Don Campbell's Workshop

[Don Campbell]

Thanks again Eric,
Much Appreciated
I will repost a couple pics here of my basic tools that built over 200 steel models so people can see they can do it too without a lathe , milling machine or computerized plasma cutter. Everything I have built has been done with basic tools. Once again I am the first to admit none of my projects are even close to perfect so please keep that in mind if you see bad looking welds or bad body work or bad paint jobs. Thanks

 

[Don Campbell]

Here is another one of my tools that I have used for over 20 years. It is a small Tennsmith knotcher . It is hand operated and cuts all my smaller pieces of 18ga. It also knotches out small triangle cuts for me to fill in with weld when joining two pieces of sheet metal together so I can grind it smooth after welding . If I rough cut a longer piece then I bring it here to shear a nice straight edge on it before bending it or drilling it to be welded. I guess I do have a few tools that I just take for granted so it will be fun to just stay on this thread and share them and some of my building methods maybe giving a few of you ideas for your own projects. I have two large barrels full of thin strips of metal I have sheared off with this so it gets a lot of use and my left arm does get sore sometimes from the constant cutting.
Several years ago I ordered a 220 Tennsmith Electric/air powered shear for several thousand dollars. I was so excited but after several weeks of waiting I was told they were having problems getting a couple parts to complete it so that made me worried about getting parts later on and I cancelled the order . I wonder sometimes how it would have been to have that small shear .

 

[Don Campbell]

Here is another project some of you might enjoy of mine a few years ago. Found this 63 Split Window Vette behind a house in Lansing , Mi. on some side street all covered with ****. We were just riding around and I spotted it. Ended up buying it and restoring it back to Corvette Red and stock exhausts again. We had 6 Vettes over the years for a total of having a Vette in our garage for 29 years.

 

[Kevin54]

Thanks ,
I been making models part time for 18 years , I will be 62 in May. That is me restoring the 63 split window . Looking back it seems I was quite ambitious building all those things, ha,ha. The biggest models take 6 months, medium ones, 3 months, smaller ones one month , smallest one one week. No help , I design , cut out by hand and drill, bend , weld , bodywork, sand and paint every model. No blueprints , just specs from rear of brochures and a lot of guessing. I never ran heavy equipment

Thanks again Eric,
Much Appreciated
I will repost a couple pics here of my basic tools that built over 200 steel models so people can see they can do it too without a lathe , milling machine or computerized plasma cutter. Everything I have built has been done with basic tools. Once again I am the first to admit none of my projects are even close to perfect so please keep that in mind if you see bad looking welds or bad body work or bad paint jobs. Thanks

6 months WOW!!!!! Line up boys.....On three. One....two....three...

That is totally unbelievable. I person, no blueprints, not a heavy equipment operator.....I'm speechless!!!!! My best project wouldn't come close to your shittiest project. You sir have a God given talent that any company out there would kill to have working for them. Like BJM364 said,, you would make a hell of a movie prop maker.

And for the ones that HAVE NOT visited Don's website, I highly recommend grabbing a few cold ones and spending a few hours on it while being totally amazed.

 

[strnge]

WOW!!!

Your a major inspiration to all us.

Thanks for posting.

 

[GRN96WS6]

Don, you should post the link to your website in your signature, it would be nice to check out for most members here I'd think.

Also you mentioned don't knock your welds, paint, and craftsmanship all I have to say about that is you have nothing to be ashamed of.

 

[Deadhead]

Don,
On your 1/2 scale mini tractors, what motor/transmission/hydraulic combination are you using to make them work so well?

 

[Don Campbell]

Ok, I think I got the webpage link , if you go to the top right corner of my webpage you can click on images or videos . I have over 4000 photos of my projects and us in the coal mines and us a week on a Great Lakes Freighter and us on the Ice Breaker Mackinaw breaking ice , me driving old heavy equipment , me driving mining equipment , heavy equipment junkyards, and a lot more. Also I have over 175 misl. videos showing several of my model building processes and snowplowing , etc. I have also had a daily blog for the last 8 years if anyone wants to go back and read some of it.

