This wooden 1:16 scale model of a Caterpillar 5230B front shovel took Rob Fisher’s Woodchuck & Co art studio 3000 man hours to complete. It has 4000 individual parts that come together to make a semi-functioning excavator.
To clarify, semi-functioning doesn’t mean it can sort of take down a building. The original is 7.5m wide, 10.3m long, 7.3m tall, and weighs over 327,000kg. This one is about 0.4m x 0.6m x 0.4m and is made of hardwood, not steel. That being said, the cylinders are fully extendable, the tracks roll, the jaws open, it even has a hidden storage compartment. According to the maker it’s “someplace to keep the key!” Who says art can’t be functional?
However, just because it “works” doesn’t mean you’d let your kid take it to the sand box. It carries a price tag of $US39,500 on Etsy. It’s a bit pricey for a key holder, but as art it is pure awesomeness. [Etsy via The Awesomer]
