Build A Motorized Mountain

80 SCIENCE and MECHANICS

By V. LEE OERTLE

HERE'S the going-est buggy a fellowcould want. It's wilderness transporta-tion to delight the heart of the amateur

geologist, weekend prospector or straight-out sportsman who's looking for ruggedwheels for rugged terrain. It can be built forabout $300 more or less—depending on howmany used parts can be substituted for newones—and a few weekends of work.

Your First Step will be to draw a full-size cardboard pattern for the Goat's frame.In doing so certain dimensions, especiallyregarding clearances, should be borne inmind. These include the size of the tires,wheels and engine; the space the drive chainsand sprockets will require to clear the frame;and your own individual requirements forspace and comfort.

The tires will be your biggest expense,running roughly $120, with wheels, for threecomplete ready-to-go units. The three tiresused on the Goat are Goodyear Terra-Tireswith bolt-on flanges (Fig. 1). These aretubeless jobs that operate at air pressures offrom 1 to about 15 psi, depending on theterrain. They enable the Goat to claw its way

MARCH, 1963 81

FIG. 5: Jack-shaft is section of1" kart axle keyed to acceptsprockets. Note self-aligningbearings on the bearing hangers.

FIG. 7: Split-axle power train permits more ground clearance under frame.Also, the Goat wi l l keep going if one jack-shaft-to-wheel chain breaks.

FIG. 6: Bearing hangers for jack-shaft bolt to slotted braces sohangers can be moved up ordown by loosening four 1/2" bolts.

over sand, mud, snow, rocksand other obstacles thatwould stop other vehiclesdead. Tire size for the Goat:16x12—6R.

When you have madeyour engine-compartmentmeasurements on your pat-tern you can estimate theGoat's overall length by sit-ting down on the pattern atthe point where the seat willbe situated and drawing upyour legs to a comfortableposition. Then mark the spot behind yourheels and add 2 in. to allow room for theseat-back cushion. Overall length of the Goat,including the front wheel, probably will be75 to 85 in., which is average.

Kart parts can be used almost exclusivelyto make this type buggy. Standard-size partsare quite cheap. Buy your materials from a

FIG. 8: Clamp piece of floor steel to frame to check 45° turning angle.

local kart shop or through a mail-order houseand you'll save money.

Frame. The frame is made of 1015-gradecold-rolled steel tubing having a wall thick-ness of .083 to .120 in. with an outside diam-eter of 1-1/2-in. Instead of being all-welded itis bent to shape following the full-sizepattern.

82 SCIENCE and MECHANICS

FIG. 9: Weld 16-gauge-steel floor to frame bottom.Install crosswise so that scrap pieces can be used.

Check out your sketch by sitting down onthe pattern and trying to visualize the loca-tions of steering tiller, seat back and wheels(Fig. 2). If the sitting position seemscramped, extend the front radius a little. Andmake sure two persons can sit within thesides of your pattern. Then take the patternto a tube bender.

The cost for the frame-bending job willrange from $15 to $25. The recommendedmethod for bending the frame is to have itbent up in two sections, then joining the sec-tions with a welded joint at the front of theframe and another at the rear (Fig. 3).

After bending, check your frame againstthe original pattern (Fig. 4) for any varia-tions that may have resulted. Don't worry ifthe dimensions are not precise (you canallow for some error in both length andwidth). The important thing is to make surethe frame is aligned correctly fore and aft sothat the Goat will steer and track properly.

Superstructure. Any Goat you build willrequire a superstructure to support the seatsand arm rests. This can be bent from smallertubing, such as 1-in. cold-rolled steel, thenwelded in place.

Gear Ratios. To calculate your gear ratiosdivide the number of teeth of the clutchsprocket into the number of teeth on thejack-shaft sprocket; for example: 12 into 36equals a ratio of 3:1. Do the same with thejack-shaft-to-axle sprockets; for example: 12into 60 equals a 5:1 ratio. Now multiply theclutch ratio by the axle ratio, as: 3:1x5:1equals a 15:1 ratio—the same as was installedon my own Goat. However, I recommend agear reduction of at least 20:1. This wouldrequire the following six sprockets: (1) a

FIG. 10: Brake and throttle control rods are 1/4" steel.Connector plates permit offsetting these controls.

CONNECTORPLATES LEAD

CONTROL PODTO BRAKE

12-tooth sprocket on each end of the jack-shaft; (2) a 60-tooth sprocket on each rearaxle; (3) a 48-tooth sprocket on the jack-shaft; and (4) a 12-tooth sprocket on theengine clutch.

Drive Chains. The jack-shaft-to-wheeldrive chains should be #40s. The engine-clutch drive chains can be #35s.

