My son Andrew will be 4 years old in June and already has a good start in the engine hobby.
When he was 2 years old, he would spend hours in the shop with me and just play with some old wrenches I let him have. Every time we went into the shop, he would want me to start my 7 HP Sattley saw rig, and to his delight, I would oblige.
Last year, while on vacation, we stopped at a small engine show in Steam Corner, Ind., and a gentleman we were talking to gave Andrew an engine to get him started in the hobby. I lost his name and hope he is reading this – Andrew and I say thanks! Well, one engine led to another, and now he has an early Craftsman engine, two Maytags, a Farmall H pedal tractor and several old cast iron toys.
Last September, we restored one of the Maytags and I let Andrew do quite a bit of it with help. I loosened up bolts and let him finish by taking them out, and turned him loose with a small wire brush to clean parts. I even let him spray some primer on a few items (primer-colored hands are fun to clean off enough to keep Mom content). I made a spot on the trailer for his items, and we went to a show in Paulding, Ohio, in late September. Andrew was sure proud of his display and made some new friends.
Being laid off last December, I’ve had plenty of “daddy-time” with him in the shop. Our winter project consisted of building a larger atmospheric engine and I let him help in different ways. Upon finishing, I started to build a model of a Rumely OilPull and decided to build it for him, starting on March 10 and finishing it April 29. We had a great time working together, and he learned a lot about how things work. Most of the machining and welding took place when he was inside the house with Mom. When I finished a part, he would come out to the shop all excited, asking where this part went, what it did, how it worked and, “Can I help?”
I had to keep safety in mind with the OilPull, so a lot of guards had to be fabricated while still keeping ease of operation in mind. One of the guards was a dummy valve cover for the old International LB that operates the OilPull. The one I fabricated looks like the head of an OilPull with two spark plugs, a fake mixer and air cone. This really set it off and made the both of us happy.
On April 29, the model was finished and I turned the keys over to Andrew (so to speak). I think he’s got a permanent grin now. I know I would, too, if I were 4 years old. If you see Andrew at a show sometime, stop by and say hi.
For my son, Andrew:
This tractor is built with
a loving heart,
strong hands,
and a creative mind.
May you always enjoy
this wonderful hobby.
Love, Dad
Contact Brian Culy at 5008W 700S, Geneva, IN 46740 • culys98@adamswells.com