feel free to laugh-my first carved tikis-chainsaw tips wanted!!!!!

First let me say that the only reasons I'm even posting these is because

1. I've seen worse for sale on ebay
2. I need tips on chainsaw carving!
   I have no patience, don't ever plan on selling carved tikis, and need to re-do my front yard with a budget of almost $0.00! I want to add a few tikis with some palmwood I have after Ganderma Fungus wiped out many, many specimine palms. Since the tikis are for the front yard, I don't want to (and can't) spend the money on tikis that someone could make off with.
   I plan on painting these and want a primitive look. These happened while I was taking the chainsaw to a bed of roses (I hate roses in the front yard) I will be planting a cycad garden to replace the rose bed when it warms up a bit. I looked over at the wood sitting there and decided to try a tiki-no drawing or planning.
   While scanning through the tiki carving thread I read lots of info on chisels, etc. but couldn't find info on chainsaw carving.

Any tips, Keigs, would be greatly appreciated, Keigs!!!!! I also know there is an old book out there by Bill Westenhaver about chainsaw carving and would pay someone for some copied pages of tips. Let me know if you have this book (I'm not going to be anyones competition) Like I even need to say that....here's the sad guys.

That's an hour of my life, I can't get back. How do the wood chips get in your underwear anyway?

Hey laney, cool stuff. Just carve loose and don't tense up. I know it's hard to do, but that seems to let you carve a little more freely. I like the beginnings of them there tikis. Protect your eyes and ears and don't wear loose fitting clothes . Also apply different pressure to the saw and see how it cuts differently, as well as using the tip of the blade as well as the middle and base of the blade. Symmetry(sp?) is the hardest thing to master for sure. Please email me your ph# so I can put you in contact with this plant guy already, I don't know if you ever saw my other message about this. Or I can give you his # too. Or?

Laney- not bad for your first ones. I usally draw out what I want to carve on a big piece of poster paper. the same size as you want the tiki. I then cut out the lines on the paper and make a template. Make it so when you wrap it around the post everything is in the spot where you want it. Wrap it aound the post and tack it then use spray paint to sray on the design on the wood. Then carve away or draw it on the post with a marker. Bill always says the deeper you carve the better. Straight cuts are what he started out doing like the tikis you carved but the more you do it you find you can flip your chainsaw different ways for different cuts. Practice on a piece of wood you dont care about. I use the tip of the chainsaw most. The smaller the tip of the bar the better. When using the tip of the bar watch out for kickback hold the chainsaw tight. I do have the book you are talking about and can send you pics. But the best way to learn is just do it and figure out the different ways to do different cuts. Hope this makes sense and helps. Email me and I will send you some pics.

Actually, I cut the screaming guys eyes so deep the first time...OOPS, there goes the top of his head! Thanks so much for the tips guys and keep em comming. I sure appreciate you carvers more now!

Hey, it looks like a mighty fine start to me, considering they're recognizable as tikis, and they aren't spattered with blood from a chainsaw mishap. I have a feeling that if I made an attempt to carve with a chainsaw, the results would look like they'd been through some sort of horrific nuclear event. Be sure to post round 2!

On 2004-01-07 16:42, thechikitiki wrote:
Just carve loose and don't tense up.

use the force, laney!
it's absolutely true - when i was learning to tattoo i found that if you breath and just trust yourself, you actually maintain much more control.
i like what you've done - they're very cartoony and different.

Not chainsaw but might help you out just watching this video how Bosko carves is:
http://homepage.mac.com/templedog1/iMovieTheater1.html

I think they look terrific for a first attempt and using a chainsaw which has a mind of it's own anyway is even more impressive.

Wow, thanks for the link SES. That was a cool video. I love the tikis laney!

[ Edited by: susane on 2004-01-20 08:59 ]

On 2004-01-07 17:48, Humuhumu wrote:
Hey, it looks like a mighty fine start to me, considering they're recognizable as tikis, and they aren't spattered with blood from a chainsaw mishap.

Yeah, if it was me, I'd be fortunate to finish with all 10 fingers (or both arms for that matter!)

I used a chainsaw once as a teenager, the damn thing kicked back on me and came a millimeter from giving me a Van Gogh. Haven't touched one since and the thought of getting all fancy with one scares he hell out of me. Good Luck and let us know if you cut anything off. We can sacrafice it to the tiki gods!

Original Art by Flounder

http://www.flounderart.com

[ Edited by: FLOUNDERart on 2004-01-08 07:37 ]

after seeing your tiki's and that video,i'm kinda wanting to carve.Nahh! i'm gunna paint.Nice start with the palm,i would have no idea how to carve a tiki with a chainsaw/chisle/butterknife

Aloha Laney,
I freehand the images onto the log with chalk. If you're going to draw the pattern onto the log befor you carve it and your going to do it free hand not copying it onto the log. Then use chalk. I use chalk because it's eazy to erase any areas that might seem uneven.

Or you can cheat and display any image from any book onto the log then just follow the lines. The easy way out.

have fun and be carefull with that chainsaw.

If you are feeling they are too minimalist, you could always paint or stain them with varying shades of dark brown, and add white details, like a sepik river mask...

Hello,

I am new to this forum and would like to post some pics of my chainsaw tikis. Can someone walk me through posting pics?

GMAN, Below is a link to the info you need. Take a look at the Forum index page when you sign in to Tiki Central and notice that there on the left side is a column which has an area called "For new users" There you can find more of the FAQ"s and answers to Tiki Central things. Good Luck, looking forward to your photos.

http://www.tikicentral.com/faq.php#embed

I once was lost............but now I'm found

[ Edited by: 8FT Tiki 2005-07-14 14:38 ]

Laney,

Early on, consider roughing it out with a chainsaw, and detailing with chisels. But wear a leather glove on your chisel-holding hand, at least in the beginning.

Also, it's a good idea to have your chainsaw blade sharpened. It will give you much more control.

Pretty cool for your first attempts.

Laney,

I do a lot of chainsaw work. Hit me with an email if you are still interested in chainsaw carving. Also see my post about my chainsaw tikis. I will help you in any way I can.

-Gman

Hey Laney

Good on ya for having a go, and posting your pics, even though you don't think they are the best. I don't have the balls to attack a piece of wood with a chainsaw, so you are way ahead of me.

Good luck on ya tiki carvings, can't wait to see more. You know that its just fun at the end of the day, and you are having a good time by the looks of it. mate, to me that means you are a carving legend already.

i can't offer any help with the chain saw part as i do not use them, but it looks like you got the carving bug. the tikis look pretty good for early tries. the only advice i can offer is to keep trying, and if you can get a couple peice of just junk wood practice with the chainsaw doing different cuts.