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You might say Rudi Fehrenbach goes a little cuckoo over his work. The 66-year-old native, from Schonach, Germany, has been a cuckoo clock woodcarver for 52 years. And at age 29, his son Bernd Fehrenbach has been a chip off the ol' block, carving right alongside Dad since he was 5.

The pair will bring their years of talent and wooden creations to the Westmoreland Fairgrounds in Mt. Pleasant Township this Labor Day weekend for the Pennsylvania Arts & Crafts Colonial Festival.

The Fehrenbachs will offer an array of hand-carved clocks with intricate details, some with music, and all with finely skilled talent. While both father and son have 3-year apprenticeships under their belts to learn the basic skills of woodcarving, Bernd Fehrenbach said there must be something more to create a masterpiece.

"You must have the skills to carve something, but you must be a little talented to be able to do it," he said. "If I would have been totally unskilled and untalented in this craft, I wouldn't do it."

Both talent and skills have driven Fehrenbach to carry on the family tradition, which began with his grandfather, Johann Fehrenbach, who worked as a joiner. Bernd Fehrenbach earned a degree in product engineering, which he says helped with marketing skills, speaking English and the economics of being self-employed.

The work may be done piece by piece, all by hand, but Fehrenbach said today's technology is hard to resist - from a marketing standpoint. He has created a Web site to sell his and his father's wares. At www.clocks-online.de, viewers can browse an array of clocks and e-mail the Fehrenbachs with purchase inquiries. Fehrenbach said he hopes to add a feature next year that allows customers to buy directly online.

But when it comes to making the clocks, the Fehrenbachs do it the old-fashioned way.

"The difference between making something with your own hands and manufacturing a product is that you can see your own self and talent in the clock," Fehrenbach said. "Every woodcarver has his own style and when you see your style in something you have made, it gives you a good feeling."

Fehrenbach said he usually makes about five to 10 copies of each style of clock. He said while each may look the same, a closer looks reveals a uniqueness in each piece. Starting with the case and movement pieces made by a clock maker, the Fehrenbachs begin work on the front piece. According to Bernd Fehrenbach, it can take anywhere from two days to several weeks to complete a clock, depending on size and detail. Prices range from $100 for a 10-inch clock to $2,000 for a bigger one. Features include music and movement. Clocks are made on a one-day or eight-day time movement - the time it takes before it will need winding.

In addition, Bernd Fehrenbach and his father carve stag heads, barometers, smoking men and nutcrackers. Bernd Fehrenbach said his favorite piece is a 20-inch clock, which sells for a little over $1,200, featuring a carved boy and girl, who resemble the Hummel figurines.

"The clock strikes, the cuckoo comes out and it plays a song. At the end, the boy and girl are kissing," Fehrenbach said. "It's my best seller. I call it my `woman's clock.' They just love it."