Chainsaw Wood Carvings - A Unique Gift Idea

Chainsaw Wood Carvings - A Unique Gift Idea
By Danna Schneider

Chainsaw wood carvings are quite a spectacle when crafted by an accomplished and skilled chainsaw carver. Chainsaw carvings offer everything from smaller, cute "doorway" welcomers like bears and other woodland animals to five and ten footers that take your breath away. But it's more than just a unique and eye-appealing landscaping addition, wood carvings are also a unique and cherished gift.

Raccoons, skunks, turtles and bears are just a few of the more natural carvings you can get, and if you're looking for something a little more contemporary or niche, some even opt to have custom carvings of characters. Yep, that's right - most times you can commission the creation of a pop culture character, like Mickey Mouse or other cartoon characters.

What Exactly is Chainsaw Carving?

Chainsaw carvings are the creation of artistic pieces through the use of large chunks of wood - usually from the trunks of trees that have been cut into larger pieces of log are molded into a specific shape through the use of various sized chainsaws and chainsaw blades. The blades used vary in their degree of precision and detail. In short, a chainsaw carver is comparative to a sculptor, only their tool is a chainsaw and their supplies are natural wood rather than plaster or clay.

This type of art is not just limited to art pieces, but also branches into the realm of unique, custom made furniture that is both rustic and practical. An accomplished carver has the ability to create pieces relatively quickly and as a carver becomes more experienced, their level of detail becomes more advanced. Take for example a chainsaw carver that I happen to know. The pieces she creates look like something that could not have possibly been molded by human hands. That's how good they are.

Not only that, the level of detail in her pieces - ranging from eagles that are a couple of feet high to bears that are only a foot or two - is so sharp and well defined, you'd swear these carvings could not have been made with a chainsaw. But indeed they are.

Usually after the actual carving is complete, the wood is coated with a few protective layers of a polyurethane type of substance, and depending on the customer's request,
it may also be painted with color paint. The coating is necessary to ensure it can withstand weathering and biodegrading.

While most people choose carvings that are free standing and moveable, there are also site carving services available. Site carvings are where a chainsaw carver actually comes to the home and carves an art piece of the homeowner's choice out of a tree that has been partially cut down, or cut down and has left a stump.

Most people make this choice because the carving is a great way to cover up an otherwise unsightly tree stump, as well as to add a conversation piece (which it certainly always becomes) to their yard which will become a permanent piece of their landscape for years to come. Only problem with this is that you probably can't take it with you if you move!

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Danna Schneider is the author of several product review sites. For more information on the Shari Staiduhar's chainsaw wood carvings in Thompson Ohio, mentioned in this article, visit the site for Rocky Mountain Creations here at The Chainsaw Carver.com Here you will find examples of the detailed and unique craftsmanship that has gone into these carvings. Beautiful Chainsaw Wood Carvings

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Advanced Traffic Building Techniques for Service Sellers

Successful Trade Shows Need Great Trade Show Displays

Successful Trade Shows Need Great Trade Show Displays

By Mat Kelly

Your trade show displays are a major determining factor as to whether you will have a successful trade show exhibit or not. You need to use high quality displays that will attract visitors to your exhibit. You want to make sure that your trade show display not only attracts visitors it should make them want to know more about your product and services.

You want your trade show display to be neat and it has to be visible so visitors will know what message you are trying to get across. You can use a display board to put some of your products on. Make sure the display is at eye level to draw them in. The display board should be nicely organized and not too cluttered. You should also make sure all your prices are clearly marked.

Your customers will want your items if they think they are in high demand. You can put a sold sign on one or two items. This will make visitors to the trade show think that they better purchase your product now because it might not be available later.

You can use interactive trade show displays to attract a crowd to your exhibit. You can use surveys, computer games, drawings or demonstrations. You don't have to have an elaborate presentation or demonstration, just something that will peak the visitors interest.

Giveaways and promotional items are also a good way to attract visitors. It is also a good way for the visitor to remember you after they have left the show. Make sure the promotional items are something people will use or look at often, such as magnets, key rings and pens. It's better to place your promotional item in a place where they have to walk into or through your exhibit to get one.

You can use a drawing or contest to attract visitors and it is also a way to collect contact information. The contact information can be used after the show to contact potential customers. You can have a drawing for a promotional item or you can use one of your products as a prize.

You want to make it easy for your visitors to get information about prices, minimum orders or other basic information. You can provide this information by using signs and graphic displays that are easy to read. This way a visitor already knows exactly what you have to offer without having to ask.

One very important thing to make sure you have is plenty of marketing materials. You will want color flyers and brochures. You will also want to have plenty of business cards and order forms available. That way visitors will have information about your product and services they can refer to at a later date.

You want your trade show exhibit to look professional and organized. You should make sure you have table top covers to give the space a unified look. You can use table top or floor displays to get your message across. You can use literature racks so your marketing materials are easy to get to. All of the things above will help you to have a successful trade show exhibit.

Mat Kelly is the president of ExhibitDEAL, a leading provider of trade show displays and accessories such as trade show flooring and banner stands. ExhibitDEAL can be found online at: ExhibitDEAL.com.

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Dave Ouellette is an Exhibitor Service and Sales Consultant with TheLogHomeShows.com.
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Modular Log Homes - Style and Quality For Much Less

By Shannon Phelps

There is this warm association that goes with a log home and they were once a dream that many could not afford but with the massive boom in competition for modular log homes, the dream can now be a reality. If you have the dream of building a traditional log home with post and beams and butt and pass then this is not for you. But if you love the look of a log home but would rather save money and speed up the process then you may want to consider the many styles and sizes in modular log homes.

