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PeacemakerJack

What is it???

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wallfish

Looks like it went through some exhaust changes as i see a stack in Aunt Tricia's pic but not in the others.

What's going on with the exhaust pipe in the last pic on the first post? Looks to be all bent up into a coupler which really doesn't fit with the rest of the fabrication.

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PeacemakerJack

Dan and Jim—it would really be fun to sit in the lawn chairs and listen to people talk with each other about it!  Hearing all the hypothesis that they come up with and to appreciate the ingenuity of the design.  We will see what he says...

 

a goal for Berlin could be to have the old C20 in driving shape by then and haul his tractor over in the bed and show both of them even though the Chev would be a “rat rod” for sure...:think:

 

@wallfish good point about the exhaust...I noticed that last night when I was looking at the pics on my computer screen.  Makes me wonder if one of the kids tagged a tree branch with it and screwed up the pipe and it was a “quick fix”.  I’d better tell uncle Ken to get that remedied before we would try to show it!

 

@ebinmaine we would love to have you swing by and hit a show or two with us, and definitely do some furrow plowing.  You wouldn’t even have to bring a tractor since we have so many between us that you could get seat time on. Man— @WHX14 has a stable full by himself. @Achto has the ultra rare McLean and it’s hard to describe how fun it is to drive his rat Sub!  Time to road trip for Eric...:auto-rally:

Edited by PeacemakerJack
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ebinmaine
6 hours ago, Achto said:

 

It's just a short 20hr drive @ebinmaine :D

Right! Yes. That's all. ....

 

But, oh the sightseeing we could do. .....

 

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19richie66

But you’re a truck driver...... piece of cake for you. 👍

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cpete1
12 hours ago, PeacemakerJack said:

 As you see more pics, feel free to ask questions. I’ll ask him and get answers for you

 

OK Josh,

Brakes, I know it must have brakes, I'm thinking its off the clutch, (I see a cable going up)... and works off the first gear reduction???

Front axle looks like it came from another Garden tractor but the front hubs look almost military....

The dash controls, what's what .... looks like he even has a "hood latch" incorporated into the design (middle gray thing in first pictures)....

Overall dimensions, With the picture of your Aunt and Uncle on it, I can get a scale of the size. It's a hefty unit and yet it is very compact, everything in the tractor is tight to the unit and thought out ahead of time. Don't really see anything that looks like it was an afterthought. That in itself is impressive. I'm thinking your Uncle sketched or somehow detailed this thing out before building, Even the hood looks like it grew there... ( considering he got from his brother)

I'm intrigued by the fact that he worked with "what was available" to him , stuff from the farm ? Considering he had limited sources of parts, the thing came together incredibly well but I'm also thinking there was other stuff he built prior to this, (maybe not as complicated) but this thing is literally from the "ground up".  A significant accomplishment for a guy his age at the time, my hats off to him.

 

Please, please tell your Uncle that there are a couple of us "mechanicholics" that are eating this up. Its very fortunate for us to be able to pick his brain on this.  I've built a few "things" in the coarse of my life and cannot get over your Uncles Uncanny sense of proportion on the overall design and the fact that it "worked as intended". To see the picture with your Aunt on it only speaks more so about his ability. Usually something like this is "operator only friendly".  This thing looks like anybody could jump on it and go to work. 

I apologize for going on but , Damn, I'm impressed..... he did a nice job...

Chris

 

PS Rear axle, previous thread said 1950 chevy,(Out of a standard?) 1950's chevy had torque tube on the automatics (1950 was the first year of the powerglide, I believe)

Thanks again for filling us in on this Josh

 

Chris

 

Edited by cpete1
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cpete1

In regards to "bringing to a local show"

Sure, Sure keep it all to yourselves...let us Northeasterners freeze in the snow.... I knew this was a rotten forum with , greedy, greedy people on it right from the start, no help, no information, rude answers, all of it...  I'm so shocked by how bad this forum is I even sent a check in to become a supporter...cause I can't believe how terrible it is here. Worst bunch of people.... ( wow, I'm exhausted from typing fast...)

