Wood Machinery Generates Good Retirement Income
When he was in his mid-fifties and working hard growing potatoes, Harvey Schmidt never imagined he'd be making money in retirement as a master woodworker. "I thought I'd retire and maybe make a few things in my shop, and then go fishing," Harvey says with a laugh. Those plans all changed when he started making replicas of farm machinery and selling them at craft shows six years ago.
"My wife and I couldn't believe how excited people were to buy these implements made from wood," Harvey says. "I went back to the shop and came up with new ideas and new toys, and its been full speed ahead ever since."
Schmidt now makes more than 120 different types of machinery from wood. Prices range from a few dollars apiece for small toys to more than $150 for big implements. Kits for small items sell for $5. His most intricate designs include a threshing machine, combine, road graders, backhoe, dirt movers, semi tractors, trailers and dump truck.
The detail on his machinery is amazing. Cylinders on the earth movers, combine and dump trucks, all made from different types of wood, lift and flex just like real hydraulic models. Different size pulleys on the combine and the threshing machine are solid wood with milled centers and dowel drive shafts. Rubber bands simulate the belts and actually turn the pulleys.
The combine has a working grain reel and a removable platform, a driver's seat with a working steering wheel, a movable unloading auger and a rotating chaff spreader. The drive wheels turn and the tires have notches that simulate lugs.
His threshing machine is built to scale, with an intake platform, movable pulleys and shafts, a grain auger and straw tube. The wood machine rides on wooden spoke wheels that Schmidt makes by hand. The evener and long wooden hitch provides an extra measure of authenticity.
A self-taught wood worker, Schmidt is a master of tiny details and an expert practitioner. He took up the hobby in his late 50's as he was winding down a career in farming. "I built cabinets and furniture for five years, but there's too much pressure in that business," Schmidt said. Instead he turned to making much smaller items that took more time, but provide a great deal of satisfaction.
"I just love the challenge of figuring out how to make every single part," says Schmidt. That challenge is severely tested on his excavator, which has 360 parts, many of them moving. It took him nearly 60 hours to build. A companion backhoe took half as long and has more than 100 intricate wood tracks about 1 in. wide and 1/8 in. thick that Schmidt made piece by piece. He proudly pushes the machine across the table to show that the wooden tracks easily turn on wooden spindles and wooden drive wheels.
Schmidt uses 20 different woodworking tools for crafting his model equipment, including 9 routers set up with specific bits. His shop walls are laden with rough-cut boards cut from ash, white oak, red oak, walnut, blood wood and purpleheart. He's quick to point out that a 4 by 6-in. piece of 3/4-in. thick purpleheart, imported from South America, costs him $62. "I use everything but the dust on those," he says with a laugh.
Bloodwood and purpleheart provide colorful accents for wheels, fenders, hoods and sheathing. The rich wood grain and color of his equipment is embellished with a thin coat of mineral oil as a preservative. Many of his smaller items such as farm toys, wagons and trains are left untreated so kids can play with them.
"I'm very careful about the materials I use," Schmidt says, "the wood is all native and natural, without any preservatives. I never use pallet wood and never use nails or screws that could hurt kids. The glues I use are non-toxic and approved for toys."
Asked if he might slow down soon and not put in 40 and 50-hour weeks, the 72 year-old Schmidt is quick to point out two 5-gallon pails of wooden wheels waiting for equipment. "I get ideas in the night, and can't wait to start cutting and assembling," he says. "In the summer I'm up before dawn and out here working."
One of his most recent inventions is a folding field cultivator, built to scale for towing behind a 4-wheel drive tractor. The wings tilt, it has dual wheels, shovels, and cylinders, just like the real machine.
"I build everything to scale starting with a few pictures, drawings on paper that I transfer to wood, and a lot of trial and error," Schmidt says. "Sometimes I'll build parts from cardboard to get the size and shape correct, then make them from wood. When I built this shop 10 years ago, I told my wife it was going to provide a good income for us, and it sure has," says Schmidt.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Harvey Schmidt, Grandpa's Wooden Toys, 28430 Hogan Ave., Randolph, Minn. 55065 (ph 507 263-3888; hses@frontier.net).