Jack-Shaft. The jack-shaft (Fig. 5) is sim-ply a section of old 1-in. kart axle. Such axlesare already keyed to accept standard sprock-ets and brake systems. Use standard self-aligning axle bearings to support the jack-shaft, and bolt the flangettes onto standardbearing hangers. The latter can be made ad-justable using the simple sliding-bracketarrangement shown in Fig. 6.

Split-Axle Power Train. By using a pairof stubby axles instead of one long one theGoat will have greater ground clearance andfewer projections (Fig. 7). The parts neededfor one rear-axle assembly include axle, nut,flangettes with self-aligning bearings, lock-ing collar and chain sprocket. The axles aresuspended in the self-aligning bearings which

(Continued on page 120)

MARCH, 1963 83

Build a Motorized Mountain Goat . . . . (Continued from page 83)in turn are supported by flangettes, the latterbolted through steel bearing hangers weldedto the underside of the frame.

Both rear wheels have 1/4" x 1/4" keys cutinside the flanges to permit keying to theaxles. The rear-axle sprockets are also keyedto the axles so that when the jack-shaftrotates, a drive chain turns the powersprocket. Both rear axles are "live"; that is,they rotate with the wheels. The front wheel,on the other hand, turns freely in 3/4-in.pressed-in bearings.

Steering. To determine your ground-clear-ance requirements place the frame atop someboxes at the desired height to see where thefront wheel will go (Fig. 8). When position-ing this wheel, clamp a piece of floor-pansteel temporarily to the underside of the

MATERIALS L I S T -MOTORIZED MOUNTAIN GOAT*

MISC.Other parts incl. clutch, steel-disk brake assembly, floor pan (16-ga.sheet steel), self-aligning bearings (8—with hangers), flangettes,gussets. controls and pedals ($10), and frame bending and weldingcharges.* Design of the Mountain Goat is such that considerable leeway isafforded the builder in making innovations. For that reason thisMaterials List need not be considered mandatory, since additions,such as transmission, bumpers, etc., may want to be made by indi-vidual builders.

frame to be sure there will be enough clear-ance to permit the wheel a 45° turning anglein both directions.

Make the U-shaped front-wheel yoke fromthe same l-1/2-in. tube stock used for theframe. Flatten out the end of the yoke's U anddrill holes through each to take, say, a 3/4-in.axle. Now chop off a length of kart axle (withkeyway) and weld this onto the top of thecenter block welded to the yoke. This piece ofaxle stock will ride in the neck of the steeringsleeve. The sleeve can be of any heavy metalhaving a minimum wall thickness of .125 in.with an inside diameter of 1 in. It is weldedinto position on the forward end, or exten-sion, of the frame.

The tiller handle can be bent of 1-in. cold-rolled or chromoly tubing, preferably thelatter. Weld a 2-in. piece of steering-sleevetubing to the base of the tiller so that it canbe slipped over the yoke shaft. Use set screwsto tighten it on.

Engine. Four-cycle engines provide thebest power in the low-gear ranges. Geareddown to 20:1, a 7-hp Briggs & Stratton millwill drive the Goat, with two people aboard,up anything short of a 45° grade. At thisratio you'll get about 10 mph on hard flat-lands and roads.

Jack-Shaft Bearing Hangers are weldedto the 1/8-in. steel plates forward of the en-gine mounting plate. A slotted brace (Fig. 6)under the hanger allows the jack-shaft tobe moved forward or back by loosening four1/2-in. bolts. This adjustment is necessary forthe fitting, adjustment and removal of thedrive chains.

Floor Pan. Fabricate the floor pan fromstandard-width 16-gauge steel. Run the stripsacross the bottom of the frame (Fig. 9), weldthe seams and weld the edges to the bottomof the frame's tubing. By running the floorpan across instead of lengthwise you can getaway with using narrower scrap pieces andavoid having to buy extra-wide sheet steel.

The Connectors to brake and throttle con-trols can be lengths of 1/4-in. steel rod. Weld2-in. steel connector plates onto the ends ofthe rods to allow offset connections to be ledto the desired control. Simple gussetswelded to the frame serve to anchor the rods.Also be sure the rods turn freely inside pre-drilled holes. The brake-rod installationshown in Fig. 10 is activated by a foot pedal.

