Wooden Vehicles Are Works Of Art

Wooden Vehicles Are Works Of Art FARM HOME Novelty Items 31-3-2 John Girard of Eugene, Oregon creates original life-sized wooden motorcycles and cars by carving and cutting hundreds of pieces of wood. He started out creating 2-ft. long mini motorcycles, but in the last five years, has made four full-scale wooden motorcycle "sculptures". "My first big bike took three years, with help from my son-in-law, Frank Petersen," Girard explains. "It's made from 16 different types of wood and is similar to my own Harley Davidson. I call it The Woodchopper." He glues his creations together with wood glue and coats them with two coats of plastic resin, which serve as both an adhesive and a varnish. The bikes are stationery and sit on special dollies because they're fragile, due to their size and weight. "The last bike I built is called The Spruce Rooster because I used spruce to make it," Girard says. "It has a real DVD player in the rear fender and a stereo player in the fuel tank. The sculpture sits on a base with castor wheels, making it easier to move around." Girard sells his mini motorcycles, which take three to four weeks to make, for $200 to $300 each. The large bikes sell for a lot more. The Woodchopper, for example, is priced at $25,000. Another one of his creations is a full-sized wooden convertible car with a V-8 "all-maple" motor. It's 12 1/2 ft. long, 5 ft. wide and 3 1/2 ft. high. The ambitious artist is looking for a sponsor to finance the $3,000 to $4,000 he'll need for his next project - a full-sized working motorcycle, with all but the motor and frame built from wood. What makes Girard's work even more amazing is that he is a 30-year amputee who walks on his knees, using Kevlar-soled "stubbies" form-fitted to his stumps. His work expresses his life motto: "Defeeted but never Defeated." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, John Girard, 86095 Couger Lane, Eugene, Oregon 97402 (ph 541 935-4454).

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