Harvesting a Thresher Model

Thinking of trying your hand at modeling? Start with a plan, says Kenny Sunderland. But there's no need to reinvent the wheel: Manuals published by thresher manufacturers often contain full plans.

Next, make drawings scaled to the finished size you select. Then cut and fashion parts for one side, and puts it together. Build the other side, which will be a mirror image.

"When both sides are finished, build something to hold them together," Kenny says. "Put in crosspieces and align bearing shafts so they're straight across from each other."

For the thresher, Kenny then makes the inside wooden racks, and adds interior gears. After that, he adds one part at a time until the model is finished. But it's still not complete.

"After I put them together, I disassemble the entire thing down to nothing but the angle frame," Kenny says. He hangs that up and paints it with spray paint. Pulleys and wheels are painted individually. A couple of days later, when the paint is dry, he puts everything back together again. Finally, he tests the model to make sure it runs properly.