Now slap on a coat of primer paint andtake your Goat out for a test run through thecountry. You will find that your Terra-Tireswill take you over the sandiest terrain with-out bogging down. The front-wheel steeringshould give you excellent control with lightarm pressure. And you will discover thatyour little 7-hp plant has all the spirit youcould desire. •

V"

120 SCIENCE and MECHANICS

Amount Size & Description

. FRAME30' (approx.) 1015-grade, l ' / 2" od cold-roll steel tubing25' (approx.) 1" cold-roll steel tubing (superstructure)

hardware, pipe suppliersTIRE-WHEEL UNITS

3 Terra-Tires (with wheels) size 16x12—6RGoodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Akron, 0.Geneva Wheel Co., Geneva, 0. ($38.69 per unit)GP Enterprises, 152 Huntington Dr., MonroviaCalif. ($19.95)

ENGINE1 Briggs & Stratton, 7-hp, 4-cycle power unit

SPROCKETS2 12-tooth for each end of jack-shaft2 60-tooth for each rear axle1 48-tooth for jack-shaft1 12-tooth for engine clutch

kart shops, mail order housesREAR AXLES

2 split-axle power trainDRIVE CHAINS

2 #40s for lower-end installation2 #35s, clutch-to-jack-shaft

kart shops, hardwareJACK-SHAFT

1 used kart axle with keyway; 1" dia., 3-4' longkart shops

STEERING1 front axle; short section of 3/4" kart axle1 front-wheel yoke; l-1/2" cold-roll steel tubing1 tiller; 1" dia. chromoloy tubing (steering handle)

kart shops, hardwareCONTROLS

1 brake control; 3/8" dia., 16" long steel rod1 throttle control; 3/8" dia., 16" long steel rod

kart shops, hardware

How to build a vehiclethat will let you ride incomfort where even walkingwould be difficult—

Wheeled

By V. Lee Oertle

THE one place it makes no senseto drive this handy little vehicle ison the road. When the load ends,

it comes into its own. Unload its 200pounds from station wagon or trailer,crank up the geared-down, 4-1/2-hp. en-gine, and it'll carry you just about any-where you want to go—through countrylanes, cow pastures, swamps and bogs,over out-of-the-way beaches, or deep intothe desert.

New fat tires are the secret of its go-anywhereness. They're a full 12" wideacross the tread, 16" in diameter. Thisbroad, flat footing gives the buggy asure grip wherever you go. For sand orsoft earth, you carry only two pounds ofair in each tire. Where you need greatesttraction, fill them with water to addweight.

Goodyear dealers can order the Terra-Tires for you at about $35 each. Priceis expected to drop. Wheels are availablefrom Hadco Engineering Co., Los An-geles, Calif., or from Geneva Wheel Co.,Geneva, Ohio.

Gelling ready to roll. The two rearwheels are keyed to a 1" axle. 60" long,to provide a wide tread for stability onhills. The ends of the axle are shoulderedto 3/4", threaded and slotted for the keysthat lock the wheels in place.

The front wheel is mounted on a yoke—as on a tricycle. The three wheels stayin contact with the most uneven ground,eliminating any tendency for the frameto twist. The single front wheel simpli-fies construction and handling.

Chalk the outline of the frame on asmooth floor, and sit down where you'vedrawn the seat. If the dimensions given

Three-The

DesertScout

LOAD THE BUGGY into a stationwagon to carry it over the road.A couple of two-by-fours serveas an unloading ramp at road'send. A sprocket-and-chain drive(below) steps up the 4-1/2-hp.engine's torque, enabling it tohaul two people with ease.

don't suit your leg length, tailor thebuggy to your size by making the sidemembers shorter or longer.

Starting the buggy. Cut the framepieces from rectangular steel tubing. Fitthem together on the floor, mark them,and take them to a welder. It cost meonly $18 to have the frame expertly heli-arced together. The seat back, armrests,

rear-axle bearings, motor-mounting plate,and jackshaft supports were also weldedin place at this time.

On a second visit, I had the floor pan,steering sleeve, and bushings for thebrake and throttle arm welded to theframe. These had been cut and fitted be-tween visits to the shop.

I also had the welder bend the front-

MOUNT REAR WHEELS on axle and check insideclearance before cutting frame parts. Rectan-gular steel tubing was chosen for maximumrigidity, but round tubing could be used.

SIMPLE TILLER steers front wheel. Sleeve iswelded in vertical position to front of frame,braced securely with steel gussets. Telescopingsteering arm fits over tiller shaft.

wheel yoke from a length of husky 3/8"-by-2" hot-rolled .steel. I held the 1" tillerrod in position while he butt-welded it tothe center of the yoke. A steering arm ofl"-i.d. steel tubing is pinned to the tillerwith a bolt and wingnut. Bolt holes spacedat intervals along the tiller permit ad-justment of steering-arm length.

The 1" tiller rod turns in a sleevewelded through a hole in the front of the

frame. Bearings were setscrewed to therod at each end of the sleeve.

The front wheel rolls on sealed bearingspressed into the hub. It is mounted on a1" axle bolted across the open end of theyoke.

