Neat Wood-Carving Trick

Neat Wood-Carving Trick FARM HOME Miscellaneous 26-6-5 Years ago, an old woodcarver taught Jack Masterson the secret of how to carve a set of working pliers from a single piece of wood. Since then, he's carved more than 5,000 working pairs. It takes about an hour to carve each pair. "I give them to friends and people I meet. I also sell them for $10 a pair," says Masterson, Russellville, Alabama. Masterson starts with a solid block of wood measuring about 3-1/2 in. long, 7/8 in. wide and 9/16 in. thick. From this small block, he uses a scroll saw to rough out the pliers shape. Then, with a case knife and a carving tool he made himself, he cuts the hinge and finishes the handles and nose of the pliers. Once finished, the mini pliers are strong and really work. Masterson usually carves from basswood. "It's the easiest wood to work with," he says. "But I've made pliers from hickory, oak, cedar and maple, too." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jack Masterson, 11853 Hwy. 48, Russellville, Ala. 35654 (ph 256 332-3285).

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