Buzzy's work: Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate

Killer buzz...
Are we going to see someone drummin out on the new percussion piece at caliente???

Jon

Love love love this drum. Wendy

Whew, my eyes are tired. For the last week I've been reading this thread and I decided that when I finally finished I'd create a TC account and make my first post here. 273 pages later, here I am.

What a wild ride. Buzzy, It's been a great journey watching you get better and better, watching your interests ebb and flow, and always wondering what the hell was going to happen next. Thanks for all the entertainment and education.

Looking forward to future posts...

Cheers!
DHTiki

Whatcha workin' on Buzzmeister?

Damn Buzzy. I need to come on the carving forum more often. Love that drum.

Sunset:

On 2013-05-14 23:30, GROG wrote:
Whatcha workin' on Buzzmeister?

It's been about a month since last post, so: A lot, but then again nothing much? If that makes sense. Here, I'll explain...

After I last posted here, I was moving right along, being productive, and getting in a good routine to get carving stuff done. I started out with a few router pieces:

then I carved this tiki:

and...

Stained and prepped some more lumber:

Which were installed in the hut I was working on:

More pictures of it here.

Just to make it clear, that hut isn't at my house!

Around that time, I got food poisoning and was out of for a little bit. That's where I kind of got off the carving track...

As I was heading over the Sepulveda pass on the way to building the hut, I broke the law and answered my phone and talked on it without using a hands free device. Good thing I took the call, because it was a call back for a job I bid on a while back and kind of forgot about. Months ago I heard that a local hospital was having a Brady Bunch luau themed party, so I got in contact with the party organizer and asked if they wanted some Greg Brady idols. The call back was the greenlight to go ahead make all these for them:

I cannot wait until I start finding these at the swap meet!

making all those guys took several days of being at the worbench in the garage. In between pours of those, I ripped off a bunch of Coco Joes pendants with my leftover casting supplies:

I like Coco Joe's so much, I'm now pretending to be them!

Eventually I made copies off all these classics pieces:

turned a bunch into magnets for Mother's Day:

And I did a few tiki crafti projects with them:

Dollar store frames, tapa scrapa, and some resin ripoffs all glued together

Now I'm wholesaling them out unfinished to etsy craftspersons throughout the world:

After working so much in my work area, it was then in an unworkable state:

A couple days later, and I had my shop work area back:

I went to bed the night I finished with the garage excited that I could finally get back to some carving work the next morning. Those plans were thwarted when a 7am surprise call came that some trees were coming down. I was wiped out of large logs, so I was more than happy to spend the day dragging these guys home:

Those big dudes killed my back for a couple days, so I still didn't get back to carving like I'd been wanting and trying to do for a couple weeks.

Before I dragged all those logs back, I cleaned up my outside work area and back yard real good. That took a few days. I also put up my summer sun shield:

Right when I was totally ready facilities wise to get a carving started, I got sidetracked when I saw this vintage drum set at Goodwill:

It was only $80, and was in damn fine shape. I set about to give it a new life...

So, instead of getting to work, I went to a bunch of pawn shops with Cammo and checked out some musical gear. A few follow up trips later and I had a set of new heads, some new stands, and a pair of Zildjians(21" ride and 16" crash) for it:

It had been maybe 7 years since I played drums last, so even though the set was now capable of sounding very nice, I wasn't able to make that happen. So, I've been spending an hour or so a day banging away in the garage lately.

at that point, it felt like it was a ridiculous amount of time since I carved last, so I decided that I was going to get back to it the following day. I was psyching myself up for a day of carving fun, when I came across a post on facebook about some free sod that was available. So once again, I had a worthy distraction from my plans. Instead of carving that day, I set about to get the yard ready for the sod to be set:


The sod was extra that was sitting for 3 days in the heat before I got it. A little TLC and a few days later I had this:


There was so much extra we were able to fill in the other yards as well:

I'm going to get an ornamental iron gate out front with a giant "G" on it and call my estate "Grassland"

Dog enjoying new lawn photo:

So the shop's clean, my lawn's alive, and I'm ready to work on anything carving related...but, I get the call again and I'm spending another day getting logs. This time I went onsite with the trimmers and showed them exactly what I wanted. I grabbed two just under 8 footers and a another chunky five footer. I have a big log inventory now, if I could ever get to work...

