Hand-Carved Mini Machines Show Incredible Detail

Hand-Carved Mini Machines Show Incredible Detail FARM HOME Toys/Games 29-5-22 I've never seen anything like it before. The detail is incredible." That's the kind of comment we heard from people seeing Gale Henn's hand-carved mini machines for the first time at a recent antique tractor show. The Hastings, Minn., man carves them entirely out of hard maple and basswood. Three tractors, a sawmill, and a Bombardier tracked ski-type vehicle were on display. Also on hand was an International Harvester buzz saw complete with a wooden engine. All mini machines are made to a 12:1 scale, and all were made using ordinary carving tools, a 36-in. lathe, and a bandsaw. Each mini machine is made from hundreds of different parts - the Bombardier alone has more than 600 parts in it. All the parts are glued together, with no nails or screws and no bolt heads or nuts showing. "They're built with a lot of realistic looking detail," says Henn. "I get an unbelievable number of compliments. At least 80 percent of the pieces are carved before I ever put the machine together. First I go to a real machine and take photos. I also measure all the pieces that I'll have to make and write the information down, which takes up pages and pages. Later, I refer back to the measurements to make a drawing of each piece. I don't add paint or veneer or stain of any kind to the wood. I believe you have to see the wood to really appreciate its beauty." Henn made his first carving, a 1943 Deere LA tractor, 10 years ago. "I drove the real LA tractor in a parade one time and fell in love with it," he says. Since then he has made a 1946 Case VAC tractor, a 1954 IH Super H tractor, the 1952 Bombardier, and the 1921 IH buzz saw. "I made the buzz saw because I know a guy who owns one. The real buzz saw had a 30-in. blade while mine is less than 3 in. in diameter. I used cherry wood to make it. The belt is made from veneer birch." Bombardier snow machines could hold up to eight people. "I often go ice fishing at the Lake of the Woods, next to Canada, where they often use the Bombardier to take us out on the lake," says Henn. "The track on my Bombardier is made from hard maple. There are 72 cleats on each track, and 144 backing plates. "I cultivated a lot of corn with the Case tractor. And I've always been partial to the Super H tractor." It takes a lot of time to make each carving, says Henn. For example, he spent more than 300 hours on the Bombardier. "My neighbor says I'm nuts to do this," he notes. "But it's all worth it on the last day when I finish putting a machine together. It's a great feeling." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gale Henn, 1301 Maple St., Hastings, Minn. 55033 (ph 651 437-5023).

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