:ROTF:

Chris

 

 

 

 

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953 nut
12 minutes ago, cpete1 said:

I even sent a check in to become a supporter...cause I can't believe how terrible it is

:text-bravo:

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PeacemakerJack

:text-yeahthat: I can’t wait to see your name in RED at the top of all your posts. Money well spent!

 

Regarding the build:

—brakes: I’m going to have to check with Uncle Ken on that one.  I seem to remember that it worked similar to my Dad’s 953, push it half the way to clutch and the rest of the way to engage the brakes.  I’ll check that with him this weekend and see if I can get some more detail pictures.

 

—front axle: he manufactured it.  Said that the beam was a piece from the 1950 Chev (which was a manual by the way) and the spindles were parts that he built himself. He said the front axle was very time consuming with lots of time using the lathe, welder, torch, etc.  I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised that the front hubs look military given that he had been working for Rockwell at the time.  One of the primary things that they built were heavy duty axles for commercial and military applications. As with the rest of the machine they were over built and thus trouble free for all these years. 

 

—the dash controls: Pete-you had those pegged early in this thread.  I will check on the hood latch when I get over there.  You can be sure I’ll take a lot of detail pics. 

 

—overall dimensions: uncle Ken is a detail guy.  He thinks things through very carefully before beginning anything that he builds.  He plans and draws up detailed sketches of everything to look for overall fit and function before beginning.  I would love it, if he still had the drawings for this tractor. That I believe makes the difference between a bulky hodge-podge tractor and something that is streamlined, proportionate, and functional.

 

—what was available: some stuff from the farm, scrap yard, discarded stuff from work, and friends discarded items.  He was always on the look out for things that would benefit his projects. His barn is loaded with a variety of parts that he has kept over the years for a time “should he need them”.

 

—regarding anyone being able to use it: I had forgotten that I took care of his lawn several times in the early 1990’s.  Even as a teen, I remember not having any trouble starting, using, cutting with the tractor.  

 

9A9A14CA-44FB-4DD0-A350-AA70BFC1874B.jpeg.5f5cd1d0b798658cc99a87770741327b.jpeg

I took this picture about 1992.  Now, I’ve personally always preferred cutting on a hydrostatic drive tractor because I feel like it is more efficient.  That could be because I grew up cutting on the 875.  That being said, Ken’s tractor works great for anyone that can drive a gear drive tranny.  

 

More updates and pics coming!

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cpete1

Thanks for the new update, I'm enjoying the heck out of this. Very very impressive, your Uncle is a gifted individual.  And Thank you for being the "runner" and following up on all my questions, so glad you posted this to begin with. 

Chris :bow-blue:

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ebinmaine
3 hours ago, 19richie66 said:

But you’re a truck driver...... piece of cake for you. 👍

Mmmmmmmm

Caaaake

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ebinmaine
11 hours ago, cpete1 said:

I'm so shocked by how bad this forum is I even sent a check in to become a supporter

It didn't take ya long to figger us out... which is good. Proves your relatively bright.

 

Best part about joining up early on is you KNOW it can only get better.

8 hours ago, cpete1 said:

Thanks for the new update, I'm enjoying the heck out of this. Very very impressive, your Uncle is a gifted individual.  And Thank you for being the "runner" and following up on all my questions, so glad you posted this to begin with. 

Chris :bow-blue:

:text-yeahthat:

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cpete1

Josh, For the next time you see your uncle.

I'm guessing he used a right angle drive for the mower...

Had to fabricate a mount for the mower plus a way to lift it.

Looks like he made the drawbar removable and could put that utility box (in the picture with your Aunt) on the back. Maybe with the thought of building a manual implement lift that could also be installed on the drawbar tabs later on if he so desired.

Even incorporated the extra hitch points on the drawbar, I think he got that from International, H and M's had a hitch that could swivel to the side but a wide drawbar across the back.

I keep looking at the pictures and keep finding little details.