But that wasn't going to happen yet, because in the middle of all that, I had a few theme parties to set up. I started back with doing that a couple months ago. It's been really busy in that department lately. That means I get up super early, set up decor for a party real fast and then wait around until it's over and go back and tear it all down real fast. Last weekend I did three huge set ups and teardowns, and there were two other parties that other crews set up or tore down at the same time. One party we tore down at 2am on Sunday at a Kona Kai fundraiser, and then set that same stuff backup at the La Jolla beach and tennis club at 6am for their party. I usually don't bring my camera to these, but this weekend I had it and took a shot or two of the stuff I threw up at tone of the parties. I'm usually the hut builder guy. I'm also the guy who lies to the tourists who ask me what the event is. I usually tell them it's a secret Jimmy Buffett acoustic concert for a Navy Admiral's daughter's wedding.

Kids game booth huts

Ice cream machine hut:

Other companies bring in tarps and tents and stuff that we cover with our decorative themed stuff

One of my rental tikis there:

He goes to all the good parties!

And pretty much sums up the last busy month I had since I last posted here. I have Don's coming up this weekend, and all I have are a handful of leftover magnets to sell.

I better get to work...
Buzzy Out!

Wow, busy month! You're killing me with the drums. I also saw a drumkit at a goodwill for $80. But, like a dummy, I passed it up. (Also, I dont play the drums.)

Nice Grass!

That's quite an update, Buzzy. Eventho you haven't been "carving", you sure have been a busy bee.

Love the picture of your dog chillin on the grass. I bet he's stoked!

Busy Buzzy
Busy Buzzy
Busy Buzzy

Man your post made me tired
Lol

Jon

Nice grass man! Glad you could nurse it back to health

Sunset:

I sponsored a Bodysurfing team this year at the World Bodysurfing Championship in Oceanside this weekend. Wishing Team San Diego Tiki Factory good luck this year, since I have to work this weekend and will be missing all the fun. Go Team Tiki!

I've been taking a lot of time off lately, but I still managed to knock out a few pieces here and there. Here's the last month or so update:

I felt like carving something one day last month, so I did a split log Rarotongan guy


I traded it to Rory for a Tshirt...

Avoiding any waste, I made some scrap wood Moais, and tried yet another two tone staining method

Then a Don's International Tiki Marketplace show came up again so I went into production mode for a few days

Finished new products vending mock up

I finally finished and assembled some Mod inspired pieces with stands that had been sitting around for over a year

Then I carved split log PNG inspired wall hanger

A special order came in for some more Moais in sizes I didn't have in stock , so I knocked those out and a squeezed in a new large Maori hei tiki design while I was in the shop

Then I bought some more wood and started making some more stuff:

I took the rough drafts of the new Hei Tiki design and tried some stain tests and made some abalone inlays for the eyes

Larger inlays are about the size of 50 cent pieces

Then I made a few more pieces out in the shop:

I have one piece of wood left, so I'll draw those up today and do a marathon sanding/staining/finishing session to end out the week. Then, the annual madness of Oasis ensues...

In other House of Buzz happenings: I got my house back to myself a few weeks ago. I haven't started back to carving in the living room yet, but I have moved some of my work process into the comfort of my living room. The only furniture I have in there now is my drum set, a chair, and a my new tv. I was going to buy a crappy used couch and a little tv with my Don's proceeds last month, but I did better than I hoped so I blew it all on a nicer tv. Screw the couch, I'll get one of those after Oasis! In the meantime, I'm making my friends sit on patio furniture and camping chairs when they come over.

So now I sit in front of the tv, draw all this crap out, and go finish it up in the shop.

I wish I had a tv in the shop...

So now what's more important: couch or shop tv?

We'll see after Oasis...

Buzzy Out!

[ Edited by: Bay Park Buzzy 2013-08-12 14:06 ]

On 2013-08-12 13:31, hellbilly1932 wrote:
Nice grass man! Glad you could nurse it back to health

Yeah, thanks again! It's looking real good right now. The destructive digger dog moved out just in time. I managed to save it all, even those two dead pieces. After I got my first water bill, I remembered why I let my old grass go! Now if I could just get them damn gophers!

Buzzy Out!

god damn... and people say I'M prolific...

you're on fire bro....

Not sure if Buzzy is prolific, but he sure makes a LOT of stuff.

Buzzy, I might have a nice couch for you, so don't buy anything till I call you..

"I haven't started back to carving in the living room yet" :lol:

I have plenty of gophers, these are the only things that seem to be effective

See ya in a few days

Hi Buzzy, it was great to see you and Christina at Oasis. We have framed and hung your pinup in our Buzzy Bedroom. I would be so sad if you didn't do these each year. Wendy

Entering the room with all the pinups of Buzzy.

Closer.

Hot!

That room looks better every year. :up:

Before I do my Oasis summary post, let me clear the docket of the pre and non Oasis update stuff

Here is the "now they are stained in all kinds of pretty colors" picture of the last run of pieces

and the follow up two toned finishes shot:

I did a bunch of abalone inlays on the giant Hei tikis, and the rough draft carving got some sea snail shells for eyes

He's got this freaky wired beady eye vibe.

