Mini Deere "D" Built From Scratch "One Part At A Time"

Mini Deere "D" Built From Scratch "One Part At A Time" TRACTORS Made-It-Myself 24-1-23 Retired machinist William Ives crafted every part of his 1/3-scale Deere "D" from scratch. It's a 1936 model that Ives chose because, "Thirty-six was the year they put the tires on rubber." The tractor was scaled down to the one-third size by taking measurements from the real thing. "I also had an old JD brochure that showed the parts and a Deere parts manual. I copied everything and scaled it down." Easier said than done. Ives is a skilled machinist. It took him 1,438 hours to build his D and, he says, "Another 250 to get the bugs out of it." Ives took his masterpiece to a couple shows last summer so other people could enjoy it. He's now in the midst of a new project building a 1928 Twin City half-scale. Already this project because of its size has taken longer than the John Deere D. The longer amount of time is required also because he's building it completely from a picture. Ives said it'll be a little bigger and heavier than a riding lawn mower. When asked about how one has the ability to measure, recreate the parts then put it all together, he said, "You've just got to have the ability to make out and work with the equipment you've got." Besides being a machinist, Ives has been an antique engine collector for years. He has restored 240 antique engines over the years since 1955. He quit three years ago to dedicate his time to toy models. Ives says he works on one project at a time and advises anyone going into this hobby to do the same. "One thing at a time. Once you start something like that you need to follow through and to get it done right. It's too easy to make a mistake." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, William Ives, 11117 92nd St, Peace River, Alberta, Canada T8S 1PG.

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