Vintage Manufacture Diecast Farm Vehicles
Replica farm vehicles and trailers are made from a variety of materials to provide models that are used in many applications. Some farm toys, tractors, and vehicles are designed as children's playsets, others for promotional purposes, and vintage toys that are suitable as collectibles. John Deere, Ford, and ERTL are some of the manufacturers of scale model farm toys such as tractors, excavators, and plows.
What is the process of making diecast farm toys?The diecasting process allows manufacturers like John Deere, ERTL, and Ford to come up with toy tractor designs that include a lot of intricate details to mirror the real thing. A blend of zinc and aluminum, or zamac, is used in this process. However, a diecast scale type will have some parts that are made of plastic. What happens during diecasting is:
The metal alloy of zinc and aluminum undergoes heating at extreme pressure until it melts. This molten metal is then poured into a die and allowed to cool. The shape of the die determines the type of tractor or farm model that comes out when the process is complete.
Vintage diecast farm toys and vehicles can be made from a lead alloy or cast iron. Stamped metal is another option that you will find with classic vehicle replicas. ERTL is one manufacturer that features farm toys made from stamped metal.
What model scales are available for farm toys?Diecast farm vehicles come in a selection of scales that distinguish the size and modeling of products. When buying a John Deere or Ford tractor, trailer, or crane, you must know the right size toy or collectible to get. Note that the higher the denominator, the smaller the tractor or farm model.
- 1:64 - It is the most widely used size for farm toys among manufacturers such as ERTL, John Deere, and Greenlight. The scale is fairly big, therefore, it allows considerable details to be included in the replica.
- 1:18 – Used for large farm replicas of about 8 or 11 inches. Most manufacturers have a +14 age rating for products of this size, and they are suitable for collectors.
- 1:24 – This is a standard scale among many international replica toy makers. A farm toy of this size can be a collectible or a toy because a majority come with a +8 age limit.
- 1:43 – Dinky is the manufacturer that is associated with this scale, especially for vintage replicas. Toys measure approximately 3 to 5 inches.
Painting a replica farm vehicle or toy is one way to give it a unique appearance, but you must be able to strip the original paint properly for satisfactory results. The wrong products or stripping technique can damage the metal surface of your vintage tractor or farm toy. Begin by removing any decals if your diecast toy has them. Apply a paint stripper, and once the paint starts peeling off, scrub it gently with a coarse material like fine-grade steel wool. Instead of a stripper, you can soak the tractor or toy in mild antiseptic to remove the paint. After all the paint is gone, use wet sandpaper to polish your tractor. Apply a metal cleaner or polisher to give the metal surface of your tractor a shine.