Adding the horses. Any four-cycle en-gine in the 4- to 7-horsepower class willdrive the buggy efficiently. I found a goodused 4-1/2-hp. engine for $50.

JACKSHAFT between the engineand rear axle allows fast chang-ing of sprockets to suit a varietyof operating conditions. Diskfor the caliper brake is alsomounted on this shaft.

SPLIT-AXLE SPROCKETS speeddrive-ratio change-over. Seg-ments of various diameters bolton hub keyed to axle. Twosprockets can be mounted onhub for use with double chain.

CALIPER BRAKE, sold in kartshops, stops disk on jackshaft,effectively braking both rearwheels. Short linkage actuatedby a hand lever at side of buggyoperates the calipers.

FLEXIBLE CABLE connects throttle control to car-buretor. Compression spring slipped on cablebetween housing and linkage returns carbu-retor to idle when throttle is released.

TO CUSHION ANY JOLTS that aren't absorbed bythe pillow-like tires, thick foam rubber padsthe seat and back rest. Cover foam with plasticor other durable upholstery material.

FOR ROUGH GOING, tires can be filled with wa-ter. Use a tractor's valve fitting attached to agarden hose. The extra weight provides greatertraction and reduces bounce.

A shoe-type clutch could be used butmight overheat when pulling over looseturf and sand. A fluid clutch canbe bought from Bowlus Engineering,Pacoima, Calif.

You can run drive chains direct fromthe clutch to the rear axle, but this isn'tadvisable. The use of a jackshaft providesmore flexibility in setting up drive ratiosand lets you mount the brake clear ofsand and water.

Kart shops stock a variety of caliper-type brakes. Some work mechanically andsome are hydraulically assisted. I chosethe mechanical type for simplicity—anarrow disk about 5" in diameter that ismounted on the jackshaft. When thebrake is applied, a caliper squeezesagainst the disk.

Riding soft. To absorb the shocks ofdriving in rough country, doublesprockets and a double-row No. 35 chainwere used on the jackshaft and axle.These I obtained from Bug Engineering.Irwindale, Calif. Single sprockets andchain were used between the engine andjackshaft, since the fluid clutch smoothsout much of the impact.

By varying the number of teeth on theaxle and jackshaft sprockets, you can geta wide range of drive ratios. For flat ter-rain or beach sand, a 10:1 ratio will pushthe buggy along at about 18 m.p.h. Forclimbing and rough-country use, a 20:1ratio will provide all the power you need;but top speed will be between 8 and 14m.p.h. Even though speed is reduced, theextra power allows more fun. It's likedriving a bulldozer. You feel that no ob-stacle can impede your progress. Toachieve this ratio, I used this combinationof sprockets: 13-tooth on the engine. 36-tooth on the jackshaft, 10-tooth on theoutput end of the jackshaft, and 72-toothon the axle.

Making it go. Controls are simple andcan be operated with one hand. Pushdown on the lever—or pull it up—to applythe brakes. Twist a motorcycle-typethrottle on the end of the lever to gunthe engine. The fluid clutch automaticallyengages and disengages the engine fromthe drive train.

A guard mounted over the sprocketsand chain is good insurance against acci-dental injury, especially over roughground. This could be quickly shapedfrom thin plywood or hardboard. • •

Midget Sidecar for Junior's Sidewalk Bicycle

TO SEAT BOLT

CONSTRUCTION OF

Here's a simple bicycle sidecar that is bolted to the bicycle at three points and can be attached or detached in a few mo- ments. Besides carrying a passenger, the sidecar is handy on a newspaper route or for delivery of packages. The simple frame is made of 3/1-in. conduit, bent and welded SHEET XLE FASTENED

together, while the body is assembled by screwing a piece of sheet metal onto dupli- and a t the same time provide good solid cate wood sides. Two \\rood cleats screwed surfaces for attaching the body to the frame to the underside of the bottom give rigidity with conduit straps screwed in place.

Jig Aids in Truing Bicycle Wheel When Tools Are Limited The cyclist or owner of a small shop who

wants to true or stripe a bicycle wheel oc- casionally, but does not have the equip- ment, will find this little jig the solution to his problem. In use, the wheel is clamped in a vise by the spindle, and the jig is at- tached to the edge of the bench. In it can be held a small block for truing the wheel, or a brush for striping it.

Bicycle Handlebar Has Reflectors One boy who used his bicycle a t night

put red reflectors in rear ends of the han- dlebar grips in addition to a large one on the 'ear fender. To install the rcflcc- tors, rear ends of grips are cut out, l e a v i n g e n o u g h mbber at the out- ,, side to serve as a retaining edge.

