After much thought and much time looking over Poeye the Welders site I have started to make my own bug.I am hoping to get some advice/ ideas from the
buggy gurus here.
I pland to use mild steel because of cost and I am confident my of welding abilities with it.
Side rails will be 1" .095 wall. With pool noodles for padding
Axel 1 1/2" .095 wall, not sure how wide yet.
Down tube will be 1 2/2" x 3" .120 wall box tube.
Forks 1" tube with 3/16 x 1" flat stap, with 3/16 x 1" attached for foot peg holders and reinforcement. I plan to mount the front wheel through the 1"
tube with 3/4 tube inset through the 1" perpendicular to the forkks with a 5/8 bolt going through it as an axle.(hope that made sence)
Seat will be a homemade version of a Libre.
I would really value any insite you guys may have.
Thank you
Big Earl - 5-7-2009 at 09:13 PM
sorry Popeye for the typo!heliboy50 - 5-7-2009 at 09:58 PM
Sounds like you have a good idea of where you are going with it. What type of riding do you want to do (freestyle/jumping, cruising, speed, etc.?) I
built mine for speed (eventually) and my rear axle is 64.5" wide, not counting the round black things on the ends. I used 2"X3" rectangular tube for
the swan neck, 1.5" schedule 40 for the rear axle, and 1" schedule 40 for the rest. I have a new set of wider forks in the works (wider for a big
foot tire set up) that will use 1.5' pipe. If you plan to ride on anything other than a very hard surface, I would build it to take BF tires (fork
spacing of at least 10".) Hope this helps, and welcome to the forumBig Earl - 6-7-2009 at 09:03 AM
I plan to use it for speed/ cruising, but the feild I ride in most of the time is a bit small.heliboy50 - 6-7-2009 at 09:07 AM
Wide and low.:wee: The BF tires I plan to use are Nankang N800's (21 12 8) on golf cart wheels (thank you for the info on this setup Screwyfits) with
4 on 4 trailer hubs. I have it on wheel barrow tires and rims now, but they provide a little too much drag on grass and soft sand is a no-go. (wow
2 edits in one post- gotta' quit doing this when I'm tired.)Big Earl - 6-7-2009 at 05:26 PM
Yeahhhhh, Finished the down tube, forks, foot pegs, and head set! and it only took 7 hours
Sand-Yeti - 6-7-2009 at 09:22 PM
Well done & looks good and strong.
I would not have left those sharp pointy edges on the ends of the forS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s foot peg & wheel mounting plates.
I would have rounded them off. In the event of an OBE, you never know if you might get stabbed on one of those sharp corners.
I build my buggies from mild steel as well but not for cost reasons. I have have had less problems with fatigue cracking on M.S. than on stainless.
I have tried different protection on the mild steel.
Zinc coating works well but after a short time, it turns a very boring grey colour.
The other protection that I have found works well is powder coating. You need to have the base metal properly prepared before applying it.
The cheapest option for a good lasting finish is to use a decent primer (I use a red oxide paint), then finish off with a
high quality epoxy paint. You mix this with a hardener & have to apply it fairly quickly (before it starts to harden). It can be a pig if you are
using a compressed air spray gun as it can plug up the gun if you don't apply the paint fairly quickly.
Just my 2 cents for what it's worth.Big Earl - 7-7-2009 at 09:56 AM
I think I will round off those sharp edges. Have you looked into having buggies chromed, or plated with nickle or the like?
Thanks Sand-Yeti!Big Earl - 7-7-2009 at 05:58 PM
O.K. I got the seat sewn up. I used about 10" of velcro instead of buckles. I strapped it into my Libre and jumped on it, it held! Sewed up the side
rail covers too.
This is better than therapy, I love it:wee:
shehatesmyhobbies - 8-7-2009 at 06:43 AM
Looks good so far, man I wish I could weld!Big Earl - 8-7-2009 at 03:20 PM
It's starting to look like a buggy. I got the axle cut to 62", side rails bent and welded to the connecting plates, pool noodles on and covered. I
think The frame may be too wide, the seat looks all spread out and too shallow. Will have to see how it fits when the wheels are on.
Big Earl - 8-7-2009 at 09:15 PM
The side rails were too wide. I thaught of using a racheting tie down to pull them together. Bad idea! all that did was bent the axle, Straightened
that out on the bender. I ended up cutting the side rails off their monting plat, taking off the noodle and cover, rebending them, replacing the
padding, welding them back to their plates (without melting the padding). Then cutting the mounts off the axle, moving them closer to center by 1
1/2". It seemed to work, not sure thugh it is getting pretty dark.
Thank you all for your interest and input!Sand-Yeti - 8-7-2009 at 10:04 PM
Looking good Big Earl,
Chrome plating is expensive. Unless your are into bling , then I wouldn't bother. I think a nice powder coated buggy can look better than chrome
dependent on your choice of colour.
Have you thought about a backrest? I suggest you clamp one to the rails behind the seat. That reduces any additional stresses that will be incurred
if you were to weld a back rest on . It will also allow you to adjust the backrest position. Naturally, you would need to pad the backrest.
