Now retired in Swift Current, Danny Hawken used to farm in the Rowletta district, northwest of Moose Jaw.
Being an innovator like so many Saskatchewan farmers, Hawken used his spare time restoring old cars and such. Some of his work was on display at the Sukanen Threshing Bee.
A mechanic, self-taught welder and self-taught machinist, he re-created a John Deere D tractor and a hammer mill to chop feed on one-quarter scale.
Then he built a John Deere “clipper” combine, one of the first combine threshing machines to come out.
The scale models, built from parts he made, operate like the real machines. “I’ve put grain through the combine. It’s slow but it works.”
“It took me about five years after supper” to build them.
His creations also include a million dollar 9570 RT John Deere tractor and another similar model.
One of his restored cars, a 1925 Hudson, was in the Sukanen Museum car parade. “I restored it to honour my son Kelly.”
His grandson Tyler now has the car.
Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