Will wait for the next update.....

 

Chris:think:

 

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PeacemakerJack

Pete—great to see your name in RED!  You will be another great addition to the community here at :rs:I look forward to your posts and pictures in the near future...

 

4 hours ago, cpete1 said:

—Looks like he made the drawbar removable and could put that utility box (in the picture with your Aunt) on the back. Maybe with the thought of building a manual implement lift that could also be installed on the drawbar tabs later on if he so desired.

Even incorporated the extra hitch points on the drawbar, I think he got that from International, H and M's had a hitch that could swivel to the side but a wide drawbar across the back.

 

When I spoke with him the other day, I asked him specifically about the hitch.  He said that he had designed it with the intention of building an implement lift but never actually got to the point of putting a lift mechanism in place.  It has very sturdy three point tabs but no lift bar, hydraulics, etc.  Unfortunately he couldn’t furrow plow with it as is.  As was mentioned above, he could quickly remove the hitch and install the box.  The hitch has mutiple holes for attaching different devices on the back. Ken win often move a variety of things with this tractor. His hitch design allows him to do that with confidence and ease.  He certainly could have taken the idea from the IH letter series tractors that you’ve mentioned.

 

 

This is is slightly off topic but will get its own write up eventually...

3E2D9AF2-0606-4C64-8EB3-696205A05CC7.jpeg.003cf57e20d4ef352384f7d2546e34f2.jpeg

Uncle Ken completely built this FUNCTIONAL scale model (pic taken in about 1971) of a CASE threshing machine when he was in his teens. This shows once again his attention to detail, planning, and fabrication skills.  Some proportions are off in order to make it functional but it is another totally sweet Uncle Ken Creation!  I need to have him operate it this summer and so we can get a video of it in action.  I think that would be super cool at Berlin attached to an old hit and miss engine giving a demonstration...

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19richie66

Dang, thats cool in itself. I could hang out with uncle ken👍

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cpete1

Wow Josh!!!!

Like I said in one of my previous posts, "I think he built other stuff before the tractor, only not so complicated". I got the last part totally wrong. He's got ingenuity oozzing from his eyebrows... I'll take a stab that he built the Combine for a school project?? Wow.

Looking forward to when you post some more pictures of "the Machine" so I can study further. This has been and continues to be amazing. I have had thoughts of building my own tractor for years and have done some rough sketches and such but never, never to the degree that your Uncle did. Like Richie said, we could hang out with your Uncle but I think he would get tired of us pestering him with questions. (Too bad, he is going to have to deal with it anyways :D) Josh, please keep posting, we'll keep watching, ... and asking questions...

 

Unbelievable..

Chris

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19richie66

What’s a sketch? :laughing-rolling:  

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cpete1

Smart-%SS,

I'll bet you a fast coffee you have a cad program on the think-machine your sitting in front of right now. (Oh-OH its nothing, I just came up with a lambo car hood application for my WH one day when I was pruning the rose bush in my front yard). Oh and the lexan for the electronics, I had that left over from a small portable green house I built for the petunias.......Sure Ritchie,....Sure!!!!  ( The funny thing is, you probably did think of all that stuff without a sketch) I should have never joined this place...... why oh why?

I need another aspirin...

Chris

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cpete1

Just noticed how he set the spindle bores for the front axle "into" the axle and cleaned up the raw edge of the axle beam. Looks factory!! Geez-z!

:bow-blue::bow-blue::bow-blue:

chris

and gusseted them to boot!!

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19richie66

All my stuff I do is from things I see and I just figure out how to do it. I have no cad program, just “ms paint”. :thumbs: All hand tools and a drill press. Everything else is hand grinder, die grinder and a mig welder. Been making lexan shift plates and covers for years. Easy to shape and drill and very sturdy. Leftover golf cart windshield. My son welds my aluminum. All home brewed. I am amazed at stuff like this tractor uncle ken made. 

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ebinmaine
49 minutes ago, cpete1 said:

bet you a fast coffee

Why a fast coffee instead of a regular speed one? :auto-dirtbike:

And what's a fast coffee anyway? 

