TRACTOR PART IX - STEERING

To a small boy, it’s not going to be a real tractor unless you can pretend you’re driving it through muddy fields or country lanes so the last thing you need to add to your assembly is a steering wheel.

Rather than make a boring old flat steering wheel from a piece of MDF, I wanted something interactive with bells, whistles or real-life engine noises that would engage the developing imagination of even the most boisterous toddler.

Enter the Casdon GPS steering wheel. An interactive motoring experience for little ones. Just start your engine then follow the audible instructions to either the doctor’s surgery, petrol station, supermarket or home. 

Casdon GPS steering wheel

This device has flashing indicators, a horn, realistic motoring noises and its own ‘sat nav’ screen.

Almost more fun than a real car

I’ve had great fun playing with it for the past 10 minutes so our car mad little grandson is sure to love it making it the best addition to our tractor creation. Available online from Ebay, Amazon or a whole host of other retailers.

Not tall enough for a tractor

How to incorporate this gadget into our tractor? The whole Casdon gizmo is 46 cms total height but our biggest tractor box is 50 cms high which means it’s not tall enough. To get round this problem, a small wooden shelf has been added to the box interior on which to stand the steering wheel.

Small shelf to stand steering wheel on

Cut a thick timber square to use as a shelf and fix to the interior wall of the larger box using a small right-angled bracket. The square should be roughly the size of the gadget’s plastic base. Round off the corners of the block to mirror those of the base.

Drill holes in the plastic base

Drill four small holes in each corner of the plastic base to secure the steering column to the wooden shelf.

Large sized plastic pipe bracket

A large white plastic pipe bracket has been used to reduce overall movement which hopefully will prevent the thing getting broken by even the roughest of drivers.

Fit shelf and bracket to box prior to assembling tractor

As mentioned in the previous Assembly post, fixing these components has to be done prior to joining both boxes together. Paint the wooden shelf and bracket green to blend in with the rest of the interior.

Battery operated.  On/Off switch behind the wheel

Drivers, ready to start your engines? 

Steering wheel fixed into position

Great! Time to pootle on down to Westminster …