Backrests make buggying so much more comfortable but not suitable for freestylers though.Big Earl - 9-7-2009 at 06:45 PM
At long last the buggy is ready to test! Hope I don't get impaled!
Could someone tell me about the bf's on golf cart wheels, Screwyfits, Heliboy are you out there?
heliboy50 - 10-7-2009 at 03:15 AM
Golf cart wheels are 7.5" X 8" with 4 on 4 lug spacing (I got 3 from the grounds keeper at an apt complex for free.) 3 Nankang N800's are about $140
shipped from http://www.atvtires.net . They are 21 12-8's. This is the set up that Screwyfits uses with custom made hubs. I found utility trailer hubs for
$30 each with bearings (1" ID.) Very nice job on the buildBig Earl - 11-7-2009 at 10:16 AM
No wind for testing yet but maybe Sunday. In the mean time I took Sandyetis advice and put a back rest on. I can't stop messing with it. I have
ordered a spring shock for front suspension, probablely like Popeyes leading link suspension.
Thanks Heliboy for the info!
popeyethewelder - 11-7-2009 at 10:43 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Big Earl
No wind for testing yet but maybe Sunday. In the mean time I took Sandyetis advice and put a back rest on. I can't stop messing with it. I have
ordered a spring shock for front suspension, probablely like Popeyes leading link suspension.
Thanks Heliboy for the info!
Well done Earl, I haven't commented, but have been watching your progress with interest, you have made yourself very nice looking buggy there, one to
be very proud of and I am sure it will run perfectly...its the old saying....if it looks right, its a pretty good bet it is right.
Send me a good photo of the finished buggy, and I will add it to the Home brew page
I like your approach on the back rest. Looks comfortable! Nice build.heliboy50 - 12-7-2009 at 09:07 PM
Hey the golf cart wheels are 8.5-8 (not 7.5-8.) My bad. Also, some my have an offset- not insurmountable but something to be aware of.Big Earl - 13-7-2009 at 05:18 PM
I got to do a bit of testing in the buggy today! It was a bit warm today, 111 at the feild I was at with 12-15 mph winds. Thats pretty good wind for
here.
So here it is.... Nothing broke so thats a good start, the ride was GREAT very smooth and felt solid. Turning was nice, good turn radius and that too
felt smooth and solid. About half way through the session I had to adjust the seat up as tite as it would go so my butt did'nt drag. I'm not sure if
the seat slipped or if the side rails are too thin and bent. they are .095 wall 1" tube, I have sone .120 wall 1" to remake them with but I hope I
don't have to. The back rest needs to be attached a different way, it slipped down near the end of the ride, but it was comfortable before that. All
and all It turned out pretty sweet!
I'm sure it won't be long before buggy #2 is in the works
Thank you all for the great compliments and advice! Big Earlheliboy50 - 14-7-2009 at 02:07 AM
The schedule 40 pipe that I used on mine is like 5/32 wall (.156) but my design is rather non traditional. I would adjust your seat to where it is at
the proper height and then temporarily mark the straps to see if it is slipping. Also maybe take ride height measurements before and after your next
session. Again, very nice work.Big Earl - 14-7-2009 at 07:55 AM
The side rails did bend. I think I will remake them with .188 wall.Big Earl - 14-7-2009 at 08:15 PM
Back to the workshop, Remade the side rails out of shedule 40 1" I.D. I forgot to put the pads and sleeves on before I welded it together so I will
have to make new side rail covers with a velcro seam, tomorrows project. The old ones were sewn together and had to be put on before one end was
welded up. This thing is never ending, There is always something that could be a little better or might work better if I did it this way or that.
Does anybody know of a better padding material than pool noodles? They get thrashed by the seat straps.heliboy50 - 15-7-2009 at 02:30 AM
I used the large diameter noodles (they are like 5"+ across) but I had to core out the center to get them to fit the pipe. Hot knife long ways, then
a piece of pipe with a bevel heated up and run down the middle. Fit to the frame and completely encased in about 10 miles of electrical tape ( this
compresses the foam and seems to help it stay in place.) Velcro on covers over the top. I have one part that moves around a little (messed it up
when I cut it) but it is down near the clamp for the swan neck so it doesn't bother me. When I asked for advice on this same subject, pool noodles
were the consensus choice. The other option was pipe insulation but other builders have found it not dense enough. Get used to the never ending
thing- I went to NABX and brought my buggy home, and cut it about 60% apart and redid it with out even having ridden it yet.Big Earl - 15-7-2009 at 05:52 PM
Like I said, I can't stop!!!
The shocks I ordered came in today and well, I couldn't help myself.
kitemaker4 - 15-7-2009 at 06:07 PM
I use duck tape over the poole noodles.
Susan (npw goddess)WELDNGOD - 22-7-2009 at 05:40 PM
pretty work there, Earl. powdercoat it! welcome to the forum . WGBig Earl - 22-7-2009 at 05:46 PM
Thanks W.G. powder coating is next. Anybody have an idea for the color?WELDNGOD - 22-7-2009 at 05:59 PM
avoid dark colors(solar heat) and make it bright(high vis for safety) THey can make any color you want nowadays.Sand-Yeti - 23-7-2009 at 01:03 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by WELDNGOD
avoid dark colors(solar heat) and make it bright(high vis for safety) THey can make any color you want nowadays.
