Life-Like Dinosaur Built In Farm Shop

Life-Like Dinosaur Built In Farm Shop AG WORLD Ag World 22-3-24 Kids are both scared and fascinated by the big electric-powered mechanical dinosaur Roy Steichen built for the fun of it. "It was just something different to do," says the Ulen, Minn., farmer. "I had the time and I had the scrap materials on hand. I built it in my 100-ft. long Quonset hut and the whole project took about a year." The Tyrannosaurus Rex stands 12 ft. tall and measures 28 ft. long to the tip of the tail. Built on a frame made of 4 by 4's with castor wheels on each corner, the dinosaur's body consists of 1/2-in. dia. silo bands with rebar running lengthwise along it. It's covered with canvas painted purple and white. "I started using roofing tar on the head, but, after five gallons, found out it was too heavy so I switched to canvas," Steichen says. "The gearbox out of a Maytag wringer-type washing machine mounts in the head and turns it from side to side and also opens and closes the mouth. The gearbox out of a rototiller mounts in the belly and raises and lowers the arms and moves the tail from side to side. The entire body is turned by a hydraulic cylinder attached to the legs." The dinosaur has teeth made out of swather cutterbar sections and Steichen sprays water out its nose using an air compressor and hose. A tape recording of "wild beast" sounds playing inside the dinosaur completes the illusion. When unveiled recently, Steichen had a person dress up like a lion tamer to "tame" the creature. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Roy Steichen, R.R. 2, Box 12, Ulen, Minn. 56585 (ph 218 596-8624).

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