Don Campbell's Workshop

[Don Campbell]

Here are a few more steps showing the welded extension for the first end.
One photo also shows me extending the blade ends on my mini jd 4020 tractor too.

 

[Don Campbell]

Here is the finished picture of the bolt on blade extensions. Nothing fancy but should make the blade work much better at full angle.

 

[FordGuy24]

You do some great work! Shop is neatly laid out.

 

[NUTTSGT]

It would seem that you spend hours out in your shop. Does your wife ever come out, lend a helping hand or rool her eyes like mine usually does ?

 

[Don Campbell]

I do spend many hours in the shop, my little workshop is hooked right to the back of the garage and the garage is hooked right to the house. So my wife does come out about twice a day to see my progress and see if I am ok. Normally she just smiles and sees I am having fun . When she saw the train and the dozer for
the first time she gave me that look like What the He__ __ !! are you thinking , those won't even fit out the door , ha,ha.
So I had to cut out the one wall and put in a new 5.5 foot wide door before I could get the dozer and the train out of the shop, ha,ha. Even then the dozer blade had to come off first. She is a great wife and my best friend , she never questions anything I want to buy. She says life is so short and we should enjoy each day .
She knows I always finish every project and that is the difference. We have friends that haul stuff home and never do anything with it but yet keep buying more stuff.
My wife would not like that and neither would I.

 

[Ross/Kzoo]

the first time she gave me that look like What the He__ __ !! are you thinking , those won't even fit out the door , ha,ha.
So I had to cut out the one wall and put in a new 5.5 foot wide door before I could get the dozer and the train out of the shop, ha,ha. Even then the dozer blade had to come off first.

Reminds me of Henry Ford!

 

[NUTTSGT]

I do spend many hours in the shop, my little workshop is hooked right to the back of the garage and the garage is hooked right to the house. So my wife does come out about twice a day to see my progress and see if I am ok. Normally she just smiles and sees I am having fun . When she saw the train and the dozer for
the first time she gave me that look like What the He__ __ !! are you thinking , those won't even fit out the door , ha,ha.
So I had to cut out the one wall and put in a new 5.5 foot wide door before I could get the dozer and the train out of the shop, ha,ha. Even then the dozer blade had to come off first. She is a great wife and my best friend , she never questions anything I want to buy. She says life is so short and we should enjoy each day .
She knows I always finish every project and that is the difference. We have friends that haul stuff home and never do anything with it but yet keep buying more stuff.
My wife would not like that and neither would I.

Glad to hear that she does come and check on you Don. I figured there had to be one of those moments in there somewhere.

 

[Don Campbell]

A great way to make the wife happy in some marriages is when you buy a tool or old car or tractor just give her the exact same amount . Then they actually look forward to you buying things, ha,ha.

 

[Don Campbell]

With over 130 inches of snow so far in Gaylord here is a picture of our front yard. The snow is starting to pile up . I'm sure I will have to open the workshop for repairs before too long. Deb just posted a video of our downtown mainstreet today . I'm waiting for a nice day to switch tractors in the workshop . I want to build a belly blade for my jd 110 round fender tractor.

 

[stovebolter46]

We are feeling your pain down here too, Don. It doesn't look like it is going to stop any time soon!

 

[Don Campbell]

On a positive note with all the bitter cold the snow is insulating the ground from the pipes freezing.

 

[Don Campbell]

We took a few pictures today of our neighbors mailboxes after 135 inches of snow. I'm sure the mailman is not happy to pull up to some of these mailboxes. I'm still waiting for a 40 degree day to switch tractors in my workshop to build the next project.

 

[xtremek]

I'm still waiting for a 40 degree day to switch tractors in my workshop to build the next project.

I hope you're not holding your breath for that 40 degrees. I heard that overnight lows next week are supposed to be back down around 0. And decent snow this weekend.

 

[Don Campbell]

No 40 degree days in sight , we got a few more inches this morning and more for tomorrow . I see Lansing is going to get several inches tomorrow. Lets all shoot for 200 inches of snow this winter >)

 

[Don Campbell]

Finally I got the 4x4 articulating tractor out to plow the backyard and my wife came out and took a video to share. It did a nice job of pushing snow . A couple times I hit into the rock hard bank and it stopped me but other than that I was very pleased how it pushed the snow. The blade extensions worked great . There is a link on my webpage of the new video at www.doncampbellmodels.com
or if someone wants to add the link here I would appreciate it. Were not sure how to do that.

 

[Crown]

(click on the image above to view the video)

 

[iron_worker]

Pure awesome.

 

[Don Campbell]

Thanks for putting the link on for me. I watched the video 4 times and it looked fun to me , ha,ha.

 

[Don Campbell]

Today the city snowblowers are trying to find our fire hydrant, ha,ha. 140 inches of snow and only 60 inches to go . Yippee Winter is almost over

 

[stang6768]

Welcome to GJ and you sir, are one amazing person

 

[80WTI_55_CHEV]

Don your talents are unbelievable, your attention to detail is amazing i only hope you show us more in depth of the builds as i think you have a lot that we could learn from and that's what this place is here for. Thanks for the great pics. Lee

 

[Don Campbell]

Thanks again,
Over the years my wife has posted 180 you-tube videos showing many of the projects as I built them in different stages. If you click on my webpage link and then click on videos it will take you to the videos. The Cat dozer and the Train are probably have the most steps .

