Author Topic: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop  (Read 185985 times)

Graeme

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Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #425 on: 31 January, 2019, 03:05:37 pm »
A wall-of-death trike?

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #426 on: 10 March, 2019, 07:49:51 pm »
New master cylinders bought for the brakes, and brake calipers stripped and serviced.




The frame is also stripped...



...and chopped - actually we only had to cut 3 tubes as the other had cracked through  :o



That should give you a clue as to what we are building.  ;)

It's British Science Week this week, and our Junior school want to do somehing about energy, and asked me to make some pedal powered electricity generators. Here they are prepared for their assembly, set up to  power 12V 24 Watt lamps, or pedal powered Scalectrix.





The generator is a DC motor - the sort that would be used for a car radiator or heater fan - these were previously used on a small 'Robot Wars' robot that we made.



The meters show Amps, Volts and Watts being drawn (they are also powered from the bike), and also cumulative Watt hours.

 :smug:
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #427 on: 10 March, 2019, 08:33:21 pm »
Formula Student/Formula 24?
Miles cycled 2014 = 3551.5 (Target 7300 :()
Miles cycled 2013 = 6141.4
Miles cycled 2012 = 4038.1

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #428 on: 10 March, 2019, 09:08:36 pm »
Our lot are nowhere near up to bulding something of that standard.  :facepalm:
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #429 on: 10 March, 2019, 09:10:53 pm »
By the way, there's also alot of awkward stuff done, such as straightening a bit of left-hand-threaded bar, that is part of the track-rods, so that the adjuster screws along it again.  :smug:
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #430 on: 10 April, 2019, 10:51:02 pm »
I was able to have most of the day in the workshop for once, working on the quad project:

 The first job was to sort out a pair of brake pedals and rework the steering on the front end - the old steering column was bent and much too upright for what we want.

For this I need some square tube, 10mm rod and a scooter headset...



The 'forks' of the scooter were trimmed off and a plate welded on that matches the one on the old steering.



A 22mm hole was drilled (step drills are my latest favorite tool) through the scooter's 'Down-tube' and a cut made through it so that it fits onto one of the frame tubes:



1omm holes have been drilled in the frame so that a 10mm rod (threaded at each end) passes throgh the same tube - this forms the brake pedal pivots. The pedals themselves being made from square tube with bits of bent 10mm rod welded into them. The master cylinders bolt onto mounts welded on just above the brake pedal pivots:



The new 'scooter headset' steering pivot will be welded in once we are sure of the angle we want it...

If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #431 on: 10 April, 2019, 11:16:20 pm »
You may be wondering what is happening with the recumbent trike project...


...well, it had stalled for a while because the Windcheetah came along, and work threw up a few obstacles.

 I spotted something that may mean I can use some of the bits that were oringinaly intended for the homebuild trike - another damaged trike with a lot of work needed to restore it - this time a Trice  :o




It has a couple of holes in the frame...  :facepalm:




I happen to have a seat frame for the newer Ice trikes.
Unfortunately the mounts on the frame do not quite match with the newer seat.
Because it is a seperable frame I 'stretched' it a bit to make it fit...

...do I

    • hope to get away with the frame being 'stretched'?
    • Hope to get away with the frame being 'stretched' but add additional inches of tube to the ferrule?
    • Maked an adaptor to 'move' the seat-back mounting?






     :facepalm:
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #432 on: 17 April, 2019, 01:48:02 am »
Have a look on the ICE site for an idea for the seat fitting.

https://www.icetrikes.co/products/accessories/product/65-ff-seat-bracket

I'm sure you could make something similar.
That way the rear of the frame wouldn't have to be extended and it will also make getting in and out a lot easier.

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #433 on: 17 April, 2019, 07:39:23 pm »
I had seen those, although now I've looked closer, and can see how it works, that probably is the answer.

Annoyingly, I haven't been able to get in the workshop for a couple of days because of electrical checks.  >:(
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #434 on: 20 April, 2019, 01:35:24 pm »
Remember the Windcheetah?

When I made a new carbon fibre & Kevlar  seat, I patched the old seat shell up with carbon fibre tape and some kevlar patches. I had thought about applying a wrap to hide the repairs, but it is such an awkward shape, plus not smooth because of the repairs.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a Speedy on Ebay, with the answer to the vinyl wrap issues...

