Client said;

I got a call from a landscape buddy of mine; he said that a client of his wanted a tiki bar as part of his new yard. I went to see the client and when I walked into the yard, I saw this old Tiki leaning against the wall.

It was in bad shape, lots of rot and a 1/2" root growing up the middle. The owner has lived there since the early 70's and he bought it at a garage sale. There was also a tore up shed in the shape of an “A” frame with rotten palm fronds on it as well as a gazebo back in the corner of the yard.

The client wanted to replace the “A” frame, build a bar of some kind in front of a window including a cover over the window and lastly some kind of fencing to hide the pool equipment.

So here is where this thread is going. Back last September, I saw two guys putting artificial thatch on a gazebo at our hotel in Waikiki. I tracked down the manufacture in Canada and became a distributor for California. I plan to use this thatch on a new a-frame that is more tiki styled as well as thatch on some kind of awning over the window. As far as the bar goes I want to build a bar using concrete counters. I drew up some sketches, gave the client a price and started up. He called me the next day and asked me to use the thatch on the gazebo as well.
I started by welding up some 1” square tube for the awning. I thought about using wood but decided that it would have to be too bulky and large for this job. I covered it with plywood and 15lb felt.

After installing firing strips, we started to apply the thatch. The thatch is a UV inhibited plastic, has a 20-year warranty not to lose its waterproofing, texture or color for 20 years. It has the look, feel and even the rustling sound of real thatch.

And thatched,

Meanwhile I started to restore the tiki, trying to keep as much material as possible, I removed some of the most punky wood, roots, dirt and debris. I inserted two threaded rods, ½ x 24” up into the body from the bottom. Below the mouth all the wood was as dry as a rice cake and was ready to just crumble. I stared pumping resin into the interior of the body using a large hypodermic and needle. I have used this product to restore some exterior newel posts on an old Victorian home.


Anyone recognize this guy? I am quite sure that it’s the real thing, great design; great carving it appears that it once was painted.
More to come.

Looks like a tiki tht Sabu posted. Tiki is out front of a bar location unknown. Sabus bar must be either the malibu Tonga Lei , or the Trade Winds. Looks like same carver carved for the Trade Winds by the style.

[ Edited by: Tiki Diablo 2007-05-29 00:14 ]

Here's the link to the aloha lounge thread with the picture:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=2344&forum=1&vpost=30366&hilite=mystery

Here's the picture:

(I reposted your pic, sabu)

I always thought it was carved by bumatay or ellis. My jaw dropped when I saw the first picture in this post. I've always loved that tiki. I know Sabu has been trying to figure out where that picture was taken. Is there anyway of finding out where the client purchased the tiki (or from who?) and where they got it?

I knew that it was the real thing.
I have prodded and poked to find out where the tiki came from or how it got to be in Camarillo. He swears from a garage sale but the son (who is in his early 40's) says that there is some evidence that it came from a frat house in Westwood sometime in the later 70's early 80's. He also said he thought there was 2 of them at one time. He said that by the time he graduated UCLA, the other one was gone and the house had closed. Reading between the lines, I think a frat prank swiped it from the other house and it ended up in Camarillo.

That does look like one of Richard Ellis's tiki. I met his son David Ellis who is going to take me to photograph his mothers collection of tiki in Malibu soon. I'll show her this photo and see what she has to say.

Link to the Trade Winds with a number of tiki by Richard Ellis.

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=19144&forum=1&46

Life is a state of mind

[ Edited by: Ojaitimo 2007-06-11 13:36 ]

The tiki appears to have had hands and more torsos at one time. I was disappointed that the old picture doesn’t show the bottom of him.

Like I said the tiki was in real bad shape, the wood was like Styrofoam. I continued to apply epoxy resin to the softest spots, which drank it up quickly. I was concerned that the natural color would be replaced by a dark shiny color but put that fear aside when a large chunk popped off in my hand. That’s when I added the threaded rod. It began to firm up and strengthen after about 2 gal of epoxy but it did start to darken. By the time it was done, I put almost 5 gal of epoxy resin in him.

I also started to figure way to display this guy once it was repaired. The client wanted the a-frame replaced and I wanted to place the tiki in front somewhere. Here is the beginning of the a-frame.


I want to build a frame to support the tiki right at the front edge, even though there is rotten wood through out the tiki, this sucker is still heavy.

Great save there, Bob. How thrilling to see that tattered Tiki leaning against the wall in the exact same angle than it was shot in the B&W photo.
That photo sure looks like the Tonga Lei, after the torch poles and outriggers have been cut off. I remember the TL also being part of a Motel so the top floor in the photo makes sense. Also, Rick Ellis was resident of Malibu, so it would make sense that he supplied the place. The Tiki itself certainly is a fine example of the Ellis/Bumatay style.