BYGEORGEJONES

Recapture the romance of the horseless

carriage era! Be the man who owns one!

IT has been 63 years since the great-granddaddy ofthis bright-red 1901 Packard roadster purred its

way down America's roadways. Our half-size versionshould bring a twinge of nostalgia to MI's senior read-ers—and delight the younger set.

Under the tonneau (that's the rear-deck lid, son)there's a modern two-hp gasoline engine with chaindrive direct to the axle. Speeds up to 15 mph are pos-sible. Designed to carry two youngsters in comfort, thecar also is sturdy enough to haul two adults. Right-hand steering (as in the early days), an automaticcentrifugal clutch, a foot brake and hand accelerator atyour fingertips make operation of the vehicle a breeze.

It was on Aug. 13, 1898, that James Ward Packardpurchased the 12th car built by Alexander Winton. Onhis trip home to Warren, Ohio, some 50 miles from theWinton factory in Cleveland, the car broke down. Theincensed purchaser returned to the factory to complainabout his lemon and Alexander Winton told him, "Ifyou're so smart, Mr. Packard, why don't you build a

120 Mechanix Illustrated

PACKARD

HALF-SIZE

121

FRAME is cut from angle iron and weldedtogether upside down. Front and rear axleand spring assemblies are bolted in place.

COMPLETED chassis and running gear withthe brake pedal, brake rod, pedal-returnspring, engine and drive assembly in place.

RIGHT front wheel detail shows steeringassembly—shaft, pitman arm, perch weldedto axle, drag link, tie rod and ball joints.

car yourself?" History has recorded theresults.

The first Packard was sold in January1900. Almost immediately the reputa-tion of Packard was secure. "Ask theman who owns one" became a house-hold phrase.

We hope the building of this replica1901 Packard roadster will recapturefor you some of the romance and excite-ment of the horseless-carriage era.

The body is made of plywood, theframe of angle iron, with a minimum ofwelding. You can purchase such hard-to-make parts as wheels (aluminumcast—16x1.75 with semi-pneumatictires) and hub caps, steering wheel,pillow blocks (one-inch Fafnir), balljoints and brake (Mercury strap). Theother parts, for the running gear, re-quire but a small amount of machining.Most of the construction can be ac-complished in the home workshop.[For a price list of parts and informa-tion as to where they are available, senda stamped, self-addressed envelope toGeorge E. Jones, Box 1243, MagnoliaPark Station, Burbank, Calif.']

Construction begins with the frame.Have your steel supplier cut the two siderails and three cross members to lengthfrom 1/8x1.5x1.5"angle iron.If youhave a home welding outfit, you can, ofcourse, do all the welding yourself.Otherwise, have a welding shop do thejob for you. Lay the side rails upsidedown on a flat concrete surface or weld-ing bench and butt the cross membersagainst them. With all corners square,tack-weld the joints and check the line-up, then finish the welding.

Make the front axle and appendagesnext. The yokes for the spindles aremade from flat, hot-rolled steel. Cutthem to length and bend to shape in ametal vise. Drill the half-inch king-boltholes in the yoke ends. Weld the yokesto the axle tubing, centering the yokeson the axle ends and parallel to eachother. Weld the perch detail 3/16 x1-1/2 x 2-1/2" h.r.s.) to the axle.

In making the spindle assemblies, notethat the right-hand spindle arm has two5/16" holes drilled in it and the left onlyone. Weld the wheel spindles (5/8x2-1/2in. cap screws ) to the spindle bodies at

122 Mechanix Illustrated

HALF-SIZE

PACKARD

October, 1964 123

HALF-SIZE

PACKARD

right angles to the spindle arms.Cut and thread the drag link, tie rod,

brake rod and brake support. Weld thepitman arm to the steering shaft. Insertthe studs in each end of the steeringshaft and lock them in place with rollpins. Bolt the ball joints to the spindlearms and assemble the spindles to theyokes with 1/2 x 4" hex-head bolts andlock nuts.

Bend the parts for the spring assem-blies in a metal vise. This work can befacilitated by clamping a steel bar or a2x4 to the end of each piece for moreleverage. Drill the necessary mountingholes in the front spring assembly andbolt the two front spring sections to-gether with 3/8" bolts. The rear springsare made in two pieces and welded to-gether at the ends. Drill mounting holesin the top sections where the springs willmount to the frame. Drill two more holesin the bottom halves of the springs formounting the pillow blocks later.

Drill mounting holes in the frame andattach the front and rear springs. Mountthe front axle to the front spring withone-inch U bolts and shackles. Thesecan be purchased at most hardwarestores. Make sure the spindle arms arelined up parallel to the frame before youtighten the U bolts. Install the tie rodand one end of the drag link.