Sticker-bomb it!  :D

I took it out for the first time,with the original seat, today:






Like it or hate it?  :demon:
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #435 on: 20 April, 2019, 03:55:30 pm »
Nice solution!
And kudos for saving up that many stickers!  :thumbsup:

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #436 on: 20 April, 2019, 04:59:14 pm »
About £4.70 for 200 off of Ebay, and a couple of vinyl cut XnTRICK Cycles ones to cover it all.  ;)
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #437 on: 20 April, 2019, 06:24:41 pm »
BTW, I have previous for sticker bombing my bike - back in 1973, I covered the top tube of my ‘tracker’ bike with the little diamond shaped stickers from Maroc satsuma oranges, in a precise pattern 2mm apart...
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Mr Larrington

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Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #438 on: 21 April, 2019, 10:36:30 am »
Ah, Marc Lohez' Windcheetah  ;D  Now rehomed.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #439 on: 21 April, 2019, 07:56:22 pm »
I tried to take the Windcheetah for a 100 mile ride to watch the criterium racing at Fakenham. My recumbent legs weren’t up to it and bailed out at 80 miles dehydrated, with a numb tailbone and cramps.
A female roady said “Love the stickers!” When she overtook me on the hills around Castle Acre.   :D :smug:

Edit: Looking on Strava 'flyby', the roady was Mim, and got a 100 mile ride in from just North of Fakenham, to Cambridge, but looks to have got quite lost around the area I saw her.
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #440 on: 22 April, 2019, 09:13:14 am »
That looks fantastic.  A giant  :thumbsup: for the work you've done on it (and the sticker bomb is ingenious). :)

Marco Stefano

  • Apply some pressure, you lose some pressure...
Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #441 on: 23 April, 2019, 06:20:05 pm »
I tried to take the Windcheetah for a 100 mile ride to watch the criterium racing at Fakenham. My recumbent legs weren’t up to it and bailed out at 80 miles dehydrated, with a numb tailbone and cramps.
A female roady said “Love the stickers!” When she overtook me on the hills around Castle Acre.   :D :smug:

Edit: Looking on Strava 'flyby', the roady was Mim, and got a 100 mile ride in from just North of Fakenham, to Cambridge, but looks to have got quite lost around the area I saw her.

Shame; I rode from near where you stopped (Whissonsett) to Fakenham and a loop round on the way back with a mate. Cheese toasties, ice cream and an interview for an Instagram feed (I think), plus scarily fast cornering & racing. Apologies, I wasn't wearing a YACF jersey for advertising purposes.

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #442 on: 27 April, 2019, 08:50:24 pm »
Okay,

Back to that Quad-bike project...

Frame extended...



...and converted to a 'sit-in' rather than a 'sit-on' vehicle.



Mock-up steering wheel for sorting out steering column angle & length, next time the drivers are in the workshop.



 :smug: :smug: :smug:
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #443 on: 11 May, 2019, 01:44:32 pm »
Hopefully more updates next week - I havent been remembering to take pictures.  >:(

In the meantime, can you guess what part these bits are going to make for it?  :demon:

If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #444 on: 11 May, 2019, 07:56:22 pm »
Okay...

As I'm getting no reaction, lets see if a photo of a cardboard mock-up gets any bites:



 :demon:
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #445 on: 13 May, 2019, 09:35:33 pm »
As nobody tried guessing: the curved bits of metal welded together to make a steering wheel:

  :smug:

Today I was trying to fill and bleed the front brake system. I think I may need to reconfigure it as I think there is air in it that I can't purge.  >:(



BTW, in case you haven't guessed, we're making a soapbox (gravity racer). The School has done a soapbox race event for the last couple of years. I'm doing this project with a group of Year 9 students  :D



Because we is in the Fens, there isn't enough of a hill, so there are sections of the course where pushing is included, thus the push handle.  :facepalm:

If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #446 on: 13 May, 2019, 10:38:49 pm »
That looks cool. It reminds me of a Technic Lego car I had when I was about 12! :)

Kim

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Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #447 on: 13 May, 2019, 11:06:01 pm »
That looks cool. It reminds me of a Technic Lego car I had when I was about 12! :)

I remember lusting after that.

fuzzy

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #448 on: 14 May, 2019, 11:08:46 am »
Soap box carts aint'nt what they used to be......

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #449 on: 25 May, 2019, 12:04:36 am »
No progress on the soapbox racer this week (apart from a session with students working on the bodywork) because I had to diagnose and fit a new (£350) fan to the extractor unit of the laser cutter.  :o, and we started A level project work.  ::-)

This meant I had to find and build equipment for the students - like this model wind tunnel:  :D





I did get some time today to work on the soapbox today.
Still trying to purge air from the brakes.  >:(
Been working on it, messing about with brake fluid, for about half an hour, when I realise the white shirt I grabbed from the wardrobe this morning, and am wearing is an Armani one.  :o :o :o :o :o :o :o  :facepalm:

Good news, the back brake seems to be working.  :smug:

If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...