A bit of fun - Karts finished!

[jadboog]

Hi all, another good day building the second kart. Made this one a little smaller, but put sides on it so we could go with a pirate ship design that one of the kids did.

WIP (part 1):

1. Fitting the axle

2. Adding the wheels

3. Securing to scaffold board

4. Tapering the top end for the front axle

5. My 'hot poker' for the steering bolt.

6. Bolting it down

7. Base of the cart complete

8. Seat added

9. Starting the laminate sides!

10. Top brace for sides (will eventually support front push rods)

TBC

 

[jadboog]

11. Adding a front brace

12. Adding a post for front sides, planed roughly to match the angle of the front point

13. Adding the front sides - what a botch!

14. Progress so far today

15. Insides

16. Kart along with some window boxes we built for a local pub

And now over to you.... I'm looking to see if we can get a steering wheel on this one. I was thinking of putting a bar through the centres as below, drilling through it to allow rope to tie each side of the front axle, thereby twisting the rope and turning the wheels when you turn the bar (with steering wheel attached) - not 100% sure though - any suggestions ?

 

[Baldhead]

I like Will's idea of a steering bar, but these things tend to oversteer horribly...

... If you make it a parallelogram (rather than a trapezoid) - in other words with the connecting links angled (towards or away from each other) rather than straight, you'll introduce some 'gearing' to the steering. I'd go for slightly more foot movement = less wheel turning. Put blocks on the ends of the foot bars, so feet don't slide off in a crisis!


E.

I think your explaining "The Ackerman Principle"

How can I remember something from a lesson on motor vehicle technology at college in 1976, yet I can't remember the jobs my wife told me to do before she went out this morning?

I have 3 grandchildren, you have got me thinking its time I made them a cart!

Lons, I too used the "Hot Poker" method to burn the hole in the planks, I remember running through the house after leaving the poker in the fire in the front room until it was cherry red, ah those were the days.

Now where will I find an old "Silver Cross Pram" I need some big wheels for the back axle.

BH

 

[TJ79]

jadboog These are wonderful, the MK 2 is looking wonderful so far!

 

[Boatfixer]

Would it not be better to have the steering pivot point in front of the axle? I would have thought that it would make the steering less twitchy.... But I may well be wrong!

 

[jadboog]

Boatfixer - thanks, we've tried it front of the axle on Kart 2, so will be able to compare.

Both carts are nearly finished, will be painting / decorating this weekend - ready for the race next weekend!

 

[jadboog]

Karts finally finished for the big race tommorrow!

The first was done up as a pirate ship:

The second we are dead chuffed with we did up as a dragster - got my mrs to do the decals on her vinyl cutter, dead chuffed. This was the original prototype which we shortened - as ever, the first prototype turns out better than the second but hey-ho, we're pleased:

 

[Graham Orm]

Excellent job! Swop you a go of my bike for a go.

 

[DavidBlaine]

Karts are actually the first thing I ever made out of wood when I was a child. I wish I had some pictures but my design was very similar to yours.

David

 

[Baldhead]

Nice carts, are you going to post a video of the race?

BH

 

[Orcamesh]

Cracking work! I've been trying to lure my teenage son away from his addiction to computer games, i.e. get him to make one and use it! I've given up, there obviously is no life beyond the monitor...

 

[John51]

For those having trouble finding wheels, alwayshobbies do wheels and axles:

http://www.alwayshobbies.com/components ... s#q=page.0

 

[DTR]

Briliant :mrgreen:

Dare I show this thread to Doris? She's bound to want one :-k

 

[jadboog]

Well, not too bad. The pirate ship came 8/9 and the dragster game 3/8 - must be something to do with the flames. It's been a fun project - looking forward to starting it all over again next year!