Firstly, what is a modular house of any type? Modular homes are basically built in a factory and then transported on site where the 'pieces' are put together, and the build if finished. The fact they are built in a factory is the reason they are cheap, there are no delays for weather or waiting for material deliveries and also with the efficiency of factories now there is minimal material wastage.

Some people have the idea that because they are pre-built or mass produced they are not quality homes. This is far from the truth if you purchase your modular log homes from reputable manufacturers of which there are many out there. Modular homes are considered to possibly be stronger than traditionally built houses because they need to be strong to survive the transportation process, glue, nails and bolts are used in areas that a traditional builder wouldn't use them in.

Modular log homes are not limited to a few styles and floor plans anymore. Of the top 3 manufacturers only, you would have a choice of over 100 styles and floor plans and each company allows for customization (obviously at an additional cost) if you are not 100% happy with the base plan. You can get round logs or rectangular logs with log on log style, different log sidding, dovetail corners, gable overhangs, you can definitely get "the look" of a traditional log home without the need to spend the money.

Whilst traditionally log homes are energy efficient, the manufacturing process allows for some additional bonuses and many companies are now marketing green modular homes. Some modern unseen touches can now be utilized like specialized materials can be used for insulation in between the logs creating more thermally efficient walls.

Unless you had a traditionalist visiting one of the beautiful modular homes available you would be hard pressed to see where the additional money is spent, unless of course it was the labour of love you have always dreamed of. Otherwise modular log homes are definitely worth the the money "not spent"!

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Shannon Phelps writes about [http://www.kithomesandmore.com/modular_log_homes.html]Modular Log Homes at http://www.kithomesandmore.com

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Log Home Restoration - Is Your Log Home Two Years Old But Looks More Like Ten?

By Earl D. Johnson

I was called to look at a log home recently and to give the homeowner a price for washing and re-coating their log home. That sounds simple enough, but I have found in log home restoration, it usually is never that simple. This was no exception.

When I arrived at the log home, I was met by the homeowner and they proceeded to tell me. "The last time I had a guy just "power wash" the house and the next day he applied the stain." "One year later and it already looks like it needs another coat."

Upon inspection, it was obvious what the "problems" were. After looking at so many log homes through the years, it is not uncommon to see a pattern of the same sets of problems.

As I inquired about the history of the home, I found out that a water based sealer had been applied shortly after the home was constructed. I would like to mention that the same problems occur with oil stains as well. This one just happened to be latex. This coating was a multiple coat system, two base coats and two top coats. On this home for some reason, only one base, or color coat was applied followed by one topcoat or clear coat.

On many newly constructed ("manufactured" or "milled") log homes, the logs have a thin layer of "Mill Glaze" that is created during the milling process. It forms a film on the logs (and any lumber that has been through the milling process) and, if not removed, it can prohibit penetration of any type of coating.

So what I found was first, the color coat was applied before the logs were aged enough to be free of any mill glaze. Second, being new logs, the grain was very tight making it hard for the logs to absorb stain properly and more likely than not it was wet, meaning the wood had a high moisture content. Compound this with the fact that only one half of the coating system was applied. Remember, it only had two of four coats of sealer applied.

Moreover, the last contractor used an oil based stripper (sodium hydroxide) to try to remove the water based stain. Needless to say, that did very little removing a latex finish. It did however remove some of the loose, less intact stain and penetrated into the wood where the stain had completely been worn away. Then after attempting to rinse the stripper from the wood, the new stain (color coat) was applied.

Sodium Hydroxide is the main ingredient used in oven cleaner and also used in dish washing liquid. It is used in both of these products as a degreaser. Used as a degreaser, sodium hydroxide breaks down oil based stains used on log homes. An excellent stripping agent, sodium hydroxide is very hard if not impossible to rinse out of the wood so it must be neutralized so as not to react with any coating, oil or latex.

So if your log home is a couple of years old or less and the finish is showing signs of fading, peeling, blistering or worst of all, turning black, then most likely the problem is excessive moisture, mill glaze, mold and mildew or all of these.

Proper log preparation is the most important step in log home restoration. It is imperative that the wood is clean, dry and free of any mill glaze, mildew, moisture and other coatings. Any one of these can cause premature failure of any kind of finish, but in particular, penetrating oil stains.

In this situation, the homeowner should have waited at least a couple of months and then thourghly cleaned the logs before sealing or, at the very least, if unable to wait , clean the home with a chlorine/TSP solution. This would remove the mill glaze, construction dirt and any mildew. It is however, better to wait. This allows the wood more time to dry naturally and opens the pores of the wood allowing for better penetration of the sealer. The more sealer absorbed into the logs, the better the performance.

Log home restoration has its challenges. Wood and logs, in particular, can present some unique problems. Log movement, shrinkage, mill glaze, moisture issues, sealer application and the list goes on. Some problems can be solved using scientific techniques. Some can be solved through trail and error, or years of experience. Most however, require good ole common sense.

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Earl D. Johnson is the owner of Taskmasters Wood Maintenance. Living in a log home that my wife and I renovated and built two addition rooms allowed us to deal with every aspect of log home maintenance. Our business is log and cedar home, deck and dock restoration. We enjoy sharing our knowledge to help educate the homeowner on proper maintenance techiques so they will have the ability to make informed decisions when planning for their home maintenance and restoration. Be sure to visit our website @ http://www.taskmasters3.com

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