Popular Post RowdyRebel Posted July 28, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2021 (edited) He won't be 4 for another month or so, but he loves to help me when I'm working on stuff. He doesn't like to wear the dark helmet, so when I need to weld something, he gets to be a handful because he wants to be there with me but I can't have him watching...until now. Bought a pair of the soft goggles that come with a #5 lense for oxy/acetylene cutting & welding. Bought the #10 lense to put in them...so now he's got his own welding goggles. Wife's dog will tear up anything she can reach if she's left alone...ESPECIALLY if there's a storm, guns going off, or fireworks. Those plastic kennels? Destroys them and escapes. Those collapseable wire ones, same story. Wife bought a damn cage...1/2" square tube & 3/8" round tube...double sliding latch...HEAVY DUTY. It holds her, but she spills the water and chews the bowl. Yes....stainless steel bowl has teeth marks. Anyway, bent a couple 3/8" steel rods & welded them into circles...one the bowl slips through, the other slightly smaller the bowl sets inside. Used 1/2" square tube to make a base, then added 4 uprights at the mid points to hold the 2 rings...top (larger) ring about an inch above the lower (smaller) ring. Base bolts to the floor of the cage with some J-hooks. Bowl is protected by the large ring, but it doesn't interfere with the dog's ability to drink. My boy was on my lap with his hand on the electrode as we were welding it all together. Need to find some kid-sized welding gloves...and his face could probably use a little more protection. If I do my job as a dad correctly, he'll be the only person in his kindergarten class that can weld, back a trailer, and back a hay wagon. Now that he can reach the pedals on his little tractor, we'll build a trailer for him to pull. Probably have a wagon by next summer with a hitch welded onto the handle so he can pull it around, too. Anyway, that's the goal I've set...got a year (or 2 if we hold him back...he's really small for his age)...I think it's doable. Edited July 28, 2021 by RowdyRebel pic didn't post. 9 Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/67541-start-em-young/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post h67st Posted July 29, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted July 29, 2021 He'll be able to take care of himself while others are throwing their hands up wondering what to do. 4 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/67541-start-em-young/#findComment-477613 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowerman Posted August 1, 2021 Share Posted August 1, 2021 aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah,,,,what an adorable child.....thanks for sharing.....great story.......bob Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/67541-start-em-young/#findComment-477769 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post RowdyRebel Posted August 7, 2021 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 7, 2021 Ok, so today's project is to build a trailer for him to pull behind his pedal tractor. Got an old frame from a David Bradley walk-behind tractor...not the actual tractor, but the frame for the seat cart you'd hook up behind it so that you could ride. Wheels were rotted off, and it doesn't have a seat anymore...and the front hitch has been cut off. So, we'll get the welder out and extend the tongue a bit and add a hitch. Then, we'll cut some bushings to make the 1" hub no-flat wheels I pulled off a 2-wheeled wheel barrow that was in the dumpster at the farm (that saved me $80 not having to buy some pneumatic tires from TSC...only place I've found with wheels with a large enough hub) to fit on the 7/8" axle. I'm still thinking on how to remove the seat pedastal and rig up a lever system that would simultaneously apply the brakes and push a rod up through the frame where that pedastal is now to raise a dump bed. He likes dump trucks...so I figure we'll build him one. Unfortunately the poly tub on that wheelbarrow was a little huge...and the farmhand who helped dig it out wanted the tub for a planter...so we may just fabricate something out of sheet metal...another weekend. Today is just getting the frame ready and able to be pulled. I think I'm going to have to start welding left-handed, though. The boy is a southpaw, and I think it'll be easier for him to learn if he's helping hold with his left hand. I'm pretty ambedextrose on most things...can do pretty much anything with either hand, just a lot better and a lot faster right handed. Point of all of these projects is to teach him life skills...so whatever works best for him. 3 Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/67541-start-em-young/#findComment-478068 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post RowdyRebel Posted August 8, 2021 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 8, 2021 He can already back it up better than most adults, too. This was his 1st attempt. Sure, it ain't much to look at right now...still figuring out what kind of trailer it'll be & how to get it there. For now, though, he's having fun pulling it around behind his little blue tractor...and that's really all that matters. 