I have this material (picture attached).
It's aircraft aluminum salvaged from a non-flightworthy hang glider by me a few years ago. It's really beautiful stuff. Very strong, very light.

I need for it to be shaped a bit more like this:



My current hurdle is that I don't have the capability of welding aircraft aluminum...so I may have to resort to bolt/rivet/plate joining.

You might want to talk to Donny (PKF nick WELDNGOD). He's made a couple of AL buggies.

ATB,
Sam

I am no expert but from what I have seen Auminium equals issues all round.

One of our locals made an amazing buggy with aliminum. He knows his stuff and yet has nothing but trouble with it. I know if he built another he would avoid aluminum for sure.

Also ask Skrewyfits about aluminum. Don't think he is out to do that again either?

If you want a buggy like the one in the photo you want stainless steel.

How much cash would that aluminum get you ?

@Bladerunner
Obviously the best solution would be to whip out the checkbook and hit the online store.

This is the 'what can I do/how good can I do with what I have on hand' solution. Remember...you gotta bring the spouse in slowly.

I think I can probably manage quite a bit better than some of the all-wood Jed Clampett models we've seen...

I'll get some pics , on my phone ,if that fails I'll get them on my camera and email you. Go to the gallery though and under buggies check out my "speed buggy". I've got 2 bugs completly different styles, both bolted and rivited , sail boat and hang glider alluminum.
I've used and abused my little one and nothing loose or broken yet. I take that back I broke the plastic back rest. I suppose I should set up a piccsa account and just post links . If I dont find a way to post pics put your email in your forum info , email I can do!

As the builder of the first photo (and current owner) I can say that you are looking for quite a job and although you have the tubing, that is only a fraction of what you will need.

Actually, the tubing is the easiest and cheapest to get. The biggest hurdle you are going to run into is the plates and having those designed and then cut out for you if you are not able to do that yourself. Once you get the plates cut out then you will need to find some machinist who can do some work for you - this includes the headstock and at least the rear axle bosses (unless you can fabricate those yourself). Then you will need to secure some square tubing for the down tube - or you could use your round tubing but that makes other difficulties such as how to attach your side rails and such. After that, you will need to get together a seat either by building one yourself or by contacting someone such as Buggybags or Van to build you one. It will need to be custom built to fit your buggy after you get the rails bent.

I haven't worked with Aluminum that much, but know that if the stuff in your glider was anodized or hardened, it will be a bear to weld up and that may cause some issues when welding it. Weldngod is definitely the one you need to talk to on that part.

A good place to start would be Popeye's buggy pages. That will give you a ton of hints and tips on how to build the buggy. Also, if you need any other info feel free to give me a call or shoot me an e-mail. I would be more than happy to help you out.

Pictures would be awesome.

The one thing I can't find are non-perspective shots of buggies. Everything is a 3/4 view. Straight from the side, overhead, the front, the rear. That will allow me to extrapolate the angles, steering head rake angle, etc.

Short of affixing the frame parts together (which looks like it will probably be bolt/rivet/reinforcing plates, I can manufacture everything else.

Here's a pic of some handles I just finished from a short stock of this tubing. The tubing started as a flat aluminum color. You'd be lol'ing if you knew what I rigged up to brush it.

Also my homemade harness, and temporary spreader bar I whipped up until my order from Angus arrives.

http://01f377a.netsolhost.com/7tp/pkf/handles.jpg
http://01f377a.netsolhost.com/7tp/pkf/stitching.jpg
http://01f377a.netsolhost.com/7tp/pkf/stitching2.jpg
http://01f377a.netsolhost.com/7tp/pkf/temp_spreader.jpg
http://01f377a.netsolhost.com/7tp/pkf/velcro_closure.jpg

Popeye's site has some killer info - plans, angles....everything. Head over there and grab a coffee. Loads to read through.