 

[Don Campbell]

Ok, now to answer the question about the mini tractor engines, here are four pics showing the jd 4020 engine , it is from a jd 430 and it is a 3 cyl. diesel , the hydro system is stock and the rear axle is stock. The next pic is the jd narrow front project and it started out as a Montgomery Wards and it has a 12 hp and the drivetrain is all stock , the next photo is my grandsons hot rod jd project and it started out as a 16hp Simplicity and it is all stock ****** and rear end. The last pic is the 23hp twin Steiner and it also has the original stock engine and hydro system and full time 4 whl drive. Mostly I build wheel adaptors and install different tires front and rear , then build new fenders, change seats, build a new hood and new exhaust systems . So it isn't that great as far as me doing any drivetrain design. I had a blast changing the look of them. The Wards and the Simplicity I saved from the junkyard.

 

[Don Campbell]

I went out to the back shed today to see if the little Waldon 5000 mini loader would start and it fired right up. This is my favorite winter toy . I love wheel loaders , my friend has a old jd 844 and I love driving it. I got to scoop rocks with a Cat 944 Loader with a 26 yard bucket on top of a mountain in Va. That was AWESOME ! Living in town my loader is perfect size. I hauled the old bucket to the scrap yard and built this oversized light duty snow bucket. The Waldon only has 50 hp but it will fill the bucket full spilling out and lift it with no problem. I installed wider profile tires to make it much more stable with the bucket raised in the air. Now that I built the cab for it last year it is so much fun to play in the snow with. So the bucket and the cab are two more of my recent projects. I also picked up a set of forks and made them fit on the loader so all summer I can move things around very easy. I bought this for $3,000.00 so it is my best buy.

 

[Don Campbell]

After I got the mini tractors built I wanted a little 4 wheel wagon to hook behind one of them for my grandson to ride in. Over the years I had bought five of those farm store wagons just for the tires for my models. I used the flat style tires on my big mining truck models. So I had these wagon frames with no wheels sitting around. So the one picture my grandson is pushing one after I installed some larger tires. I put tires on two more of them and my neighbor bought them from me. But another one I wanted to put the larger yet tires on so I built different axles and modified the front spindles . Then I bent up the sides and front and rear walls and welded them in place. It actually made a very nice looking wagon and my grandson loves riding in it.
Maybe this will give some of you a idea for your little farm store flat wagons. I also restored this old jd 110 round fender tractor and installed larger tire on the front and rear.
I want to build a belly blade for it just for something unique and put a vertical exhaust and air cleaner on the hood to finish it off.

 

[CNGsaves]

WOW . . . your shop and skills are Awesome !!

Tell us more of the story on the '63 split window Corvette . . . . that's an awesome save. Would love to find any condition older Vette to restore for my middle school son who just loves Vettes.

Keep up the terrific posts.

 

[GGB]

Don, thanks for taking time to share your projects with us. Your thread just became another one of my favorites on this site.

I had recently seen your four wheel drive project on another site, and had thought it would be very popular here on the GJ website. Looks like quite a few other members agree!

And from what I've seen, your craftsmanship is excellent, and to do what you do by eye is nothing short of artistic. It takes a true artist to visualize and then create a scaled down model which keeps the proper perspective. Amazing creations, and then you get to "play" with them!

Thanks again for sharing.

GGB

 

[Don Campbell]

Thanks ,
I have many little projects I would like to share maybe giving some of the folks ideas for their own projects.
The 63 split window , I negotiated the guy down to $6,500.00 . He said he would start it up and move it out front while we went and got the money. When we returned he said he was sorry but the brakes failed and he hit his vehicle and cracked the front folding headlight housing when he was pulling it out front . So we renegotiated and I got it for $5,500.0 . It had pictures of naked women on the sides and etched in the rear glass and flames on the side with side pipes. I carefully drove it 5 miles in Lansing doing 10 miles a hour with no brakes to a garage . Then I drove it 60 miles on the country roads back to Alma where we lived at the time with no plates or insurance. My wife was a nervous wreck but I was very excited. It took me 3 months to get it looking great again. We eventually sold it for a profit and bought a newer Vette. But Deb and I still talk about it everytime we go to Lansing. I sold it to a guy in Shepherd, mi. and he sold it to a guy in Ohio. It could still have the etched naked lady in the rear left window.

 

[kesslerbmw]

I have been off and on following your blog for years, you're work is amazing. Glad to see you here on GJ!

