Drewculous - 17-7-2009 at 03:06 PM
So, the windless days have me down, and i think im gonna try my skills at a buggy...
Ive found a pile of square tubing here at work, it just needs cleaned and should be good... its covered in stylish red oxide primer... I have a pile
of nylon webbing i can use for the seats, and a parts drawer full of various bearings. I was planning on using some tires from some wheelbarrows we
sell (i can get them really cheap, and they are pretty stout to boot)
My welding skills, well suck, lol... My crowned jewel is a smoker i made out of a 55 gallon drum and some angle iron... But yea... i felt like this
would be another chance to hone some skills before actually dolling out money for materials i'm, more than likely, gonna screw up.
Ive spent hours reading over popeye's page, and i think i have a feel for the basic design of the bugs... it made me feel better to see some of the
homebrews out there that arent as primo as most of popeye's... The one with the wood plank axle is the best, haha!
So before i begin cleaning all this scrap, any tips from the masters?:puzzled:
awindofchange - 17-7-2009 at 03:12 PM
Just plan everything you can out first, and then double check it with the plans as you go. This will save a lot of "re-doing" things later. Good luck
and make sure to let us all know how it goes.
Big Earl - 17-7-2009 at 03:41 PM
I agree, draw it out actual size when possible and make all your pieces fit your drawing
acampbell - 17-7-2009 at 04:41 PM
measure with a micrometer, mark it with chalk, cut with a hacksaw, beat to fit, paint to match.
If you have the geometry, you have most of it. Since you are in the building supply business you have an economic advantage over many. All those
juicy scraps...
let us know...
Kamikuza - 17-7-2009 at 05:06 PM
Have you seen Popeye's pages? Trawling through there, is a ton of good info and ideas ...
"Measure twice, cut once" 
stetson05 - 17-7-2009 at 11:53 PM
I wonder if the one with the wood plank axle is mine. You laugh but it worked
Drewculous - 18-7-2009 at 07:45 AM
got the rear axle all cleaned and cut last night... only had like an hour or so to work on it... I have a good plan for the back end and the seat, but
the downtube / front wheel assy kind of worries me.
I figure, since it is a seperate part, i can still plan it in my head while i knock out the back end. I have the upper half of an old barrel hand
truck that the bottom end boke, that i think i can rig up to hold a wheel. Its like a perfect U shape and everything, just need to cut up some plate
to make the brackets and they should fit well...
My old man is a crazy good woodworker, and the measure twice, cut once, is like his lifelong motto... so i think that shouldnt be too big of an issue
here.
Thanks for the input guys, ill post some pics when i can
::Woohoo!! Just talked to one of my customers that does steel buildings and metal fab... he said i can have all the scrap i want from his shop! I
hope theres actually some useable stuff, but at any rate im gonna go stock up on supplies! I asked him if he wanted to help, but he and his crew are
going out of town for like a six month project in Oklahoma... hope for good stuff, hope for good stuff, hope for good stuf...:singing: