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Article updated: 1/4/2013 2:19 PM

Moving Picture: Wheaton man a world-class ice carver

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Dan Rebholz said his favorite tool is the chain saw, but he also uses a variety of hand drills with varying bits for detail work when carving ice. Rebholz has carved more than 15,000 pieces using 5 million tons of ice.

George LeClaire | Staff Photographer

Dan Rebholz of Wheaton stores 300-pound blocks of ice he froze for carving and his finished pieces inside a walk-in freezer at his Villa Park studio.

George LeClaire | Staff Photographer

Dan Rebholz carves texture into an elephant sculpture at his World Class Ice Sculpture studio in Villa Park.

George LeClaire | Staff Photographer

Dan Rebholz uses a variety of power drills with varying bits as well as grinders and sanders for detail work or to create texture in his sculptures.

George LeClaire | Staff Photographer

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Despite collecting a large number of tools over the years, Dan Rebholz said his favorite tool remains the chain saw.

George LeClaire | Staff Photographer

Dan Rebholz's studio office shelves and walls are filled with trophies and awards he has won. He is ranked sixth in the U.S. by the National Ice Carving Association.

George LeClaire | Staff Photographer

About this Article

Dan Rebholz of Wheaton is a world-class ice carver, having created more than 15,000 pieces in his 27-year career. He's used 5,000,000 pounds of ice to do it, too. And despite all the fancy tools he used, he stills loves his chain saw the most."We've been asked to freeze anything from wedding rings to TV sets," Rebholz said of the projects he's made from the crystal clear ice blocks.