Some help needed please...

Hey everyone I want to try to carve my first tiki but I need a little help before I get started...I need to know what the best tools are for doing the carving its self...I know many carvers use a chainsaw but since I am only 18 and tight on money right now I don't think I will be able to buy one...My other problem is that the only wood I can carve is whatever I find around my town...what are the best tools to use to remove the bark...then actually do the carving and I guess sealing it or staining it when I finish it...any tips or suggestions would be great...thanks

If you're short on bucks rest assured you can carve a tiki with some very inexpensive tools. If you have some flat carpenter's chisels, a saw, some files, and sandpaper lying around you're in business. These aren't the best tools for carving, but you can come up with some pretty decent stuff if you have the time, patience and the urge to carve. Carve it rough, smooth it up, and sand it down fine. Get some shellac or varnish from Home Depot, and you've got a nice tiki. Sell a couple like that & you've got some money for better tools. Keep it rolling, and you'll have a nice set of chisels, power tools, and everything you need to make your tikis better, faster, and cleaner.

Start with the tools you've got. That's all you need for now. Carve some tikis, post lots of pics and ask questions as you go. Just get it rolling.

Once you've got more tool money, think long & hard about what you want to but. Tools are expensive, so choose wisely.

Start here for your wish list:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=10451&forum=7

Good luck.

A-A

I just started.. I was lucky and have tools. But I find my self using flat chisels more than anything!! Have fun!!

You can do a lot with just a few straight chisels. Check out the "Carving Post" thread at the top of the Creating tiki page. Theres 45 pages of "how-to's" in there with excellent pictures of tikis being carved..
Have fun and take pictures of your journey through tiki carving.

Thanx everyone...I will be starting sometime in the next few days and I will post pics as soon as possible...