Silage Chopper Wooden Model

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It's been awhile since I did anything with wood, much less with a wooden model, but here was my latest creation. I thought some of you might like it. As you know we are pretty proud of our chopper, and it was Alyson's first ride in a tractor. It was only a matter of time before I made a wooden one of our chopper.

A few weeks ago I presented this to my Uncle and I thought he was going to cry. He just could not believe that I would spend so much time on something and just give it away. Well for me it was fun making it, but for my Uncle...who lives on this thing in the summer, it meant a lot.

The wooden model itself is one of a kind. From the CB in the cab, to the logging chain to the bottles on the floor, this wooden model IS and only could be, our machine. That is what makes it special. It took me about 4 weeks to put together including the case, and it took 8 hours to hand carve the big tractor wheels apiece, and each of the smaller wheels took about 6 hours apiece.

I wish the pictures came out better, but to be honest with you they never do. There is just too many details to pickup. Not that it really matters. My Uncle loves it and that's all that really matters.

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And a picture of the real machine for comparison purposes...

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I've said it elsewhere but I will say it again, this isn't "just" something beautiful you made, it is a part of you, given to your Uncle. Great job Travis.

How did the visit with the foster inspection go?

Yeah that is true. Now its on to the next model, though I am torn between the new New Holland we got (the wooden model will be for another Uncle) or of a tractor for a guy that recently retired from farming.

As for the Foster Care thing, we should be done now. In fact they said to expect a call Monday for a child...an 8 year old boy. :dunno:
 
Travis.
If my nephew had presented me with such a beautiful piece I would have cried as well.

As far the construction is concerned it is not the details what matters but the idea that the piece conveys.

To me, and please do not get me wrong, it has some sort of child's ingenuity that catches one's eye, and it is built in the piece as in all you've made and that is not easy at all.
Conciouslly done or not, some wooden toys made by experts do not have the same warmth on them.

And I believe that that warmth is the love you've put when making it.

Honestly, I take my hat off...:thumb::thumb::thumb:
 
Tony...not offended in the least. It does have a touch of toyishness to it and it probably should. Thething is you canbuy a plastic replica of this machine at the equipment dealers. Its probably got more intriqute casting details because of the casting and plastic injection molding, but I think what makes these special is the wood itself.

The machine sitting by itself looks kind of crappy, in my opinion, but looking at it in the case gives it a different, a far more distinguished look.

I talked with my Uncle today and its actually on display at his father's bedside. He is along time farmer too but has battled cancer for at least 15 years. No one knows why he has not died yet. I am not being cold,there has been days upon days that everyone thought it was the end for old Francis. Not so. In fact he himself said last week at a family funeral that he could not believe the number of people in the family he out lived. Anyway he shows this machine to everyone that stops by. He is proud of his two boys that run the farm and the equipment they have to feed cows and make milk.

Families are leaving Maine at an unprecedented level here, and with it their ties to agriculture. The Maine Farm is doomed, but in some small way, he knows, you may leave the farm, but it will never leave you. People who grew up on farms know just what I mean.

I am just glad he got to see it before he died.
 
The machine sitting by itself looks kind of crappy, .

Well Travis, I have to disagree with you on that one, the machine looks great, and what the showcase does is enhance it and put it in the right prespective. The machine is very good in itself, if you do not think so, just look at the display case without it. The model doesn't need the showcase but the showcase needs the model

For instance, if someone who doesn't know anything about it would see the model lying on the floor, on a corner surrounded by other toys most problably would say "What a cute model, did you make it?..."

But if the same person would see it in its show case, on top of a side board table or on a chimeney mantel, its perception of the importance of the object would be far different.

Most problably he would be intrigued at first, wondering why it was there, then he would ask about the story behind it, and then he would understand the importance of the object.

That is why we put things that we value in special places, or so I think, so please do not undervalue your work, it has a very speciall meaning for you and your uncle, and it shows on it, at least to me.
 
Well Travis, I have to disagree with you on that one, the machine looks great, and what the showcase does is enhance it and put it in the right prespective. The machine is very good in itself, if you do not think so, just look at the display case without it. The model doesn't need the showcase but the showcase needs the model

For instance, if someone who doesn't know anything about it would see the model lying on the floor, on a corner surrounded by other toys most problably would say "What a cute model, did you make it?..."

But if the same person would see it in its show case, on top of a side board table or on a chimeney mantel, its perception of the importance of the object would be far different.

Most problably he would be intrigued at first, wondering why it was there, then he would ask about the story behind it, and then he would understand the importance of the object.

That is why we put things that we value in special places, or so I think, so please do not undervalue your work, it has a very speciall meaning for you and your uncle, and it shows on it, at least to me.

You make some good points, but I think the reason the pictures look crappy to me is because I can see the wooden model in real life. The pictures just cannot pick up all the details. I don't say this just for this model, all my models are like that. But then that is what I strive to do. I try to add so many details that you cannot just look at this machine for a few minutes and say that's nice.

When I gave this too him, his daughter was there and after looking it over for 30 minutes or so, she would say "Oh wow, you got the engine fan in that thing too." And "Cool, you even put a CB handle complete with coiled wire going to the CB" (its a spring out of the inside of a pen). I think its stuff like that forces people to really look it over. Kind of like a good painting or mural...there are a lot of things in the painting that you have to study to see. Pictures just don't do these models justice.

I will say though I did have a first in this model, and I have made probably 100 of these things. And that was to put my name on it. I have got addicted to watching the Antique Road Show on PBS and see that people save the darnedest of things. Who knows maybe in 200 years someone will pick one of these models out of an attic somewhere and say "Hey this was made by a guy named Travis Johnson." So I decided now I am going to sign my models with the date and year.

(Incidentally the only other thing I have ever signed was a Stanley #140 Hand plane that I helped Paul Hubbman (A member on this board) rebuild. With 100 years already on that plane, and now with another 100 to go, I knew Paul was going to give it to his son. I added my name just so that a historical record of that plane could be kept since it is now one of a kind. Additionally Toni, you are right about cases. I built a case for that hand plane for the very reason you mention. That hand plane is NOT just another hand plane).

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I try to add so many details that you cannot just look at this machine for a few minutes and say that's nice.
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I see... then the problem is that you're bad at taking pictures!:D and they don't make justice to the models.

As far a signing is concerned, I don't see why you shouldn't do it those pieces deserve to be signed. And by signing and dating them you will see your evolution.

Some people find signing a piece like a way of showing off, and make despective comments like " who this guys thinks he is to sign those pieces?" well! he is the one who created them! SO WHAT! I would answer inmediately

I understand it as assuming the authory of a piece for good or bad. For good to accept the Ohhhs! and Wows! and Ahhhs! and the congratulations and for the bad to accept criticisms and even bad comments.
After all you can't please everybody.:)
 
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