If we have any sort of home repair problem, Franz is always the guy we call right away for the tip on what needs to be done.
Even better, he is really great at building things. He has made many many shelves, tables, and other handy objects for around his kid´s homes, but his big passion is building nativity scenes for Christmas. He has also made a few toys for Liam that are pretty amazing. Here he is putting the finishing touches on a train for him:
Here is the finished train, which Liam loves to pull around the apartment. There are actually six cars to the train in all, but Liam cannot quite manage to pull around more than a couple at a time. It is of particular note that the crane here is fully functioning. It also extends and rotates on the car.
Here is the nativity that he made for us a couple of years ago, full working lights and an electric bell that you ring on Christmas eve. It is pretty darn impressive if you ask me. This is a picture we took before it was painted, it is a nice dark brown now.
Finally, here is the BIG nativity that is in their house at Christmas. For a sense of scale, you can see my camera tripod peeking out the back on the left hand side of the image. This is a very very large construction, there are two different bells in the top, many lights and it houses a very large collection of figures. 
Even though Franz's hand working skills dwarf my own, I bet he can't build a website... I have at least one minor skill that is useful in the year 2007.
11 comments:
Very impressive. He is like McGyver.
Ponter
That is impressive. I built a clock once, in grade 6 shop class. It was square. All the numbers fell off. It no longer works.
GS
I think I will whittle a portrait of Dave from a block of wood.
Ponter
Is that why you want the cat clock Gordon?
Fraser, I think Liam needs to start lifting weights so that he can pull the entire train.
I was a disaster in shop class. As I recall, I tried to make a box and it was about the least square looking thing around.
I can hang pictures on the wall and put up light fixtures and stuff, but anything more complex than assembly of pre-fab parts and I am lost.
Fraser, can you do a tribute page one day to Corky from Life Goes On.
Ponter
I have never heard of the show "and Life Goes On," So I IMDB'ed it. Interestingly, the actor who played this "Corky" was named Chris Burke.
Oh, for those who don't know him, we all went to University with a guy named Chris Burke. He was quite an interesting character himself.
You've never heard of Life Goes On?
It was one of my fav. shows in highschool.
Here is a nice clip on Youtube.......It features Corky's first day at school...........with Spanish Subtitles at well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2loaefxx788
GS
Sorry, I am afraid I did not know that show....
Of course, back in those days I would say I was not interested in 90% of television if it did not contain robots, ninjas, or cartoon characters.
Actually I am pretty much the same now. Give me exploding robot vampires any day.
FRANZ is AMAZING. WIthout that Guy, THE DORIS and I would have never made the 50 moves that we have made in the last couple of years. We would still live in between boxes...
--Reclining Ryan
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