Agree with WELDNGOD on this suggestion. I powder coated mine white. It's a boring colour but good against the heat.heliboy50 - 23-7-2009 at 03:15 AM
Eyeball searing yellow.Big Earl - 23-7-2009 at 12:54 PM
Thats what I was thinking. yellow frame with the black pads, bumble buggy.I could sew yellow stripes on the seat
I like it, hehe heheliboy50 - 23-7-2009 at 03:02 PM
I could make you a super bee logo sticker for the swan neck. Do it do it do it.....Big Earl - 23-7-2009 at 04:43 PM
your on heliboy50. It won't get done untill late august though.awindofchange - 23-7-2009 at 05:24 PM
Yellow rocks!!!
Big Earl - 24-7-2009 at 02:24 PM
Yellow it will bee!
WELDNGOD - 24-7-2009 at 03:38 PM
it will look like a "yellow jacket" ( type of wasp ). AD72 - 25-7-2009 at 12:02 AM
Looks like my old 5.7 Peter Lynn Waterfoil heliboy50 - 25-7-2009 at 11:21 PM
Freakin' Sweet- no missin' that one (BE's seat or AD's PL.) loud is good.Big Earl - 27-7-2009 at 10:24 AM
The saga continues.........
Bag on the back, It hold 2 kites and all the buggy tools. I made the backrest adjustable and changed the angle of it.
shehatesmyhobbies - 28-7-2009 at 02:01 PM
Dude you are definitely getting creative! Coming along great!Big Earl - 7-8-2009 at 12:43 PM
The bearings that come in the wheel barrow wheels is already wearing out in only 4-5 sessions. I guess I will be buying and installing persision
bearings. So far thats the only problem with the buggy. I'm lovin the front suspension!heliboy50 - 7-8-2009 at 08:30 PM
Right on- I was expecting trouble with these bearings too, but so far so good, even on beach sand. When I get my hubs, they will have better ones in
them. I am just waiting for paint to dry and final assembly on my BF set up. Home made hubs will work for now, but they aren't very true. You think
the fine desert dust got to them or were they just dry to begin with? Yeah they are cheapies, but I would have expected them to hold up longer than
that.Big Earl - 8-8-2009 at 08:34 PM
They were dry, I didn't even think to check that, live and learnBig Earl - 8-9-2009 at 07:23 AM
I think it's done?
Yellow frame, new pads, rear suspension, persision bearings.
popeyethewelder - 8-9-2009 at 10:42 AM
Well done Earl...thats really a nice looking buggySCREWYFITS - 8-9-2009 at 10:52 AM
Sweet!!! nice job!!! it's addicting for sure!!!Big Earl - 8-9-2009 at 11:54 AM
Thanks Popeye, That means alot coming from a Titan like you.heliboy50 - 8-9-2009 at 01:47 PM
Still want the super bee sticker? shoot me you addy if so. Looks greatSCREWYFITS - 8-9-2009 at 04:40 PM
Hope that bad boy makes it to "NABX 2010" it should run good out there...stephenwebb90 - 8-9-2009 at 05:21 PM
im thinking of building my own buggy this week, something vaguely similar to your own.. using front forks from a bike for steering and probably modify
it a bit to fit a wheelbarrow wheel. The only issue i have, how have you fitted bearing to the wheels? and then fitted the wheels to the rear axle?Maven454 - 9-9-2009 at 02:57 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Big Earl
I think it's done?
Yellow frame, new pads, rear suspension, persision bearings.
What happened to the yellow stripes? I liked them.Todd - 9-9-2009 at 04:26 AM
Super Sweet! Close-up pictures of the rear suspension please!Big Earl - 9-9-2009 at 07:17 AM
stephenwebb90 - The wheelbarrow wheels come with 2 bearings each, I removed the ones it came with because I didn't grease them and they fried,
replaced them with persision bearing of the same o.d. The wheels are attached to the rear axle via a 5/8 bolt and a tapped insert welded inside the
axle. Check out popeye the welders page, it is super helpful!
Maven454 - The yellow stripes are on a removable seat cushion, still have em.
Todd - you got it
Big Earl - 4-10-2009 at 03:02 PM
So, had the first day out with the rear suspension, It sucked! Lots of chatter in the turns, worked pretty well going straight. I think if I reaf down
the spring adjustments and make them super stiff that will help. At least I hope so! It was sweet before I added the suspension.heliboy50 - 4-10-2009 at 03:30 PM
Still a great lookin' ride. Popeye talked me out of rear suspension when I was building mine. Flexiblade got rid of it too- I'm pretty sure that
several builders opt for camber adjusters instead. I think the tendency is to unload the inside wheel in the turn to point that it hops. I totally
spaced you super bee stickers- I'll try to get done in the next couple of days (sorry 'bout that.)
