doug fir question

Hi all. I have access to a ten foot douglas fir trunk about 12 inches thick at the small end and maybe 18 inches at the base. Is it worth carving if I place it outside? I want a natural wood finish, can it be stained or treated so the rain (I'm in western washington) and bugs don't destroy it to fast, I would like it to last. Bugs turned a 14 inch thick by 12 high bolt of doug fir to dust in about 6 years in my garden a while ago. I want to try my hand at reproducing the Seattle Canlis tiki.

And any hints about what tools to use for this design would help as I haven't carved anything (except cattle) in 30 years. This tiki doesn't look to complex or am I being naive? thanks for any help. aloha, tikicoma

Wood rots when exposed to moisture (and bugs). Pretty simple. After carving something like that you may not want to put it outside.

Yo tikicoma- I would say by all means start in on that piece of doug fir. I am about to do the same and can't wait to see how it carves. I use mostly cedar because that is what is available to me, and have had quite a few of them outdoors for 5- 10 years. I paint them with 3-4-5 coats of a good marine varnish and they have held up great against the elements. Make sure you seal top and bottom especially well and then place your tiki on some kind of foundation instead of directly in the dirt. (bricks work well) There is going to be decay no matter what but we are all going down that path, and I think age adds personality. The tiki you picked should go pretty smoothly and would suggest doing as much as possible with a chainsaw. Then go in with chisels to really get him dialed in. Good luck and don't over think, just dive in.

Thanks for the advice cy. I was wondering if before I varnish or varithane it, would it help to coat it with eastern red cedar oil? Doug fir has no resistance to bugs and there are cedar tikis in town that have been outside for fifty years weathered, yes, but still there. thanks again, aloha, tikicoma

I carved my first tiki out of Doug fir and I will not do it again. It is very hard, especially when dry... wants to chip easily and dulls your tools quickly. Cedar and Redwood are much softer and easier to deal with, for those of us who can't get palm trees.

Yes, Grab it, Doug fir carves great. The tikis I carved for the Tropicana hotel Long house back in 1989 are Still alive and well and can be seen at the Mermaid bar at Queen Kamehameha's Mojave Oasis.
It's excellent wood but like any other wood needs to be preserved.

Yes, Grab it, Doug fir carves great. The tikis I carved for the Tropicana hotel Long house back in 1989 are Still alive and well and can be seen at the Mermaid bar at Queen Kamehameha's Mojave Oasis.
It's excellent wood but like any other wood needs to be preserved.

So that is what it's called.

Make sure you seal it with something that prevents moisture from getting into the grain.

McTiki