Is it moving to quickly to drink? :auto-layrubber:

 

I'm picturing some screwy guy in Florida running circles  and figure8s on flat land under palm trees trying to drink a java. ....

:ROTF:

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cpete1

That's twice in less than five minutes that you've done that to me!!!

:ROTF::ROTF::ROTF::ROTF:

I'm still laughing...

And Ritchie... I'm the same way, I don't have a drill press, just drills and a vise, and a set of torches. I gas weld most everything, (Richard Finch's book on welding). Am thinking about running a circuit for a welder. That's why I read Sarge's write-up on welders so close. Don't have much experience with a mig. You are more than "holding your own" with the equipment you have. I don't want to compliment you too much, your head will swell and you won't be able to put your welding helmet on...Concerned about your safety...

boy oh boy what have I gotten into now?:blink:

Chris

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19richie66

No head swelling here.....I have a big head naturally :laughing-rolling:. I appreciate the concern for my safety. As for a welder, I have a Hobart 175 mig with the gas bottle attachment. I welded with flux core when I got it. After switching to gas I never looked back and just tried to get better at it. Not a pro for sure. Sold my stick welder as this thing does all I want to do. I watch all kinds of fab videos from sheet metal fabrication to patch panel repairs, millimg and lathe work. Fascinated by it all. Would love to learn it all. 

Edited by 19richie66
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PeacemakerJack

Chris and Rich,

thanks again on Uncle Ken behalf for the kind words.  He is one awesome fabricator but he is also very humble by nature and most of his functional creations haven’t been seen by anyone but his family and a few friends privileged enough to check them out—UNTIL NOW!

 

Aunt Tricia texted me recently, “For YEARS I've tried to talk Ken into taking some of this stuff to the parade, or to the park in Omro.  He's so stinkin' humble!!  Maybe with Paul around we can get something going this year.  I'd hate to have it all appreciated posthumously!!😯”. That hit a chord with me and I love my Uncle!  He is a great guy and has invested a lot in me over the years. So—I’ve started this thread and will soon start a couple more to show his God-given talents to anyone who is interested to check them out.  Maybe, in doing so, we can convince him to bring some of these things out to places where the public can enjoy looking at them too.

 

I’m going to go:text-offtopic: for a second. Have you ever said or heard your kids say, “why do I have to learn that, I’ll never use it in the real world!”  I said that repeatedly to my parents about Geometry years ago.  

45D12101-79D8-4001-BB37-53F21E2778DA.jpeg.96bbd77674a1be19a672ef5e25cf01a3.jpeg

Today’s project is keeping me busy and makes me wish that I had paid a little more attention in Geometry class.

F3FD56F8-95FC-4480-A35F-03A9E77B39CE.jpeg.b0f28f0ef1d7240dea0136003d9eb8bb.jpeg

Trying to get it closed up before the slop comes in again Sunday-Monday!

 

More on Uncle Ken’s tractor soon!

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19richie66

Beautiful work there. I am no angle guy for sure. I grind it till it fits. I tried so hard to pass geometry but some of it I just couldn’t get. 

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Sarge

I kick myself in the butt constantly for not paying more attention to math when I was in school - it's a point I drive home to my grandkids every chance I get since it's sooooo important in every aspect of life. Math applies to everything , without exception. The amount of time I waste in fabrication trying to make things fit or work like they should due to my lack of understanding geometry aggravates me to no end - makes me feel worthless. Luckily, a buddy of mine is a well-educated master machinist/tool and die maker, thankfully he's willing to help most times. I've also had to ask for help from civil engineers out on construction jobs - they seem to have some fun helping out an old Laborer figure out angles and such to solve a problem and in return I'll do the job in whatever manner they ask without question - they deserve that respect from us. I've also learned a lot of short cuts in figuring out this stuff from other welders in the Trades - especially Pipe Fitters and Boilermakers, they work they have to do to make things fit precisely is amazing.

 

Sarge

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