Wood carving is, in and of itself, an art form. It takes a lot of time and effort to turn a chunk of wood into something functional, let alone beautiful. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder but I think we can all agree this accurate scale wood carving of a Toyota Prado Land Cruiser is pretty dang impressive.
Created by YouTube channel Woodworking Art, the body of the car is made from a single chunk of wood. Using paper profiles of a real Land Cruiser as a guide, the form is transferred to the wood and cut out using a band saw.
The outline of the wooden Land Cruiser falls off just fine but in order to make room for the seats and wheels, a mallet has to be used to pop out the excess wood.
Once the base shape has been formed, the Land Cruiser undergoes some sanding before going through a number of smaller saws, drills, and chisels to get the details in.
Some of the parts made from other pieces of wood include the doors, hatch, and hood. Measurements are made to fit these bits onto the body, followed by lots of chiseling and shaping with a drill bit to add those extra details.
Save for the wheels, the rest of the car goes through some heavy detailing with various wood carving chisels and everyone’s favorite, a Dremel multi-purpose tool.
Honorable mentions go to the front of the car and the intricate engine detailing. You know there’s a keen attention to detail when a segment which can easily be hidden (in this case the engine) is fully carved to match its real-life counterpart.
The last visible pieces to be carved are the wheels, circular pieces of wood complete with fully detailed rims and tire ridges.
By now, this stationary wood carving would easily classify as a work of art once fully assembled. But they go the extra mile and add a working chassis under the Land Cruiser using a mix of wood pieces, bearings, and springs. Just like a real car, the chassis is attached to the body with the wheels soon to follow.
With the base fully completed, the rest of the Land Cruiser can finally be assembled. Some pieces are glued while moving parts are attached for full articulation.
Once finished, with some parts painted, the entire vehicle model is coated with a clear wood finish to make it shine.
Words and images don’t do this wooden Toyota Prado Land Cruiser justice, so if you have the time, be sure to check out the full video on YouTube at Woodworking Art. You can also find a ton of car and non-car related wood art there as well!
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