Brand new crap:

I took last week off for my annual post oasis break. Monday evening I was back at it, and drew this one out:

A couple lovely evening hours later and I had most of it blocked out

Here he is now, ready to be done this afternoon:

maybe 4.5 feet tall.

Warm and sunny day, happy to be back to work...
Buzzy Out!

oh wow... all of your stuff is great! I LOVE the Walt Disney World Polynesian resort logo guy on the paddles! :)

nice work bro!

Today's sunset:

I finished carving the Moai right as the day ended:

He'll have a dark stain

On 2013-08-28 12:15, tigertail777 wrote:
oh wow... all of your stuff is great! I LOVE the Walt Disney World Polynesian resort logo guy on the paddles! :)

thanks! You need one, let me know. They're light, shipping friendly, and best of all: Surprisingly CHEAP!

On 2013-08-28 14:12, pjc5150 wrote:
nice work bro!

thanks man! I like how we kind of bookend the country with our non stop passion and production of everything tiki, all of the time...

Missed the UFC tonight. :(
Buzzy Out!

Buzzy, I was admiring last night's sunset and bemoaning the fact that I don't see enough Buzzy Sunsets - and here it is!
Good to see you at Oasis, always good looking art.

Kool Moai Buzz

Jon

ROCK ON Buzzy, do you Ever Slow down?

On 2013-11-03 17:10, Benzart wrote:
ROCK ON Buzzy, do you Ever Slow down?

Yeah. This last week or so I got real sick and I've had take it easy a bit. But before then, I was still going full steam ahead...

From where I left off last update post:

I finished the Moai special request

Here's the only picture I have of it with finish:

I made a lot of these cocojoes ripoffs too:

I like cocojoes so much, I became cocojoes! Well, at least the scummy pirate ripoff version of cocojoes.

A lot more router work done as well. Most of it for the International Tiki Marketplace. Here's some random stuff I had for the September gathering, some old, some new:

I had so much fun doing the special request Moai, that I carved another just like it for the Don's show a couple weeks back

Since I didn't suffer any ill effects by accepting a commission for the first time since 2010, I did another one for a handful of small Moais:


No job too small!

then I took another request for a couple pieces with the Inter Islands resorts logo:

The novelty of taking commissions and repeating the same thing over and over hadn't worn off yet, so I did another special request for a Happy Tang guy 2.0:

The customer was kind of a hassle to deal with, so I sold it at the last Don's show without telling her. I'm glad I did it because it ended going to a better home anyway. That's what you get for being a pain in the ass, hassle customer!

I got a new kindle fire HD tablet that I can hook up to my new tv, so I go on Netflix and watch tv series I missed the first time aired. I started with all the breaking bad episodes, then moved on to Sons of Anarchy. I was feeling guilty spending way too much downtime watching tv, so I started some hookknife practice while tv viewing:

Was going for a more tikimod than traditional look with these

Somehow I missed taking pictures of the router pieces I did for the last Don's sale. They were just 10 or so catalog repeats anyway...

In between all that, I did another commission for a repeat design . Version 3.0 of the big eye guy:


It's been finished since that picture was taken. Supposed to deliver it last week, but being sick got in the way of that.

and finally...

This month started off with some rough draft paddle pieces:


Then I got real sick and had to stop working for a bit.

In case any of you missed it, I did another publicity photo for Tiki Oasis this year:

Man these were a popular item!

I think that's all the tiki stuff.
Buzzy Out!

Version 3.0 of the big eye guy is the Bees Kneez, Buzzy
Oh God I just channeled Pauly Shore!

Buzz, those hook knife smaller tiki modern pieces are great!

Buzz- freekin awesome bro
Keep it Rollin
Love the buzz-updates

Jon

wow man... you've been a busy bee...

neat stuff as always bro...

Visited the Buzz Shack at the International Tiki Marketplace today and it was so dang dark in there I kept tripping on puffer fish lamps and knocking over Buzzy's hand carved chess set. I lost the white queen twice, sorry!

All the Buzz Merch was a lot bigger in person, those routered Marquesan plaques are BIG, with a great antique stain job. Nice work. (If this is what Buzzy turns out when he's sick, what does he carve when he's WELL?!?!?!)

I forgot, I took this picture of the Buzz Shack at the International Tiki Marketplace:

Setup time: 3.5 minutes. Nice job, Buzz!

I just need to add some wheels to it and I'm all set! I can stay at home all the time, AND go places!

Buzzy Out!

wow bro....

very impressive... damn...

