Ken Klettke tackles Challenges

​By Fred Hendricks
Note: This feature is in the Sept. TF 2019 issue

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Ken Klettke was in a pinch to complete a farm display and could not find suitable components, so he built his own.
"I was looking for well-built silos for my home farm display. I wasn't able to find the quality 1?16 scale models I wanted, so I started building them. After the project was complete, my brother saw the models. He asked if I would build some 1/64 scale models for his display that he sets up at toy shows. My brother's friends saw his setup and asked if I would make some for them. So I started making more and selling them at farm toy shows. It mushroomed from there and as they say, the rest is history," Ken indicated.
At first, Ken was reluctant to take on more complex projects, but he was nudged on. "Bob Heath and Bud Wall are two friends with extensive scratch building experience. They saw my work and thought I was pretty good at it. They encouraged me to keep building," he shared.
Ken launched his custom endeavor by building 1/64 and 1/16 scale model silos. As requests came in, he began crafting 1/16 scale field equipment. And with time, the equipment became more complex. Ken noted, "Naturally, collectors wanted models of equipment they worked with. Some of those created real challenges. But, I learned to adapt anc build according to their desires."

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