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Wood Machinery Generates Good Retirement Income SPECIALTY/SERVICES Specialty/Services When he was in his mid-fifties and working hard growing potatoes Harvey Schmidt never imagined he d be making money in retirement as a master woodworker I thought I d retire and maybe make a few things in my shop and then go fishing Harvey says with a laugh Those plans all changed when he started making replicas of farm machinery and selling them at craft shows six years ago
My wife and I couldn t believe how excited people were to buy these implements made from wood Harvey says I went back to the shop and came up with new ideas and new toys and its been full speed ahead ever since
Schmidt now makes more than 120 different types of machinery from wood Prices range from a few dollars apiece for small toys to more than $150 for big implements Kits for small items sell for $5 His most intricate designs include a threshing machine combine road graders backhoe dirt movers semi tractors trailers and dump truck
The detail on his machinery is amazing Cylinders on the earth movers combine and dump trucks all made from different types of wood lift and flex just like real hydraulic models Different size pulleys on the combine and the threshing machine are solid wood with milled centers and dowel drive shafts Rubber bands simulate the belts and actually turn the pulleys
The combine has a working grain reel and a removable platform a driver s seat with a working steering wheel a movable unloading auger and a rotating chaff spreader The drive wheels turn and the tires have notches that simulate lugs
His threshing machine is built to scale with an intake platform movable pulleys and shafts a grain auger and straw tube The wood machine rides on wooden spoke wheels that Schmidt makes by hand The evener and long wooden hitch provides an extra measure of authenticity
A self-taught wood worker Schmidt is a master of tiny details and an expert practitioner He took up the hobby in his late 50 s as he was winding down a career in farming I built cabinets and furniture for five years but there s too much pressure in that business Schmidt said Instead he turned to making much smaller items that took more time but provide a great deal of satisfaction
I just love the challenge of figuring out how to make every single part says Schmidt That challenge is severely tested on his excavator which has 360 parts many of them moving It took him nearly 60 hours to build A companion backhoe took half as long and has more than 100 intricate wood tracks about 1 in wide and 1/8 in thick that Schmidt made piece by piece He proudly pushes the machine across the table to show that the wooden tracks easily turn on wooden spindles and wooden drive wheels
Schmidt uses 20 different woodworking tools for crafting his model equipment including 9 routers set up with specific bits His shop walls are laden with rough-cut boards cut from ash white oak red oak walnut blood wood and purpleheart He s quick to point out that a 4 by 6-in piece of 3/4-in thick purpleheart imported from South America costs him $62 I use everything but the dust on those he says with a laugh
Bloodwood and purpleheart provide colorful accents for wheels fenders hoods and sheathing The rich wood grain and color of his equipment is embellished with a thin coat of mineral oil as a preservative Many of his smaller items such as farm toys wagons and trains are left untreated so kids can play with them
I m very careful about the materials I use Schmidt says the wood is all native and natural without any preservatives I never use pallet wood and never use nails or screws that could hurt kids The glues I use are non-toxic and approved for toys
Asked if he might slow down soon and not put in 40 and 50-hour weeks the 72 year-old Schmidt is quick to point out two 5-gallon pails of wooden wheels waiting for equipment I get ideas in the night and can t wait to start cutting and assembling he says In the summer I m up before dawn and out here working
One of his most recent inventions is a folding field cultivator built to scale for towing behind a 4-wheel drive tractor The wings tilt it has dual wheels shovels and cylinders just like the real machine
I build everything to scale starting with a few pictures drawings on paper that I transfer to wood and a lot of trial and error Schmidt says Sometimes I ll build parts from cardboard to get the size and shape correct then make them from wood When I built this shop 10 years ago I told my wife it was going to provide a good income for us and it sure has says Schmidt
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Harvey Schmidt Grandpa s Wooden Toys 28430 Hogan Ave Randolph Minn 55065 ph 507 263-3888; hses@frontier net
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