Sunset:

I just saw my thread passed 1,000,000 views. Thanks for looking all these years!

I'm a little overdue for a update, and for that I apologize. Here's a quick run through of what's been up

Did a run of soaps:

Then I did a massive resin casting run, hoping to make enough to last until at least August. A few highlights of some finished pieces:

Some new Maori Hei Tiki test pieces


Final versions pre abalone inlays

I recast some CocoJoes pendants and made a chess set with wooden board:

Back in the shop with a new small 7" Marq face design and mini shield/paddle

Missed the good old days where I was carving in comfort all the time so I got a new carving carpet for the living room:

I upgraded the tv, stereo, speakers, and furniture in the carving room as well

Heaven! This new set up rules!

First two tikis carved in front of the tv:

Next was a maori:

And another Maori:

The group:

Finishing process:

Then Don's Tiki marketplace vending came up again, I was real low on stock, so I went to it for a few days:

In the middle of all that, I got a new buddy to hang out with:

Still no name for her. Her temporary name is Little Dog.

Custom sign:

After the Don's show, I still had the old mess in the shop to deal with, and a bunch of stock pieces to replace. Usually I'd wait a while and do something different, but there was already a mess there. So, back to more mess and stock pieces:

I also got sidetracked one afternoon and made a mug shelf out of the Moai design:


I went all New Yankee Workshop on it and made mortise and tennon joints on it. I've only had the table router set up for 3 years without using it...

And that catches me up to present day...A couple quick custom requests to fill right away and then it's back to indoor carving for a few days.

C-ya again soon!
Buzzy Out!

Be sure to see Buzzy at the Tiki Marketplace at Don the Beachcomber
all of his great carvings are ridiculously affordable.

Quality work at a "Great Price", no excuse not to add to the home bar or lounge!

On 2014-01-26 09:53, Cammo wrote:
I forgot, I took this picture of the Buzz Shack at the International Tiki Marketplace:

Setup time: 3.5 minutes. Nice job, Buzz!

What the...?! Is this real? That looks amazing! Are there more pics of this somewhere?!

Buzzy's still the Ultimate Bachelor:

...and how long did it take to make the amazing Folding Buzz Shack?!
Cammo Out!

damn,... and people tell me I make a lot of stuff...

you're practically running circles around me.. . lol...

all killer stuff as usual bro.. :wink:

That's a busy buzzy....

On 2014-03-16 13:55, TikiTacky wrote:

What the...?! Is this real? That looks amazing! Are there more pics of this somewhere?!

No, unfortunately, it's just a Cammo joke. My setup is the exact opposite. I usually don't even have a table to vend on. I just throw my stuff on the floor and make people buy it when they step on it.

And while I'm here, a few more new and stock replacement pieces that I made over the last several days:



Soon as these are done, I have 4 split logs I want to hack out. Been a few weeks since I carved...

Buzzy Out!

A very busy Buzzy. Do you own a vacuum cleaner? Wendy

WOW, Love that Buzz Shack Buzzy, Kinda Hitech for tiki tho? Love it.

Buzzy has broken more vacuum cleaners than are currently on sale at Super Target. His whole front yard is full of vacuum cleaner parts, bags, wheels, shattered dust casings, etc. They form kind of a no-mans land in a foreboding ring around his house. A really talented vacuum cleaner repairman with a can of glue and a box of tools could probably assemble 10 to 15 brand new vacuum cleaners from the parts thrown out of his kitchen window alone.

(Whoah, the Buzz Shack is a hit! Benzart wants one!)

Yes Cammo, Benzart Wants one! :)
Hey Buzzy, you know you are supposed to put bags in those vacuum cleaner things?
Glad you're back home again.

awesome work mate

Happy End to 2014 and a Welcome to 2015!

I stopped posting most of my woodwork on here because I just kept doing the same production and special order pieces over and over and over again... You can only see the same damn thing so many times.

It was kind of a busy year for me. For the first time I actually kept records of what I made in the calendar year(More or less. I lost my log book for a couple months so there are maybe 400 resin pieces and another 20-25 wood pieces I didn't log)

2014 Summary = 4,358 total tikis made, carved, or produced this year. The catagory breakdown is as follows:

Wood wall hangers, vending stock and special orders:
100 pieces (plus approx. 20-25 more I didn't track)

Larger carvings:
17 pieces

Smaller wood carvings/pendants:
7 pieces

Large resin production pieces:
258

Medium Resin production pieces:
2569

Small Resin production pieces:
1408

Partial Year in review photo summary:

Buzzy Out!

Really enjoyed the year in review Buzzy, thanks for taking the time to post! (Hope to see progress shots of the band sawed tiki)

cool stuff Buzzy.. 8)