Cut the rear axle from one-inch steeltubing and pin the 5/8" threaded stubaxles in the ends of the tube with 1/4"roll pins. Weld the drive plate to theright-hand end of the axle to drive theright rear wheel.

Now would be a good time to paint therunning gear—a flat black finish. Paintthe wheels at this time, too—either goldor bronze.

Assemble the brake adapter and slipit onto the rear axle. Slip a 36-toothsprocket onto the axle; also the two one-inch Fafnir pillow blocks. Mount therear springs to the pillow blocks andlock them in place.

BODY for half-size 1901 Packard is madefrom half-inch plywood, glued and screwedat all joints and then clamped overnight.

SEATS are plywood upholstered with one-inch foam-rubber covered with black Naug-ahyde and trimmed with half-inch edging.

1901 PLATE, taillights and headlights areoptional with builder. Note steering-shaftsupport, which is mounted to the dashboard.

STRIPING of the body and fenders can bedone neatly by masking off 1/8" stripeswith tape and then brushing in white enamel.

124 Mechanix Illustrated

Mount the front wheels, cinchingthem on the spindles with lock nuts.Back the nuts off one-quarter turn fromthe snug position so the wheels revolvefreely. Adjust the ball joints on the tierod to give about 1/16" toe-in to thefront wheels. The left rear wheel, whichis the free wheel, is put on next. Theright rear wheel is the drive wheel andwill require two 1/4x20 tapped holes init to correspond to the hole pattern inthe drive plate. Bolt the wheel to thedrive plate. Snug the wheel with a jamnut as described. Tap on the hub caps.

The engine mounting plate is madefrom 1/8". hot-rolled steel. Make thecutouts and elongated bolt holes anddrill the corner hanger holes. The fourhangers can be formed in a vise and thenbolted to the frame and the plate.

The jack shaft is a length of 5/8"-diameter cold-rolled steel keyed for a3/16" square key. Mount the pillowblocks (these can be purchased fromSears, Roebuck) onto the engine mount-ing plate, then insert the jack shaftthrough the bores and install thesprocket on the end of the shaft. Mountthe clutch on the engine shaft and po-sition the engine (two-hp, four-cycle)on the mounting plate but don't tightenthe bolts yet. Fit the drive chains sothere is about half an inch of slack, thentighten the engine-mounting bolts andthe pillow-block bolts.

Mount the brake support on the un-derside of the right rear spring and se-cure it through the eye of the brakestrap. Next, mount the brake rod itselfto the strap of the brake. The other endof the brake rod will be hooked to thebrake pedal after the body has been in-stalled.

The fenders can be molded from fiber-glass or rolled from 22-gauge cold-rolled steel. The eight fender bracketsare bent in a metal vise. Paint thefenders glossy black. Mask them withtape and stripe them with white enamelpaint.

Cut all panels for the body from half-inch plywood. All joints are held fast bywood screws and waterproof glue. Cutthe foot-pedal slot and drill the steering-shaft clearance hole in the floorboard.Attach the [Continued on page 143]

MI PLANS SERVICE

More than 140 tested plans {or boats,furniture, models, photo equipment,telescopes and other projects are offeredby the MI Plans Service. For a copy ofPlans Catalog No. 15, send a dime toMI Plans Service, Fawcett Bldg., Green-wich, Conn. 06830. The Half-Size 1901Packard plans are offered by the PlansService at $3 per set as Plan No. 10-64.

October, 1964 125

Half-Size 1901 Packard[Continued from page 125]

seat top and hinge the tonneau lid to itwith brass hinges. Add trunk-type latchesto secure the lid when shut.

Upholster the seat and backrest withone-inch foam rubber and cover with blackNaugahyde. The seat cushion is removable,but the backrest is attached permanentlyby the two back braces and the arm rests.Paint the back braces and the arm restswith glossy black enamel and set them

[Continued on page 144]

I

Half-Size 1901 Packard[Continued from page 143]

aside to be attached after the body ispainted.

Go over the entire body, filling thecountersunk screw holes with plasticwood. Sand all surfaces smooth and coatwith a filler. Then paint the body with anundercoat and finally with bright redenamel—two coats, sanding and dustingbetween coats.

Attach the body to the frame withquarter-inch carriage bolts. Insert the footpedal through the slot in the floorboardand mount it to the brake spacer attachedto the frame. Attach a return spring to thepedal and the other end of the frame cross-member. Attach the brake clevis to thebrake rod and then to the brake pedal, ad-justing the tension to get a positive returnaction. Next, attach the tube-and-wirethrottle control (purchased from your en-gine dealer), attaching the wire to thecarburetor, according to the instructionspacked with each engine. The other end isattached to the throttle-control handle(similar to lawn-mower control handles)mounted on the seat side near the driver.Secure the conduit to the underside of thebody with conduit clips.

