This is Matt's project, he was an incredibly talented individual, we all miss him. He was building this for the challenge of doing it, as I recall it started as a Cad Plans design that sort of evolved as he built it. According to my sister he was near completion and was trying to complete a small 3 axis CNC machine he was building and wanted to use for manufacturing the instrument panel for the tractor. His failing health over the last few years had a huge impact on getting his projects done. The desire was there but the body couldn't make it happen. He always was building stuff, he was a commercial diver for many years with his own company. One of his early projects was a steel salvage barge that he built in their driveway in Bellevue, much to the entertainment or horror of the neighbors.
Some of his more notable projects as a diver were salvaging the Corsair from Lake Washington that now fully restored graces the Boeing Museum of Flight, disposing live bombs that had been jettisoned by planes near the old navel airfield there. He also did anchor cable cleaning and inspection on the Hood Canal floating bridge (using a mini submarine that he built from a bare pressure hull).
He was a kind individual who would always try to help those less fortunate than he. He was a rather rabid conservative who loved a good political argument, which led to some fairly entertaining family get togethers as the rest of the family is pretty liberal. Despite that we all loved him and have very fond memories. Matt and my sister raised two daughters who are fine young ladies, his oldest is in the navy and works at ONI (lieutenant commander, I think), the younger is a special ed teacher in her second year of teaching.
