at yours, i'm almost positive it's cypress. my dad had a few trees fall down on his property here in virginia and we cut them up and i took a couple pieces home with me.

I HOPE i have more of them but i'm not sure i do. if i do, they're dry and cracked.

Oasis was big bummer, but its not the bosses fault (in fact, he's a loyal client and has bought several pieces). I'm in the magazine business and deadlines rule.

On a better note - went to the Carving Jam at Chip & Andy's on Saturday and had a blast. Carving with the SFL ohana was a fun. Past on some info and tried my hand at some new stuff. First up is a photo of my current/on-going project. Its a 4' piece of Mahogany that I have been taking my time with. No plan just diving in every now and then - he's starting to take shape but has a long way to go. Still a lot of wood to remove - almost all done with chisels.

Next up was my first flirtation with bone. Having Benz and Mango there to give guidance helped a lot. I knocked this out pretty quickly and then passed it off to Benz who cleaned up some of my cuts and finished it off. Benz gave me a lesson on how to do the 4-string weaving, so I proceeded to braid a 3-string rope. I wasn't feeling up to the challenge of completing this one with the extra string - weak! The string took me longer than carving the tiki! Happy to say that our hostess was the recipient of my first bone!

I left the Jam with lots of wood and bone. Passed along some deer antler. Milled a piece of wood for a future project. And had a fabulous time. Thanks again C&A.

Happy to say that our hostess was the recipient of my first bone!

Damn, what a great present! Y'all wanna come to my house for the next one?! :lol:

Cool time at the Jam, it was Great that you loved the Bone so much, I expect some Awesome pieces from you out of bone. Let it All hang out and take it as far as you can!
Want some Beautiful Figured Black Walnut? LookHERE, Man that stuff is Beautiful! And, only 5$ a stick?

That's a great price. Good turning stock! My wife would kill me if I purchased any wood - the home wood pile needs to be reduced first. I'm working on it!!

Aloha Tom!!! How'z your summer?hopefully good! You should come up here for some waves and a bit of surfin!Sorry if it sounded braggy talkin to Seeks,but just lettin him know how Great the Waves were and to come down anytime for a Surf and the same goes for you(except you have 2 come up here)I hope all is going well and you should see the piece of Black Walnut I got in Michigan(6ft long by 3in thick and 10in wide). I'm gonna have my parents bring down a little more this winter when they come.Hey I had forgot hows the Tiki surfer carving coming for my son?Send me a pm with your phone number lost my phone and all the numbers that way I can call you about SURF!!!1Aloha my friend, Mooney

No problem Mooney. Sounds like you had a good time. I'm just jealous that you got some good surf and I have to settle for wind-blown chop - which I got some today!! First surf in a few months down here. That piece of Walnut sounds nice. Keep us up to date.

bump

Thanks for Bump, Mooney. This saturday I went up to Sebastian to get some of the swell from Bill. It was amazing Ft. Pierce and Stuart had surf but everywhere south of that had nothing. So on the way back I blew off meeting up with Mooney and I wish I didn't. I was totally wiped out from surfing all day and the wife wanted me home - that my excuse. The reason I wanted to hook up with Mooney was to show him the piece below. This is something I have owed him for a while. Surfboard Ku carved in Walnut, 16" tall. He's about half way done.

I have been keeping busy carving. Need more motivation to take pictures. I'll focus on that this week - in between carving.

Aloha Tom!I'm really stoked for you to have gotten some good SURF!!! I went out later and it was fun ,but sunday morn was Aweasome shoulder high and peelin Lefts and rights super fun stuff and the best part just me and one other guy from jupiter!! Next swell come on up lots of uncrouded Surf breaks for us to surf!! You always welcome my friend!
Boy is Ryan gonna B so Stoked with this Ku surfer your carving!!Looks Great! Will be workin on a Tiki Hut tree house for the kids soon!! Keep those sweet carvings coming my friend your incredably talented artist,Aloha, Mooney

Great looking carves AlohaStation. Cool to see a long board for once. I'm glad you finally got some good waves from Bill, even if you had to come all the way up to Sebastian.

On 2009-08-24 08:12, AlohaStation wrote:
I have been keeping busy carving. Need more motivation to take pictures. I'll focus on that this week - in between carving.

Awesome carve coming along. Yep - more pics!

Aloha Tom!!! SURF this weekend again!!! Give me a call if your up this way. I showed my wife the tiki your carvin for ryan and is so excited for him!!!Really cool and Mahalo, Aloha, Mooney

Tom,latest peices look'n good,the surfboard tiki is an idea I've been
think'n about for awhile.Kool that you've been get'n some waves and keep those
tiki's com'n.Cheers Watango

You sure pick some hard woods to carve. The surfer looks great.

Living in the shadow of the Bahamas is tough when you surf. Maybe another upcoast session this weekend. Since staring the Walnut Ku I have dove into another verion that is slightly larger. Pics soon.

Poobah - I feel I've become ruined. Since carving the hard woods I have "tried" going back and carving palm several times. The palm trees I have access to, have not been very cooperative - stringy, soft and can not hold detail. Now I prefer carving the harder woods but I have to be careful because I have wood allergies, so nothing too exotic. The Walnut is slightly softer than Koa (which is a common carving wood in the islands and causes a reaction on me). Plus Mahogany grows naturally in SFL so there is plenty all around. Look around your area and talk to local carvers - you will find that no matter where you live, there is good carving stock all around.

OK so I've taken some progress shots of some things I have started. I've decided that I have way too many things going at once. First I'll start with an update on the Surf Ku. Feature are finished, needs to be sanded and some finish cuts - it will done soon. Most of the cuts were done with the hook knife.

While carving the Ku, I was inspired to start another one. This time out of a piece of Mahogany that I got at the Carving Jam. When I get farther along on this I will post something that gives it some scale. I have some interesting ideas for finishing this one.

Here is the big log that I started a while back. Its something to chop on when the feeling is right. A new set of chisels is calling to finish this guy up. I was really disappointed that the log checked - my fault - it was stored next to the door and had some moisture get to it. It cracked while I was carving on it. I watched as the crack expended.

Next is the remnant from the big hairball I just did. Quick carve with the chainsaw and grinder. This palm was just terrible to carve after I've been doing all the hardwood carving! I may do more palms, but not from the source I have now. He just needs a couple coats of poly.

Ahhhhh, just a flowin' with style! Is that how you surf too? :D

MAN, that is some SERIOUS front rocker on that board!