 

[Don Campbell]

Thanks ,
I signed up to a few sites recently because I just built the garden tractor projects. Everyone has been very nice but I really feel most comfortable here being it is all joined to the workshop . I have spent so many years in my little workshop doing a variety of things. I just think the folks here are a lot like me with just a little shop and a little money but making the best of it. Thanks again for the warm welcome.

 

[Don Campbell]

With this bitter cold were having I thought I would share my shop heating system. I have two salamander style space heaters and three smaller kerosene heaters. But in the last four years I only use one of the big space heaters. I turn it on for 5 minutes every hour just to keep the chill out. You can see in the one photo that my ceiling is very low so it heats up very fast and very warm in just five minutes. When the temp gets above 35 I just turn it on for five minutes twice in the whole day. I cut the cost of kerosene for the whole winter by doing it this way. If i am working on a project and I am dressed warm I need very little extra heat most of the time. These current below zero temps this week I am just staying out of the shop completely.

 

[Don Campbell]

Here is another fun little project , I picked up this old jd cab for $100.00 , it sat down at the neighbors for several years upside down full of water with the front windshield frame and window missing. I brought it home and sanded it and painted it up , mounted it on one of my little jd 455 tractors. Then I built a new front window frame and then bolted some Lexan for the front windshield. Next I decided to build a front overhead light package with four headlights, then 6 red and orange side and rear cab blinking lights and a small rear strobe light. I bought this tractor about 15 years ago brand new and it has less than 200 hours on it. It has never mowed grass or never seen snow until I put the cab on it last winter. My neighbor also gave me a rear weight bar frame for the back and he gave me 6 rear weights because he had no use for them. I sanded the weights and repainted them and the weight frame .
I bought a new 47inch 2 stage snowblower for it to. I have only used it 3 hours total but today I decided to see if it would start after not running it for a few weeks. It fired right up. It does a nice job.

 

[LG63]

Don, I’m glad you joined GJ as I was not aware of your work and I’ve really enjoyed reading the blog on your website. Although I’ve never owned one, the 455 is one of my favorite Deeres. I never really cared for X series that followed it. What sort of duties has the 455 had during its 200 hours if it wasn’t mowing and has only been blowing snow recently?

 

[Don Campbell]

Thanks , glad you enjoyed reading my daily blog. I try to keep it interesting . I actually bought 2 brand new jd 455 diesels , one is all wheel steer and the other is two wheel steer. I had a small lawn mowing business I did by myself for many years and snowplowing in the winter. The aws 455 did all the mowing and vacuuming the clippings and leaves. The low hour two wheel steer only had a sweeper on it. I never swept parking lots , just used to dethatch front lawns with it so it was not hard on it. It stills has the original bristles . Even now I am very fussy not to leave the driveway with it and get out in the salt on the roads. I hate that salt on everything. The aws 455 has 1300 hours and never had one problem with it to this day . They been excellent little diesel tractors.

 

[Don Campbell]

Here is another small project I built a while back for my bucket. A light duty grapple. for picking up piles of leaves, thatch , grass and brush. I used 2 inch square tubing to bolt to the rear of the bucket for my pivot arms. Then the whole front assembly was built of 1" square tubing to keep it as light as possible. A 36 in cylinder was mounted in the center . Pretty simple and low cost and it worked great to hold the load in the bucket when raising it.

 

[gilwest]

Nice work Don. Show us some of your techniques for welding and finishing on some of the intricate areas.

 

[mrtoolfool]

Truly AMAZING is all I can say.

WOW, you are indeed a true craftsman.....WOW

 

[Don Campbell]

Thanks again,
I can show some techniques soon but if you go to the webpage and go to workshop there are a few pics there now.
Todays pictures show my poor variety of Welding equipment that has built all these projects for the last 43 years. I have two 225 Lincoln Buzz Boxes , and four small Lincoln wire welders. None of them hooked up to gas, I just use .030 fluxcored wire.
Pretty sad setup but never had the money to buy a $4,000.00 welder. My whole life I have just got by with the minimum tools and made the best of it. But I am proof you can build decent stuff with no expensive tools. These little welders have gotten a real workout over the years and only one of them did I burn out the motherboard. One of them I bought used at Traverse City at the Pawn shop for $225.00 and it had never been used. I'm sure some of you can relate to never having enough money.