Bend the steering shaft support to shapeand drill the one-inch clearance hole. Paintthe piece, let it dry, then mount it to thedashboard panel. The steering shaft, whichis painted gold, is slipped from the under-side of the floorboard through the clear-ance hole and secured to the perch with alock nut, allowing the shaft to turn freely.Attach the free end of the drag link to thepitman arm. Install the steering wheel andsecure it with a half-inch acorn nut. Drillthrough the slot in the cast aluminumsteering wheel to allow for insertion of aroll pin to secure it to the steering shaftand prevent it from slipping.

Attach the fender brackets and thefenders, allowing about a four-inch clear-ance above the wheels. Headlamps andother accessories may be attached as youdesire.

Now for the official trial run of your1901 Packard. Make sure all nuts and boltsare tight. Fill the engine crankcase to theproper oil level, gas up and start the en-gine. Adjust for idling speed so it will

de-clutch when you release the handthrottle. And away you go!

You and the kids will have years of en-joyment with your 1901 Packard. Be theman who owns one! •

144 October, 1964

Build it to scale:

THE SCIENCE & MECHANICS half-size an-tique truck with its 2-hp, 4-cycle gaso-

line engine makes a really sensational toy fora youngster. It will carry Junior around thelot at a brisk 13 mph, yet will come to asafe and sure stop when he pulls back on theold-fashioned hand brake. And there'senough room for Sis to tuck into the seatbeside him too.

The frame is welded steel-angle stock; thebody is plywood, Masonite and white pine.A small amount of machining is required tomake some of the chassis parts. To give thetruck a more professional appearance, thewheels, hub caps, steering wheel, pillow

blocks, brake drum, ball joints and fenderscan be purchased (see Materials List at endof article).

Frame. Construction begins with the frame(Fig. 1). While ordering the steel angle forthe frame, have all the other steel cut thatwill be required for the truck.

The frame consists of two side rails of1/8-inch steel angle measuring 1-1/4 x 1-1/4x54 inches, and three cross members each17-1/2 inches long. Use a framing square tolay the frame rails and end pieces squarewith each other, then clamp and weld. Theover-all outside dimension of the frame willbe 18 x 54 inches. (Turn page)

A. A boy's dream come true.Note old-fashioned hand brake.

B. Basic units: chassis, cab, ra-diator, seat, stake body, fenders.

C. Chassis with brake handle,engine mount and steering unit.

D. Close-up of ball-point steer-ing, hand brake and accelerator.

E. View of engine in place withdrive leading to left rear wheel.

APRIL. 1965 63

m SCIENCE & MECHANICS

APRIL, 1965 65

S&M's Antique Truck

F. Top view showing the clutchand chain arrangement, sprock-ets, jack shaft and pillow blocks.Engine is a 2-hp Briggs & Stratton.

G. Mercury strap brake and brakeband in position on the right rearwheel. Adjustment is by clevis at-tached to handle and brake rod.

H. 10-tooth sprocket on clutch to36-tooth sprocket on jack shaft;12-toofh sprocket on jack shaftto 36-tooth sprocket on rear axle.

The four axle hangers (Fig. 1) are madeof hot-rolled steel stock that can be bentcold in a vise. The rear hangers are shorter inheight than the front hangers to compensatefor the pillow blocks. Mount the hangers tothe frame with 1/4-inch roundhead stovebolts.

Axles. The spindle yokes for the frontaxle are made of 1/4x1-1/4-inch hot-rolledsteel bent to shape in a vise. Drill the 1/2 -inchking bolt holes in the yoke ends. The frontaxle is 1-inch-diameter steel tubing 20-1/2inches long. Weld the yokes to the tubing sothey are centered on the tube ends and par-allel. Clamp and weld this assembly. Drill the1/2 -inch hole in the perch, then place it in thecenter of the axle at a 27° angle from the

horizontal plane and weld it.The spindles are identical except that the

right-hand spindle arm has two 5/16-inch holesfor mounting the drag link. Weld the wheelspindles (5/8 x 2-1/2-inch-long hex head bolts)to the spindle bodies at a 90° angle to thespindle arms.

Make the rear axle of a 24-inch-long pieceof 1 -inch-diameter steel tubing and pin the5/8 -inch-diameter stub axles in the ends of thetubing with 1/4 -inch pins. The stub axles aresimply 5/8-inch-11 hex-head bolts 5 incheslong with their heads sawed off. They extend2-1/2 inches outside the tubing to make anover-all axle length of 29 inches.