 

[Don Campbell]

No new shop projects , the workshop is still closed so not much to post. I did move some snow in my front yard this morning and we are now at 150 inches so far and more on the way for Thurs. night. The snowpiles are starting to add up. Just 6 more weeks of winter left, yippee !!

 

[Don Campbell]

Ten more inches of new snow this Sat. morning putting at us at 165 inches now for the winter. I think I am the only one in Gaylord excited to see if we can hit 200 inches before spring, ha,ha. Here is a picture from this morning in the driveway.

 

[mygarageone]

Don
If you really like that much snow ? Come on up to Munising.
I currently have around 200+ inches. We see this all the time every winter so I am not excited to see more at all.
But then over 300 + inches in the Keewenaw Peninsula puts us to shame.

 

[Don Campbell]

Thanks for the invite but I am tired of plowing snow , ha,ha.
Yesterday I finally headed to the workshop . I took some 2.5 in. pipe and welded 2 spindles on it to make a little sulky type riding mini trailer to hook behind my walk behind snowplow or to pull the grandson behind the garden tractors . Still in the early stages as I will build a platform for my feet and fenders . It seemed so good to be cutting and welding again . Were now at 170 inches of snow and no sign of spring yet .

 

[shopnut]

Very cool stuff there Don! Those scale replicas are amazing!

EDIT: Forgot to ask... I loved that diesel locomotive. Did you ever build any steam locos?

 

[Don Campbell]

Thanks , no I just built one Train project.
Todays shop project picture shows me roughing in the first fender for the sulky. You can see a piece of 18 ga. sheet metal I am using to make the fenders. Today I will cut out , knotch and bend the second fender.

 

[Don Campbell]

Back in the workshop and it seems so good to smell fresh ground metal and have the welding helmet on and melting some metal together.
Todays progress shows the second fender cut out, bent and notched. But now I have inserted small gussetts and rewelded the joints in the bends back together and ground them smooth. I now have also welded end caps on all four ends of the fenders for extra strength . You can see I have clamped a piece of metal to box in the back and give even more strength to the fenders . I'm sure my grandson will be testing the fenders , ha,ha.

 

[Don Campbell]

Today I have the fenders welded in place and the rear boxed in and braced and very sturdy. I had a couple lights so I mounted them as my grandson will like that.
You can also see I have done work on the front as welded a piece of 2-1/4 in tubing across the front to make the front of the fenders very solid. I also boxed in a small area for my grandson to put his feet. I am now working on the tapered floor board piece . It is starting to look better today .

 

[Ross/Kzoo]

Don, I don't always comment on your posts but I do read and follow the different ideas and fabrication that you do. I'm sure that I'm not the only one that follow your threads without a lot of comment. Thanks!

 

[PCO6]

Don;

I really like where you're going with this. Do you have any shots of the plow that's going to do the pulling?

 

[Don Campbell]

Thanks ,
I understand as I too like to just look and comment very little . I just know some people enjoy my projects like I enjoy seeing theirs.
Todays progress picture gives a idea of the overall look with the front blade . I may build some front fenders too to give it more of a finished look . Today I will finish building the detachable t handle and the removable steering wheel . The handle and the steering wheel will be for when the sulky is being pulled behind one of my garden tractors to hang on too.
Tomorrow I will do the bodywork on the welds and paint it . Then I will get going on the next one. The next one will have a bench seat for two people and a small box on the back for light cargo.
I am thinking about building a front end loader for this

 

[PCO6]

Very nice. Looks pretty heavy duty. Hopefully you won't get TOO MUCH use out of it this year (lol).

 

[Don Campbell]

Thanks ,
The blade will come off for the summer and just use it to putter around on.
Todays progress picture shows the front fenders on . The fenders didn't look right so I decided to build a hood over the engine and then I just had to through a couple exhaust stacks on top
I also started building two storage boxes on each side of the seat.
Someday I can drive it around a tractor show

 

[rixtrix1]

Great ideas and execution. Love your projects. Do you have an inside deal at your metal supplier for all the projects you do?

 

[Don Campbell]

Thanks ,
No inside deal , they are sticking it to me more because they know I keep coming back
Todays progress I worked on the front of the hood and boxed it in and remounted the headlights inside . I figure I get get more top speed that way
I also attached the exhaust stacks today and mounted the top air cleaner .
Then I made a little hood ornament .
I keep hoping one of these days it will start to look like something

 

[Bobcat753]

Nice to see you on here! Will defiantly look forward to your posts on garage journal. And do you have pics of the model snow plow you built?

 

[gasserx]

You are a master! To do this with these few basic tools and little money is amazing. I mean, most people would not even have the desire to think about doing this knowing they dont have the "correct" tools. You prove it can be done!
You are to great inspiriation

Thanks for sharing your projects Don.

Would love to own a scaled down, working, D11 I would shuffle dirt all day long

 

[sean Buick 76]

Very nice job on the shop and the projects!!!