 

[Don Campbell]

After I finished building the little 4 wheel wagon I had the two rear tires and rims from the back of the jd 430 tractor. I decided to build a little 2 wheel trailer and use those wheels and build the wheel base the same width as the rear wheels on the mini jd 4020 tractor. I bought spindles at the farm store, welded up a tube axle , then I just used thin wall conduit for the frame. No suspension on the trailer for just around the yard. Then I bent up the 18 ga. sheet metal for the front , sides and rear and welded in place. For the floor I had to patch two pieces together . I bent up some fenders and I put a rear hitch so I double or triple up my load. I also put a rear hitch on the 4 wheel wagon. I used the conduit because it was just sitting around and it saved on the cost of the project. Once it was painted the tubing looked fine.

 

[Shopmaster]

Very nice Don. Amazing builds off of AC only stick welder and flux core wire welders.

 

[Don Campbell]

Thanks ,
I mentioned my workshop is very small and my tools are very crude . But I always looked at it positive and enjoyed each project with what I had. I think back 45 years ago welding in my backyard outside on the grass and that makes me very thankful . I will never have enough money to buy a $4,000.00 welder or any real fancy shop equipment but I feel lucky to have what little I do have. These are kinda tough times for a lot of people .

 

[Don Campbell]

Here are my main power tools , The shears are my least used tool, the reciprocating saw is my next least tool , The two nibblers are used everyday and could not get by without them . I have 5 of the hand held grinders/sanders but they have all quit but one of them. They all need brushes . I never changed brushes before so i just go buy a new one . They get a real workout . I have a larger grinder/buffer that is just used just to heavy wheel and light wheel paint. My cordless drill is handy once in a while but rarely used.

 

[Don Campbell]

Nothing being done in the workshop today , we got a ice storm so I spent the whole morning spreading salt and chopping ice . Once I got it loosed up a little I scraped it in a windrows and scooped it with the mini loader.

 

[Don Campbell]

Not much going on in the workshop the last week or so . Just too cold . But today I did have to replace a axle pin on my much used walk behind snowplow.

 

[Don Campbell]

A few years ago my wife bought me a set of Gold Plated sockets for Christmas. I have never used them but it was a very unique gift and I really like them. I noticed them on the shelf in the office a few days ago and I was wondering how many of you also have a set of these . Not practical but pretty cool for a fellow who loves working in the shop and using tools. Great for the office desk.

 

[Vernmotor]

I have some Gold tools also. never use them. just for looks.

 

[stovebolter46]

I just read the whole thread. Your models are AMAZING!!! I love the model train you built. Great job!

 

[upndown]

Not much going on in the workshop the last week or so . Just too cold . But today I did have to replace a axle pin on my much used walk behind snowplow.

Don, I like your shop stool..

 

[Cyclebabble]

Don,

I live in Gaylord as well, drove by saw you pushing snow this morning. Gotta love Northern Michigan!

~Chris

 

[krc328ic]

This is without a doubt one of the (if not thee) coolest threads I've ever read on this amazing site. The talent and skill is over the top! I wish I had just 0.0000% of your gift! Please continue to share more!

 

[56vette461]

Hi Don, I'll try to find the "Tim the Tool Man" hammer my kids bought for me for Fathers Day one year and post a photo.

 

[Don Campbell]

Thanks again for the nice comments. Chris , I clean my driveway about everyday , ha,ha. Tim the toolman hammer would be pretty cool. I got the vise parts again today for the third time , still wrong. So I will modify one of them and share it next week.

 

[Don Campbell]

Today I took the vise off the bench to show the modification I did . It is not pretty but you can see the flat piece of metal I welded to the bottom of the vise screw. This part is no longer available with the wide base so instead of throwing the vise away I had nothing to lose to try this and it is working fine. Now all three vises are working great again with new screw threads . Plus I have a extra new one I could use stock or modify it with a wide base.

 

[Don Campbell]

Today I headed out to the workshop to build some extensions for my snowblade for my mini 4x4 tractor. I started with sheet metal cutting it into 6 inch strips with the nibbler, then trimmed up the rough cut edge on the knotcher . Then I cut the pieces to length . Next I marked the curve and cut it with the nibbler on the first two pieces. After drilling the mounting holes I began welding all the pieces together . I am adding 5 inches to each end of the blade so when it is plowing snow at full angle it pushes the snow out past the duel wheels.