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Sight unseen
By Eugene Blake He walks to the wall where tools are hanging and selects the correct wrench. His hands slowly move over a casting, seeking the nuts that fasten it. Fingers check for rust pits on the sheet metal of a styled model "B." Next they feel for the oil and grime that might indicate a leaky seal. These actions might seem common for anyone restoring old John Deere tractors. But what's uncommon is the fact Bob Sherrard is blind. Sherrard is the victim of a degenerative, genetic disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa. Among Bob's early symptoms was night blindness which resulted in his "wearing out a jillion flashlights." In the first grade he got a pair of glasses but only wore them for a year. At age 18 eye wear became necessary. For most of his life he was able to function almost normally as his vision slowly deteriorated. He farmed, operated a construction company, fished, and drove a vehicle until 1985. Because unprotected exposure to sunlight accelerates the disease, he has worn dark glasses with side protectors for over 20 years. Today, at age 75, the only thing he can see are the fluorescent lights illuminating his shop. The shop, located in an 75-year-old stone barn, is so neat and clean it would put most restorers to shame. A blind mechanic can't have tools and old parts lying around to trip over. As nuts, bolts, and small parts are removed, they're placed in cans, shallow cardboard boxes and his pockets. Lines are painted around each tool hanging on the wall over his work bench--not for Sherrard, but so his grandsons know where to put them back. When he uses tools and sets them aside for a moment, he must remember their location. Memory and feel compensate for the lack of eyesight. Finger tips replace eyes. But those trusted fingers are starting to wear out and lose sensitivity. In recent years he's overhauled a John Deere H and an International harvester F12. Sherrard says that finding his way with the to-be-restored machinery is a matter of just knowing what needs to be done. "I know how things are supposed to be," he says. "I used to be a fast worker, but I've learned patience." He's not even afraid to take a carburetor apart. For him the most difficult part of an overhaul is replacing the gaskets. He gets his trusted son-in-law, Alan Brennan, to assist with them and with other tasks requiring vision, such as reading manuals and transporting their latest acquisition to the shop. Although Alan helps a lot, Sherrard is quick to state, "I don't ask him to do anything I can do." But when the steel ball from the steering wheel positioner on his MT fell out and rolled across the concrete floor, finding it was up to Brennan. One of the things Brennan says he really admires about his father-in-law is how he can hear whether an engine is running like it should. Some restorers are happy just to get a tractor running. Sherrard is more particular than that. On his early restorations Sherrard was assisted by a retired mechanic, Francis Glenn, who marveled at what Sherrard was able to accomplish. With Glenn's declining health and eventual death, Sherrard became more self-reliant. When a tractor is nearing completion, Sherrard does the preparation work (filling and sanding) and turns the painting over to a helper, Danny Youngers. Sherrard's grandsons, Andy Brennan and Mike Long, who are handy with a spray can, do the smaller paint jobs. Greg Stephen of The Old tractor Company, Franktown, Colo., is a favored parts supplier. Sherrard says, "He's a nice guy, fun to talk to, and quite knowledgeable." Sherrard and Brennan belong to the Kansas and Oklahoma Steam and Gas Engine Club and have taken part in its annual show at the fairgrounds in Winfield, Kan. The tractors they've restored may not meet all the standards of highly dedicated restorers. For instance, stands have been mounted behind the seats so Sherrard and his grandchildren can ride even though he can't drive. But most of his rebuilt tractors are in good running condition. Sherrard grew up on a farm, like many restorers, and learned a lot helping his father, Ellis. He drove a team made up of a horse and a mule--the source of much frustration and some good stories--but preferred their 1927 John Deere D. The Sherrards used it to plow wheat fields. There weren't any hydraulics to lift the plow so they went round and round rather than back and forth. In 1945, Ellis started doing construction work--lathe and plaster and, later, masonry with stone and cement block. Bob helped his dad with this just as he did with the farm work. After graduating from high school in 1949, Bob farmed with a favorite 1937 John Deere B until 1955. Apparently the tractor came out on steel and had cut-offs with a slightly smaller rim size than most B's. He was proud of how it would pull a 12-foot spring tooth harrow in third gear. As his father before him, he needed to augment farming income and began laying block. Eventually, he established Bob Sherrard Builders and specialized in constructing residential and small commercial buildings until his retirement in 1988. Bob was accomplished in all the building trades and particularly enjoyed helping families build new homes. His wife, Betty, observed, "He would tell his employees exactly what to do and how to do it. And it had better be done that way." Like most restorers Sherrard didn't stop after finishing his first tractor. Recently, he acquired a 1928 John Deere model D--like the one he drove when he was growing up. The D was purchased from Charlie Dugan of Green Ghost Antique tractors in Leonardville, Kan., and came from Nebraska. It was on steel but Sherrard replaced the lugs with "parade rubber." The D has no muffler, just a pipe pointed slightly forward. It has two gears--slow and slower. The original finish is good enough Bob has no plans to repaint it. His next older tractor is a 1937 model B, he purchased at an auction in Emporia, where over 100 antique tractors were sold. He also has a 1945 John Deere H with electric start and hydraulics. Sherrard purchased it from Lloyd Bills of Arkansas City, Kan. It's been overhauled and the main bearings replaced. It was difficult to find a replacement crankcase oil line. Sherrard's latest acquisition is a 1950 MT with a single front tire and a three-point hitch. The hitch was no doubt added some time after the tractor was manufactured. It was purchased from Mike Schnuelle of Blair, Neb., but originally came from Texas. The "before" pictures bear little resemblance to the "after" product. One of his newer John Deere tractors, which is still in use, is on the verge of becoming an antique. It's a 1020 loader tractor with a three-cylinder engine that came off the assembly line in 1972. Bob Sherrard isn't a John Deere purist. He's been known to "mix colors." Some of his restorations aren't even tractors. His non-green projects include a 1936 International harvester F12, a 1945 Allis-Chalmers C, a 1945 Dodge half-ton pickup, a 1941 Chevrolet two-door sedan, a 1948 Studebaker two-ton truck with 10-foot box and lift, and a 1958 International half-ton pickup. Bob has recently acquired two 1950s era John Deere s he's restoring--an R Diesel and an AR. Although some work remains to be done, both are now in running condition. It's remarkable to observe how Sherrard has dealt with his blindness. He's not let it defeat him. Much courage, determination, and perseverance are required to develop touch, hearing, and memory in order to compensate for the loss of sight. Other than his sight, Sherrard's health is good. But retirement, for whatever reason, leaves one with the question, "What am I going to do with my time?" Sherrard's answer has been to replace construction with the challenging hobby of restoration. Sherrard confesses he's not done restoring John Deere s. "I'm looking for another one to play with." Date: 7/25/07
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