Another diecast bash - making a 10-20 McCormick

[Mik]

As many of you have already found, there's pretty much doodly available in the way of farm machinery that's anywhere near the right size to use with LS...

There's also even less in the way of pre-depression machinery from ANY major manufacture.

And I'm doing a layout set in 1925, at our antique farm machinery club........

What there IS - a 1918 Waterloo Boy/John Deere Overtime tractor, in 1/32 by Ertl...

Right era, wrong size. Especially since the Waterloo Boy model R only CAME in one size. Can it be remade into something else? Those wheels would be pretty small rescaled to 1/24 (ie 24" front, 42" rear) ....


Enter the McCormick-Deering 10-20 a very small tractor produced from 1923 to 1940

The first step was to remove everything from the Waterloo Boy that DIDN'T liook like a McCormick.... there wasn't a whole lot left. (Warning: this is a LOT of cutting and grinding - especially to separate the gearbox from the left fender!)

Next I made some pieces that looked more like a 10-20 - from wood. The funny shaped piece was done with a sanding drum in the drill press.

Not a scale model, but the right size, and recognizable, I think...

I need to make a few small mods yet to get the details a little closer, then make a twin to it and mount them both on a flatcar

 

[C&S]

What an excellent start! It's so easy to forget that wood is a useful modelling material for things not made that way in real life. Looking forward to more pictures as things progress.

BTW, did you like the steam boiler/power unit I posted on the thread with your threshing machine?

 

[Mik]

BTW, did you like the steam boiler/power unit I posted on the thread with your threshing machine?

I saw the post before you added it, but not after you edited.... oops, I apologise. Nice piece if you can find/make flywheels it would be a great model.

I like wood because it's pretty easy to work with.... and inexpensive. If you make a hash out of a part, you can just toss it and start over without too much crying over it.

Last night, I split the tractor between the two wood parts and cut about 3/16 out of the rear of the motor section (where the clutch would be on the prototype), which also lengthened the fuel tank. Pretty much cured that niggling "something's just a bit off" feeling. It just looks a lot more 10-20ish now, and less like a Centaur KV or Case C.

 

[simon@mgr]

Nice work.

All the photos are a handy reference for modelling

One of the problems I have is finding models in the 1/2 inch scale area. Most are 1/32 or 1/16 which tends to make it a little difficult.

 

[Mik]

more pics....

Rear end view of #2 in progress.

Same pic of #1- The odd rectangles are where the McCormick-Deering decals should be... in black with gold letters. I'm not going to bother.

Since I built it in 1/24, it is just a smidge undersized for use with 1/22.5 figures... The top of the hood should be about mid chest... it's approximately 1/4" (6 scale inches) too low on this guy. (the angle makes it look worse than it really is) But I think it will look fine once it's on the flatcar