3 Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/67541-start-em-young/#findComment-478093 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Licensed to kill Posted August 8, 2021 Share Posted August 8, 2021 Awesome. LOVE the trike. Might want to put some mirrors on it so he can learn to use them for backing up a trailer. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/67541-start-em-young/#findComment-478103 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowerman Posted August 8, 2021 Share Posted August 8, 2021 Yes the tractor is way cool love the steering wheel did you build it or buy it that way….it looks custom built Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/67541-start-em-young/#findComment-478111 Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyRebel Posted August 8, 2021 Author Share Posted August 8, 2021 The tractor was store bought...although I added a drawbar so I could push him around with a shovel handle with a hook in the end. He was only 1, and still a little ways off of being able to pedal it on his own. Only other modification was a bracket clamped around the steering wheel so I could pull him around with the stick, too, until he got the hang of steering it himself. And yeah, mirrors would be nice...but not very practical on a toy tractor. I'd probably spend more time fixing/replacing them than he would using 'em. 1 Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/67541-start-em-young/#findComment-478132 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowerman Posted August 8, 2021 Share Posted August 8, 2021 The unit is beyond cool it really looks custom built by someone. But I expect if it was you would have told us … bob Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/67541-start-em-young/#findComment-478135 Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyRebel Posted August 9, 2021 Author Share Posted August 9, 2021 Found it at one of the farm stores we have in town. Like I said, all I did was make a drawbar for it so I could push him around & eventually hook up trailers and such...after all, what good is a tractor if'n ya can't pull stuff with it?🤷♂️ https://tricamindustries.com/product/gck-31/ 1 Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/67541-start-em-young/#findComment-478146 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowerman Posted August 14, 2021 Share Posted August 14, 2021 I expect you will be anxious to hook up an engine as soon as that boy gets old enough ha ha right??????????.bob Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/67541-start-em-young/#findComment-478380 Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyRebel Posted August 15, 2021 Author Share Posted August 15, 2021 8 hours ago, mowerman said: I expect you will be anxious to hook up an engine as soon as that boy gets old enough ha ha right??????????.bob Actually just had that conversation with the wife (and she's on board). As soon as he gets the hang of riding a bicycle without the training wheels, we'll be looking for a little 50cc dirt bike for him. Just wouldn't be practical to motorize the trike tractor. Would have to remove the pedals & replace with foot pegs. Also the rear axle would have to be replaced make it a powered axle...which means a differential or else the thing would only go straight (not much weight on the front wheel...especially when you're trying to pull something on gravel). The alternative would be to locate the motor on the front axle, because since the whole wheel assembly pivots around, it'd be impossible to have a shaft, chain, or belt driving it. That would cause issues with steering as we'd run into clearance issues when turning into the motor. ...although...mounting the motor on that trailer to push him around MIGHT work...still would need a new axle, but it could be a solid one...or do a pair of electric motors with a motorized pot to control wheel speeds independently dependent upon the angle of the trailer to the tractor so that the outside wheel would have more speed than the inside wheel...but that would take quite a bit of figuring to get it all correct. Yeah, I don't see it happening. Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/67541-start-em-young/#findComment-478399 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowerman Posted August 15, 2021 Share Posted August 15, 2021 haha,,,,after taking another look at the tractor,,,its a little too small for an engine,and drive line,,,,it would be way too much work,,,as well...few hundred for a used little motorized bike....im putting together a mini bike right now for my self all i had was a frame and a 5 hp briggs and stratton.for 20 years.decided.to do something with it just ordered all the other parts to put it all together...excited to see the finished results...was going to start on my DM,,,but im still waiting on parts from watts to get it started,,,barry told me thier having all kinds of problems,getting all thier parts...bob Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/67541-start-em-young/#findComment-478415 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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