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Axtell man is building a carousel…one carving at a time
by Roberta Knutson
Brad Roberts of Axtell is a man of many interests. For example, he has been involved with Civil War reenactments for more than 30 years, and for a time owned the K4 Boot Store, named for the Civil War reenacting group K Battery, 4th U.S. Artillery.
He took the K4 Boot Store to Civil War events in Gettysburg; Shiloh and Franklin, Tennessee; Prairie Grove, Arkansas; Carthage and Springfield, Missouri; Olathe and Lawrence, Kansas among other sites, but it wasn’t until he was rejected by the Kansas City Renaissance Festival that he started thinking about making a carousel.
Although they wouldn’t allow his boot store in because he didn’t make the boots himself, officials were very interested in the fact that Brad had operated the steam powered carousel for Pioneer Village in Minden. The Kansas City Renaissance Festival had never had a carousel at their event, they told him, and in that way, a seed was planted.
Lessons in carousel carving
In 2005, Brad happened to see a clip on television highlighting a company in Ohio that not only refurbished old carousel carvings and carousels, but offered classes on carving. After talking to them on the phone several times, Brad drove to Ohio to learn how to carve.
The next year found Brad driving a semi-truck for Dollar General and he had a chance to visit the Kansas City Festival when it was in full operation. They claim to have just under 200,000 people come through when they're open — only on weekends from Labor Day to Columbus Day. Brad spoke again to officials about a carousel and got enthusiastic support. Brad said he thought he could make a carousel to take to the event, but he didn't want to make one cut out of 2x6s with leather ears stapled on. He'd try to make one that had museum-quality carvings on it.
Setbacks in the carving studio
After making that promise, Brad’s job, along with helping his brother, Joe, with his seed-cleaning business, left little time for carving. In 2009, Brad bought the old community building in Heartwell, with the intention of turning the first floor into a carousel factory and refurbishing the second floor into a Victorian apartment.
Then a hail storm shredded the roof, and in the spring when Brad turned the water back on in the building, the crawl space flooded. Other obstacles to overcome included finding a company to build the portable base for the carousel, and getting a canvas top. The music machine will have to be imported from Europe, as none are made in the United States. When all that’s complete he will have to get a truck and trailer big enough to haul the contraption, and probably a camper or trailer to live in while at the events. But for now, the main obstacle is earning a living and finding time to carve.
First place carving
Brad has one carousel horse completed, but the carving took first place at the carving show in Kearney, and Brad was invited to display his carvings at a carousel fair in Papillion. He’s started on a second piece, which he calls a “Hippocampus”.
"I was always a good artist while growing up,” Brad said. “I didn't think I ever wanted to be a carver — I sort of looked at that as an ‘old man's sport’ — but I'm finding out that carving is just an extension of my drawing. Now instead of tricking my eye to think a shadow is a certain length and shape, I have to make that length and shape become 3D."
Brad's Axtell friends are hoping he can find more time for carving and make this dream come true. Because everyone loves a carousel!
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