Popeye's Gaff

Quote:

Originally posted by macboy Popeye's site has some killer info - plans, angles....everything. Head over there and grab a coffee. Loads to read through. Popeye's Gaff

Thanks macboy...you may find THIS helpful too

Quote:

Originally posted by j0fer Pictures would be awesome. The one thing I can't find are non-perspective shots of buggies. Everything is a 3/4 view. Straight from the side, overhead, the front, the rear. That will allow me to extrapolate the angles, steering head rake angle, etc.

You should be able to find every angle you are looking for HERE, and HERE but nothing is as good as a set of plans, especially when they include the laser cutting files for the plate work, saves a lot of time and money in the long run

Well, the aluminum/aluminium is not going to work.
Got all the angles cut and fitted, looking good. But the tubing thickness is too thin. It's made to be strong in a straight line, supported by the cables/other components of a hang glider. No matter how sturdy you make the gusset or brace, I can tell the tubing would buckle under a load just beyond the end of the support.

No buggying for me.

Yet...

There are buggies for sale here pretty frequently. You can usually snap one up at a real bargain. Save some cash and get one. Believe me, you will be glad you did. If that is not an option, check out popeyes page and look at the home brew section. There you will find buggies made out of all sorts of materials. It doesnt matter how pretty the buggy is as long as it gets you moving and holds up to a load.

Two things: did you use a hole saw and grind the joints to a perfect fit?
did you epoxy and slam a hardwood dowel in the entire length of the tubing?
I built mine from the upright post of the hang glider approx 1" tubing not the wing tubes.
You're going to spend approx $150 for wheels with tires, stainless fasteners, misc hardwear , some form of seat, gas back and forth for the above. All this and its still experimental. For $150/200 more you can have a proven product delivered to your home and it comes with a parts supply network.
I'm spread a little thin but I'll try to post pics tonight.

concur, save your money then go custom with builders PTW, Van, Weldngod, or AWOC...................

aircraft aluminum is T6 alloy,it is heat treated.Therefore if you weld on it you destroy the heat treatment then it will become annealed(soften) and bend with relative ease. Unless you can postweld heat treat the whole frame,you need to use a5000 series alloy instead like 5083 or 5356
I think that I have proven that aluminum IS a viable option (having built 2 buggies and several tandem trailers from it ).
here is a pic of one of them,been riding it for several yrs. now with NO problems whatsoever. But it also weighs like 75+ pounds. I could beat a PL or flexi buggy to pieces w/ my alloy buggy. But it would be easier and cheaper for you to just make a steel one,if that is the route you wanna take.

jOfer, right now there is a PL XR on the fore sale forum cheep cheep cheep. Check it out. Buy this one and then use it as a teacher to build yourself a custom one.

Ok, I haven't given up on this. I realized I've been suffering from functional fixedness (which I remember from being fascinated by in school).

I studied and documented Popeye's designs and methods TOO closely, with the mental categorization of it being 'the right way'.
I was trying to build a buggy as close to 'the right way' as possible.
I'm back to realizing it doesn't have to look like a professionally built construction if it has me buggying for at least a few months.

so if you're really into being open-minded it might be worth checking out the land proa idea...i'm from a sailing background and love multihull proas (instead of tacking or turning through the wind you 'shunt' or change which end of the craft is the front...)

this looks like a pretty well built rig, but the seat is to windward for use with a windsurfer rig...but still some fabrication ideas to pirate..

http://www.proafile.com/view/magazine/article/palindrome_a_l...

this is a leeward seat kite sailing version but it's on skate blades
http://www.instructables.com/id/Traditional-Polynesian-Ice-C...

this is the jed clampet kite sailing wheels version with seat to leeward...this is the one to improve on..

http://www.instructables.com/id/Kite-Powered-Land-Proa/
just a thought...

I'd like to try one someday. At this point what I most prefer is the steering/drifting/skidding/forward-motion car racing type feel.

Crab buggy!

To me...seems like it just makes it very convenient to not watch where you're going!

"Look at the pretty kite..." WHAM!! :wee:

I haven't given up on this project...I just needed to step away.
Here are some pics of the "It'll be ugly, but it should work" plan.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/64585753@N04/5881458256/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/64585753@N04/5880897731/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/64585753@N04/5881458036/