Made From Junk Toy Tractors

"I had a lot of fun building these 8 replicas of old tractors out of scarp parts. They're not exact scale replicas, but their components are in about the right proportion," says Dick Wenkel.

"Far better toy tractors have been built by others, but they weren't built with less money" says Wenkel. "Also, I got a certain satisfaction from turning junk into something unique."

Before starting construction, Wenkel took measurements off photos of actual tractors. "The measurements were placed on a chart in ratio to one another," says Wenkel. "Then, over time, I collected the appropriate parts wherever I could find them. In some cases I had to modify the parts."

Once a "critical mass" of parts was accumulated, the actual building process started. Here are a few of the details for each tractor. Hart Parr Little Devil - The single rear wheel is a Standard garden seeder sprocket, with a flat chain wired on for lugs. The front wheels are made of laminated masonite. A gear train turns the engine from the rear wheel.

Rumely 15-30 - The pulley is an old sewing machine caster wheel, the flywheel is a ground down sash weight pulley, and the front wheels are bearings from a pedal grindstone. The gearing is off a garden duster.

Mogul 8-16 - The rear wheels are worn out V-pulleys with coffee can extension rims. The front wheels are sliding door hanger wheels with rims cut from propane cylinders. Like the real tractor, a chain drive extends from the transmission to the rear axle.

Cletrac - The tracks were made from no. 40 roller chain while the seat is half a bottle cap. The crank, located just above the drawbar, turns the belt pulley. Bull - The pulley and radiator fan turn as the tractor moves. The front wheel is a ground down wheel from a pipe cutter, while the drive wheel's fender is part of a coffee can.

Gray - The front wheels are window sash pulleys, and the rear drum is from an old addressograph machine. The engine pulley is driven by a roller chain from the rear drum.

Generic Steam Engine - The boiler is an aerosol can and the cylinder is a wooden thread spool. As the engine rolls along, the flywheel turns and the piston reciprocates. John Deere Dain - The front wheels are sliding door hanger wheels with V-belt inserts to make them flat. The rear wheel is a wooden pulley with painted tin spokes. The pulley is chain-driven off the front wheels.

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