Welcome To World Of Wood Carving

Welcome To World Of Wood Carving AG WORLD Ag World 4-6-19 Farm folks with extra time on their hands during winter, or retired farmers, might be interested in woodcarving by machine - either as a hobby or as a business. A pattern and stylus guide cutters that shape wood as you work. The principle is related to machines that duplicate keys. Any shape carvings can be made, explains John Lenz, Minneapolis, Minn., inventormanufacturer of Kurt Woodcarver machines. A variety of sizes of carvers are available, and both men or women can learn to carve successfully on their own, or by taking a one-week course at the Kurt Manufacturing Co. plant in Minneapolis. "You can learn on your own in less than a month," says Lenz. "And you don't have to be an artist or have any previous carving skill. What you do is trace a pattern. The main thing to learn is setting the stylus and cutter." Lenz says that wood carving at home is a fast-growing hobby, and that attractive carvings make excellent gifts. Or, carvings can be sold to gift shops, thus providing profitable part-time or full-time work. Kurt makes available a 190-page book, "Woodcarving By Machine For Profit And Fun," which contains a chapter on developing a market for carvings. The smallest carving machine, called the Hobbi-Carver, makes one carving at a time and produces flat work only, such as wall hangings, plaques, trays, plates and ash trays. Maximum size of carvings is 10 by 12 by 12 in. The Kurt Star carver does flat or round carvings up to 10 in. dia. by 2 ft. long. Starting price for the twospindle machine is $1,195. It can be expanded later in increments of two spindles up to a total of six. Larger carving machines also are available. The company also sells patterns and matching wood blanks to help carvers get started. A 20-page brochure is available for 50c. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Kurt Mfg. Co., 1720 Marshall St. Northeast, Minneapolis, Minn. 55413 (ph 612 566-5500).

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