A stab at Tanuki

[Eckhoffw]

So You’ve probably seen videos of Peter Chan doing quick and easy Tanuki demonstrations.

After seeing him race through a couple of these, I was like, “yeah, that looks fun and easy enough.”
Since, I’ve collected a few pieces of driftwood as potential candidates.
The piece I chose came from Door county WI. 2 yrs ago.
A pic of the deadwood and my wife telling me what should be the front.
Here are the 3 pieces of the composition.
I got a 10$ sea green juniper, a 20$ production pot I had,and of course the driftwood. I believe it to be Thuja but probably am wrong.I tried to find a juniper with multiple thin trunks. These young junipers are super flexible.

I tested some other options for the driftwood orientation, but ultimately had to go with the boss.
Well, after combing the roots out on the plant, and futzing around for awhile, here is my Tanuki in the rough.
For now I will let the tree get established. At some point I will take the ties off, and route in a groove for the primary branches.

Any advice/suggestions are as always, welcome!

 

[PonderingSage:]

I’m gonna try one a little later this season. I think it’s best to have the live vein of a juniper visible from the front, it helps to anchor the composition.

 

[Lorax7]

I just did one earlier this weekend. Haven't gotten any pics posted yet though.

 

[Colorado]

So You’ve probably seen videos of Peter Chan doing quick and easy Tanuki demonstrations.

After seeing him race through a couple of these, I was like, “yeah, that looks fun and easy enough.”
Since, I’ve collected a few pieces of driftwood as potential candidates.
The piece I chose came from Door county WI. 2 yrs ago.
A pic of the deadwood and my wife telling me what should be the front.
View attachment 438077Here are the 3 pieces of the composition.
View attachment 438074I got a 10$ sea green juniper, a 20$ production pot I had,View attachment 438078and of course the driftwood. I believe it to be Thuja but probably am wrong.View attachment 438079I tried to find a juniper with multiple thin trunks. These young junipers are super flexible.

I tested some other options for the driftwood orientation, but ultimately had to go with the boss. View attachment 438073View attachment 438075View attachment 438076
Well, after combing the roots out on the plant, and futzing around for awhile, here is my Tanuki in the rough. View attachment 438087
For now I will let the tree get established. At some point I will take the ties off, and route in a groove for the primary branches.

Any advice/suggestions are as always, welcome!

Starting to look convincing already!

 

[Crazy Diamond]

I think the better method is creating a C shape channel with a dremel or something then put the Juniper inside, as it grows it achors itself and rolls over creating a similar efect of a living vein in a authentic Juniper, I dont like much the Peter way of make tanukis, is faster yes but in long term less convincing. Photos by https://bonsaikreativ.com/

 

[Eckhoffw]

I think the better method is creating a C shape channel with a dremel or something then put the Juniper inside, as it grows it achors itself and rolls over creating a similar efect of a living vein in a authentic Juniper, I dont like much the Peter way of make tanukis, is faster yes but in long term less convincing. Photos by https://bonsaikreativ.com/

Nice example.
Yeah, now that I got the design pretty much sorted out, I will use my dremel to carve a channel for the branches instead of ties.

 

[Maiden69]

I seen a few tanuki making videos, the one that I think was more convincing was done using a ball head carbide burr. It was done by carving first with a straight cut bit, then following through with the ball bit. It allowed the whip to grow into the groove and anchor itself in. The explanation was that a regular C shape groove allows the tree to grow out of it.

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I know... it's in Spanish, use autogenerated translation or just look at the presentation, it starts where he explains why he use a round hole.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Tanuki is looking a little wild. I like it. I’m sure I’ll like it more when I’m able to shape it next spring


Like @Maiden69 mentioned, I will try to improve the channel with a ball bit to keep the whip secure without the ties.
Im pretty sure that as is, it will never really stay tight enough against the deadwood.

 

[leatherback]

Im pretty sure that as is, it will never really stay tight enough against the deadwood.

I think this is the main flaw in the work. It is not about planting a whip against a piece of dead wood.

 

[Eckhoffw]

I think this is the main flaw in the work. It is not about planting a whip against a piece of dead wood.

Yeah this method is more like me putting on a wig instead of getting hair transplants.
Hopefully if I recess it tight in the deadwood with the ball bit, I’ll get them to stay in there as they grow. ?

 

[Eckhoffw]

One year in. The sea green juniper is doing well.
I cut the back trunk off now that the plant is established. It wasn’t part of the design.

 

[Trojan Phil]

One year in. The sea green juniper is doing well.
I cut the back trunk off now that the plant is established. It wasn’t part of the design. View attachment 488174

Wonderful. Am looking for good wood to start mine.

Any words of advice a year on?

 

[Eckhoffw]

Wonderful. Am looking for good wood to start mine.

Any words of advice a year on?

I’d say that I wish I would have done the proper channel carving as soon as I made the design. Fitting the new live stock into the deadwood proper. Now I’m still working at it when it should have been done right away.

 

[Trojan Phil]

I’d say that I wish I would have done the proper channel carving as soon as I made the design. Fitting the new live stock into the deadwood proper. Now I’m still working at it when it should have been done right away.

The right was meaning the round head carving bit to make the channel?

 

[Eckhoffw]

The right was meaning the round head carving bit to make the channel?

Yeah.

 

[Eckhoffw]

A wee bit of work. Photo. Sea green foliage

 

[Eckhoffw]

Next Year, I will start over, carving better channels into the deadwood, and then inserting the live branches.

At least now, I have a pretty clear picture as to what I’m doing/trying to achieve.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Took a peek at this today.

Looking pretty shabby. I’ll be doing some improvements with the channel carving soon.

Sometimes The sea green juniper foliage is problematic

 

[Eckhoffw]

I haven’t touched this one all season. Since the family was away, I had some time to prune it up, and remove some wire.

Before.
After.
I hope to do some better channeling in the deadwood next season. For now the zip ties stay on.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Quick pic of the Tanuki juniper
3 yrs in. It needs refinement in the foliage and structure unions, but seems pretty healthy overall.