Carving a tiki statue can seem like a daunting task. This is especially true if you stay focused on the end result and how difficult it can be to achieve. Looking at other tiki statues that have a wide variety of designs can be daunting. Many of them are very elaborate and quite intricate, obviously representing the work of a skilled craftsman. Truly, many tiki statues are works of art.
At the same time, I believe that nothing prevents any of us from directing our energy and effort towards this task and achieving a result that, even if it is not a work of art, can be quite satisfying and attractive. An easy way to start the process is to shift our focus to “next step only.” This will keep things in better perspective, allow you to see the project as much more “doable,” and allow you to make steady, incremental progress.
Before you “blade into log” to begin carving, it’s important to have a clear idea of the design you’d like for your tiki. A quick scan of the internet will reveal that there are more varied tiki designs than one might imagine. Many tiki statues have more than just a face design, incorporating arms and legs into the tiki (although usually miniature in relation to the tiki face). Carvings of pineapples, flowers, palm trees, or other Polynesian symbols may also be included. Some simply have a design pattern to embellish the tiki. While all of them are good for someone, somewhere, sometime, it’s important to focus on the designs that interest or like you.
Personally, I’m a bit picky and I don’t like many of the designs out there because I think they look silly or ridiculous. That being said, I’m sure many people will find the designs I like to be “silly or ridiculous”. Of course, it all comes down to personal taste. You will have to see what designs appeal to you. See which PARTS of which designs appeal to you. If you can’t find one that’s exactly what you want, draw pictures that incorporate features you like, or create our own. A drawing can become your plan or blueprint for your tiki. Whatever your aesthetic requirements, keep going until you have a design that’s “just right.” You’ll know it’s okay when you go back to make small adjustments and find you don’t want to do any!
Unless you want to make your drawings on a 1:1 basis (meaning your drawing would be exactly the same size as the tiki you want to carve), you may want to consider doing them in “scale”. For example, if you want the eye of your tiki face design to be about 4 inches long by about 2 inches wide, you could draw it about 1 inch long by about ½ inch wide. That would be a 4:1 scale (meaning you would multiply each dimension on your drawing by 4 to get the actual dimensions to mark on the trunk of the palm). This technique allows you to make drawings faster and easier, but retains the ability to transfer the design onto the part with relative ease.
Once you have your design and all the relevant dimensions, it’s time to transfer it to the part. Take your time with this step as it will guide you and prevent you from straying too far from your design and the overall “look” you are going for. Chalk is a good marking medium for this purpose, as it’s easy to use, easy to see, and cleans up well when you’re done. One step that many take at this point is to make a center line along the trunk with the chalk. The center line will give you a reference, especially for the tiki face, making it easier for you to maintain symmetry (unless you’re really going for an asymmetrical, skewed look). Use a tape measure to make sure the dimensions are correct and to make sure everything looks right when you’re done.
Now is the time to decide exactly how you want to carve your tiki. Some people use nothing more than a chainsaw to create their complete tiki statue and believe that it gives the finished product a more primitive look. There are examples on the internet, and I have to say that they actually look pretty good. I wouldn’t carve a full tiki statue with one though, mainly because I’m not handy enough with a chainsaw. That level of precision would require someone to be very experienced and very, very skillful; even a small mistake or accident with a chainsaw can be extremely dangerous (or even fatal).
I would recommend using hand carving tools such as chisels, gouges, and a hammer or mallet. Obviously, hand tools are more time consuming than power tools, but they also allow for greater precision. The slower pace also allows you to be more careful and tweak your design before it’s too late if something doesn’t look right.
The first step in carving is to go around the perimeter of each item from your marks with a chisel or gouge and cut a line on the outer surface. This will give you a good outline of your entire design. For some items (for example, purely decorative ones), you may want to remove just the bark or outer layer simply to make it stand out from the surface of the rest of the palm trunk and be visible. For other elements (eyes, nose, mouth) you may want to carve deeper to create three-dimensionality.
While carving, remember to only cut a small amount of material at a time. While it may be tempting to remove large chunks of material (to finish your tiki faster), don’t. It’s just too easy to take out too much at once. This can result in cutting too deep, unintended material being sheared off, or unintentionally cutting outside of your design. When cutting any type of fibrous material, including the trunk of the palm, a cut will want to follow the grain. If you’ve cut too deep, a kerf can extend far beyond the limits of your design, even if you weren’t originally carving there. Correcting these errors can be very time consuming. Obviously if the error is large enough it can ruin the part.
For carving straight lines or removing material from a flat surface, you’ll want to use a chisel, as it has a straight, beveled blade. Always make sure you cannot see the beveled part of the blade while holding the chisel; the flat side should face up. If the flat side is facing down and you can see the beveled part of the blade while holding the chisel, it is facing down. Cutting with a chisel upside down will cause it to dig deeper and deeper, even if you’re trying to make a small cut. In the correct position, the chisel will want to come back up to the surface of the wood as you cut, allowing you to easily make small cuts.
To carve curved lines or to hollow out an area (as you might want to do for the eyes and mouth), use a gouge. Gouges were made to hollow out areas. Obviously, the larger ones work better for larger areas, and the smaller ones work better for fine detail work or getting into small, tight areas. Those who professionally carve tikis have a wide variety of tools that allow them to make any type of cut they desire. You may want to purchase tools specific to the job/design you have in mind.
The nose will require a slightly different technique, and is what some may consider the most difficult part of carving a tiki. It is called “embossed” carving. Relief carving simply means lowering a flat surface around an object (in this case, a tiki nose) to make it appear as if the object is raised. Since you don’t want to just “glue” a nose onto your tiki (that would seem silly), you want to lower the surface around the nose to make it look like the nose is raised. You’ll want this surface “dip” to appear gradual, tapering off as you get closer to the nose. You can choose to cut a very deep relief or a relatively shallow one. Even a half inch bump will be enough to make the nose stand out and be visible. Once the relief is done, you may want to carve out some detail on the nose. I prefer relatively simple and primitive triangular nose shapes. Others prefer highly detailed and realistic nose carvings, with nostrils, etc. The choice is yours.
If you work slowly and methodically, you’ll be amazed at how the tiki begins to take shape before your eyes. If you get stuck in one area, take a break. Come back to that later. You can change your perspective and provide information on how to clear up the problem. Once you’ve carved your tiki, you may want to seal it in some way. Clearly, this is much more important if it is to be displayed outdoors than indoors, away from the elements. There are many commercial products available that will do the job.
That’s really all there is to it. Obviously, the more detail, pattern and decoration there is, the more elaborate the design, the more time it will take. Consider, however, that some of the simplest designs may seem the most eye-catching. The Moai sculptures on Easter Island are extremely simple, and yet they have held our interest and imagination for centuries. Attractive doesn’t have to mean complicated. Determine what appeals to you the most and what will best suit the setting in which you want to display your tiki. Have fun and good luck! Who knows, after you’ve completed the first one, you might want to do a bunch of them.