How cool would it be to duplicate the entrance to the Aloha Lounge on your client's property!!!

On 2007-05-30 20:13, Lukeulele wrote:
How cool would it be to duplicate the entrance to the Aloha Lounge on your client's property!!!

Well...I kinda did.
Here is the finish of the a-frame.

I ripped off Bongofury and used his artificially rusted corrugated steel on the front as well as on the bar. His bar was the basis of my design here.

I used epoxy to mount threaded rod into the back of the tiki and then bolted him up on this bracket I made. It is red-headed down to the concrete. It’s not going anywhere. and now that it is high and dry, I expect it will last for a long time.

On 2007-05-30 08:23, bigbrotiki wrote:
Great save there, Bob. How thrilling to see that tattered Tiki leaning against the wall in the exact same angle than it was shot in the B&W photo.

Thanks Bigbro, I was speechless when I walked in and saw it. I am ashamed that my first thought was how to talk them out of it...I was also scared to death as a guy was running a backhoe within feet of it and was not being very careful. I did some fancy talking to get them to let me "restore" it, I gave them your book so they would understand what they have, they were flabbergasted, they had no idea.

Yesss, one more Tiki saved thanks to the BOT, it does speak more than any words. Your profile shot really shows the degree of stylization of this guy, genius! I can imagine your inner struggle with not bagging it yourself. Now instead, one more family is converted to the cult, spreading the mana. :)

EXCELLENT work Bob! Great save! I like the way you have the tiki raised off of the ground so that it's not 'standing' in water during the rainy season. It would be great to see a night view of this tiki with a strategically placed light shining upward.

Yeah. BOT--Bananabob's Own Toil.

Great work!

Nice story and a nice history.
And the result is good very good.

greetz limo

That's a great save and a happy ending. I dunno though... if I came upon that fabulous tiki, I'm not so sure I wouldn't have given them the "hey, that old rotten tiki over there - you don't want that thing, lemme haul it off for you." But you took the high road. If this situation comes up again, we're going to be asking ourselves "What would Bananabob do?"

On 2007-05-31 09:09, GatorRob wrote:
That's a great save and a happy ending. I dunno though... if I came upon that fabulous tiki, I'm not so sure I wouldn't have given them the "hey, that old rotten tiki over there - you don't want that thing, lemme haul it off for you." But you took the high road. If this situation comes up again, we're going to be asking ourselves "What would Bananabob do?"

Does this look like a guy who would swindle someone out of a Tiki?

Ha! You guys are assuming that I didn't try to pry it out of their fingers! Once I knew it was not going to happen, I figured I better convert them and at least get to work on it. Does anyone think that this is THE tiki in the picture? Did anyone get more pictures of the Tonga Lei to confirm that? Where is Sabu when we need him?

On 2007-05-31 09:09, GatorRob wrote:
That's a great save and a happy ending. I dunno though... if I came upon that fabulous tiki, I'm not so sure I wouldn't have given them the "hey, that old rotten tiki over there - you don't want that thing, lemme haul it off for you." But you took the high road. If this situation comes up again, we're going to be asking ourselves "What would Bananabob do?"

Does this look like a guy who would swindle someone out of a Tiki?

Ha! You guys are assuming that I didn't try to pry it out of their fingers! Once I knew it was not going to happen, I figured I better convert them and at least get to work on it. Does anyone think that this is THE tiki in the picture? Did anyone get more pictures of the Tonga Lei to confirm that? Where is Sabu when we need him?

According to the menu of the Tonga Lai, they had an Aloha Room banquet room. And the front looks like same.

Awesome Awesome job!!
Post some pics of the finished tiki bar too. I can see it in the background in one of the photos.

On 2007-06-01 07:54, Lukeulele wrote:
Post some pics of the finished tiki bar too. I can see it in the background in one of the photos.

Man! I thought you'd never ask!
I got a book about 2 years ago called Concrete counter tops by Cheng. I have been dieing to make one and I have not until now had a client that wanted to try one. (Most of my kitchens end up with granite) So when I flipped when this client said yes to my plan. My oldest daughter is a graphic designer for a huge architect firm in Los Angeles and a juried project that she was involved in was a bank in Asia. The teller’s windows and work stations had a "bent back surfboard" design and that inspired me to create this. I started with a welded metal frame, 2 x 2 steel square tube. I applied corrugated steel to the front of it. I wanted to combine an inverted lounge booth with 2 surfboards on top.

And the final


When I first walked onto the property, the tiki was leaning up where the surfboard is now.

That is looking so awesome. You have very nice clean lines and such great use of materials. Really neat that you got your clients tikified. :)