He'll "Plasmacize" Your Farmstead In Steel

He'll "Plasmacize" Your Farmstead In Steel FARM HOME recreation 32-1-27 Now you can capture your favorite farm scene - or antique - or tractor in 16 ga. cold rolled steel. Jim Kuttner uses a plasma cutter to create amazingly detailed rural scenes, creating his own images or working from photos provided by customers. "I spent a lot of time learning how to take a picture and transfer it to a digital format so it can be reproduced with the plasma cutter," he says. Kuttner adds a unique touch to his artwork by doing additional cutting and welding that gives scenes a 3-D effect. "You need a lot of time to play with it and learn," says the retired college instructor." Kuttner taught himself how to create fine lines to give tractors the detail he wanted. He now has digital templates created for more than 40 different tractor brands. He has done common brands like Deere, IH and Ford but also more rare antiques such as Flour City, Graham-Bradley and McTaggert. He also has templates for more than 18 steam engines from Advance to Wood Brothers. Tractors and steam engines are mounted on 8 3/4 in. high by 11 1/4 in. wide wood plaques. Kuttner sells them for $35 each. A Blacksmith scene he created measures 42 in. wide by 27 in. high. Details include a blacksmith making a horseshoe on an anvil and even a squirrel in a tree. Scenes are layered on five different levels for a 3-D look. It has a bare metal finish with a clear sealer and is priced at $550. He's now doing 24-in. high custom farm scenes for individuals. One 36-in. wide piece was completed for $275, while a 6 1/2-ft. long farm scene was priced at $950. "One guy wanted one that was 8 ft. long and had eight different tractors he had once owned in the scene," says Kuttner. "If somebody has a picture, I can reproduce it in steel." All completed work is buffed lightly and then covered in one of two finishes. If meant for outside display, he covers it in a UV-resistant bronze paint. If interior display is planned, the buffed steel is covered in two coats of a clear finish to retain the steel look. "People want to see that it's steel, not wood or plastic," he explains. "Steel is popular now." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Heritage Metal Art, 10138 W. Kenyon Ave., Denver, Colo. 80235 (ph 303 986-6339; fax 303 986-6339; heritagemetaljim@aol.com; heritagemetalart.com).

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