Francis Johnson  (1904 - 1989) is famous for his 12 foot diameter, 17,400 pound hand wrapped twine ball.  This work of love took four hours a day and 39 years in the making. "The World's Largest Twine Ball," made by a single hand, is preserved and displayed in Johnson's home town of Darwin, Minnesota.  

     Johnson also carved whimsey pliers out of single pieces of Basswood, some pliers as small as match sticks and an eight foot model that opens into 27 pliers. Apparently Johnson's whittling was meditative as he could watch the hour evening news program and make several pliers without realizing he was multi-tasking.  After crafting thousands of whimsey pliers his carving had become automatic.

Learn More at 

 Minnesota Public Radio 

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2128

http://www56.homepage.villanova.edu/david.nawrocki/twine.htm