DON BULDHAUPT - SKILLED WOODWORKER BUILDS REPLICA FARM EQUIPMENT

Just over twenty years ago, Donald Buldhaupt moved from his farm into town. The life-long Lake Wilson resident spent a lifetime farming, including welding projects with his brother, but now Don needed something to do with his time. “I decided to work in my garage building things out of wood,” he said. And for twenty years, that’s exactly what he did! Two years ago Don moved to Pipestone and brought with him about thirtyfive of the over fifty replica tractors, farm equipment and construction vehicles he designed and built entirely out of wood. Don remarked, “Sometimes I use a little wire, maybe a nail or a small jewelry chain, but otherwise they are all wood.” This includes wheels, tracks and moving parts! “I often had to design my own tools to use. It was a learning process.”

Donald’s first project was a John Deere tractor. “I never used a kit, I just drew a scale model and kept the patterns. I made a few mistakes on this first one, so I made a second tractor to take its place.” Don added to his fleet with more John Deere equipment, Case, New Holland and Oliver. Most of his toys reflect equipment from the mid to late twentieth century; the equipment Don remembers his dad using and what he and his brother used. Don stated, “Each one is different and I just love doing this.” Though each piece presented its own challenges, he believes the first bulldozer he created was the most difficult, because the wooden tracks actually move. “The plows and wings are attached with a pin so they can be removed. All the cylinders move and the wheels tilt and turn,” he explained. The bright red rock crusher was one of the last pieces Don built. “I noticed a rock crusher sitting in a field near Fulda so I took some pictures of it and then drew the design.”

In addition to vehicles, Don built five dollhouses and barns which he gave to relatives. “My daughter Lynn helped with the dollhouses,” he said. “She helped with the decorating. In one of the dollhouses I made windows that would open!” Don estimates it took him about three weeks to make each of the replica toys, and often he used leftover wood from the trees his brother used to build furniture. Don said, “It’s nicer to use new wood. Most of the time I used ash and I painted them so they would look real.”

Though he has given away several of his projects, Donald is glad he’s kept many more. “In the morning when I wake up and look at my work I feel pretty proud. I even ask myself how I did all this!” Donald is proof that retirement isn’t the end of creativity, or learning, or even enjoying toys!

A special note of thanks to Bernice and Don Bose for their assistance in sharing this story about their friend.