Week 82: 1968 Ford Mustang GT California Special

I am happy to be back home to Ohio, my family, and my tiny cars, after days away in New York, where I helped a friend run a display at the Northeastern Woodworkers Association’s (NWA) Fine Woodworking Show in Saratoga Springs, NY.

The friend, an engineer by trade, is also a respected and accomplished woodcarver who teaches carving and has a shop that carries thousands of different products with intimidating (to me) sounding names like gouges, slip strops and rough outs.

Being of an immature nature, I laughed to myself about the many NWA hats and shirts I saw, thinking about the notorious 90's gangsta rap group N.W.A. that once featured Ice Cube and Doctor Dre. N.W.A. songs feature impressive amounts of profanity and violent lyrics, and likely were not in heavy rotation with
the woodworkers at this show. In general, I just don't picture gangstas looking like Santa with big grey white beards and flannel.

Carve us a woodland gnome, M---erf----r.

The show was a success, we sold a lot, and I learned much about wood carving. I also saw some amazing wood art, but by the end of the show I was ready to get home, particularly since this was the first time I had been away from home for any time since my youngest was born, and also because working a show like this is a lot of flippin' work. Still, I had to worry about what I would find when I returned. Let me explain.

Before I departed on my trip, my five-year-old son Racer A had said (with a melancholy tone), "I probably won't remember you when you get back. I'm so sorry, Daddy."

"I understand," I told him, patting him on the head and grabbing my duffle bag as a dramatic movie score in minor keys played in my head. I gave hugs and love yous all around and crammed into the cab of the Chevy truck, New York bound.

As it turned out, my son did miraculously remember me, likely as a result of the memory-enhancing gummy vitamins he takes, and I received the best welcome imaginable from all three kids when I returned.

I even picked up a few souvenirs from the show. Woodworkers, ever conscious of safety, know the importance of good signage, and were offering free reflective stickers like the one below to put in one's work shop. Not having a wood shop, I think I'll just put my sticker on my car.

I think people will appreciate my commitment to safety.

Thanks to Phil Pekarcik for the photo of my Hot Wheels Mustang. The limited edition California Special only had a production run of 4,118 cars in 1968, a fitting pick, I thought, for the custom, small run works of wood art I saw over the weekend. 


To check out the carving work of my friend Robert Stadtlander or to learn about upcoming carving classes, go to his showcase website at
http://www.stadtlandercarvings.com.


For woodcarving supplies, please go to his e-commerce site here. If any one carves a wooden tiny car, please send a picture!