Machine the drive plate (Fig. 1) from a{Continued on page 92)

66 SCIENCE & MECHANICS

APRIL, 196567

S&M's Antique Truck

(Continued from page 67)

I. Sheet metal or Fiberglass fenders shouldclear top of the tires by about 1-1/2 inches.

J. Rear view of the completed truck pointsup faithful reproduction of original design.

piece of 3/16-inch hot-rolled steel turned to a3-inch diameter and with a 1-inch hole boredin the center which will provide a slip-fit forthe rear axle. Drill the two 1/4-inch holes inthe plate 180° apart, then weld the plate tothe left side of the axle and flush with theend of the tubing. Weld inboard on the axle,because the outside face of the plate mustbolt flush to the drive wheel.

Fabricate the brake adapter and drill thetwo 1/4-inch set-screw holes, then transferthe hole pattern in the brake drum to thebrake-adapter plate and mount it to the platewith four 1/4-inch hex-head bolts.

Now proceed with the following sequenceon the rear axle (Fig. 1): (1) slip a lockingcollar and then a 1-inch pillow block onto theaxle and slide it toward the drive plate; (2)slip on the 36-tooth sprocket (1-inch bore);(3) slip on the other 1-inch pillow block andlocking collar; and (4) slide the brake drumassembly onto the axle with the adaptertubing pointing toward the center of the axle.

Position the rear axle assembly so that thepillow blocks are in line with the rear axlehangers. Mount the pillow blocks to thehangers with 3/8-inch hex-head bolts andnuts, centering the axle for length. The brakedrum and 36-tooth sprocket are positionedlater.

Mount the front axle to its axle hangerswith 1 -inch U-bolts and shackles. Center theaxle for length with the yokes at 90° anglesto the frame. With the two axles thus mount-

ed, the wheelbase of the car should measure38 inches.

Complete the front axle assembly bythreading the tie rod and drag link ends with1 inch of thread on the ends. Screw the balljoints to the ends. The spindle bodies areheld in place in the yokes with 1/2 x 4-inch-long hex-head bolts (king bolts) and locknuts. Attach the tie rod to the holes in thespindle arms, and the drag link to the re-maining hole in the right-hand spindle.

Paint the frame before putting the wheelson the axles. Spread on a coat of metalprimer, finishing with a coat of flat blackenamel. Paint the wheels with bright redenamel.

When the paint has dried put on the frontwheels and lock nuts, with the lock nutsbacked off 1/4 turn from the snug positionso the wheels revolve freely. Tap the hubcaps into place. The front wheels should haveabout 1/16-inch toe-in when properly mounted.

The right rear wheel is the free wheel andis put on next. The left rear wheel is thedrive wheel. Slip this wheel onto the axle,then transfer the screw-hole pattern from thedrive plate to the wheel. Remove the wheeland drill and tap it for two 1/4-inch -20tapped holes. Put the wheel back on andsecure it to the drive plate with two 1/4-inch-20 hex-head bolts. Tighten the lock nut intoplace, then tap on the hub cap.

Brake assembly. Make the brake bandarm (Fig. 1) and mount it to the right rear

92 SCIENCE & MECHANICS

axle hanger. Thread the ends of the brakerod, then put a 2-inch-long, 90° bend in oneend. The brake handle is a piece of 3/16-inchhot-rolled steel bent to shape in a vise. Placethe brake band (Fig. 1 & Photo G) over theoutside diameter of the brake drum, slippingthe top loop hole of the band over the brakearm stud, and secure it with a nut. Slip the90° bent end of the brake rod through thebottom loop hole of the brake band andsecure it with a nut, then attach the clevis tothe other end of the brake rod. With thebrake handle attached to the frame, positionthe brake drum and snug it up with bolt andnut to assure firm action. Tighten the twoset screws in the brake adapter on the axle.

Engine mounting plate assembly. The en-gine mounting (Fig. 1 & Photo E) is madeof 1/8-inch hot-rolled steel plate. Make thecutout for the jack-shaft sprockets (theelongated holes) and drill the four 1/4-inchcorner hanger-mounting holes. Bend the fourstrap hangers in a vise. The two front hangersare both 9-3/4 inches long; the two rear hang-ers are 4-3/8 inches long. The rear hangersmount to the underside of the axle hangersin the forward hole of the pillow-blockmounting holes. The two front hangersmount to the steel-angle frame cross mem-ber.

The jack shaft (Fig. 1) is a piece of 5/8-inch-diameter cold-rolled steel cut to a 6-inch length. Mount the 36-tooth sprocket(5/8-inch bore) and the 12-tooth sprocket(Photo F) on the jack shaft, then slip thetwo 5/8-inch pillow blocks on the ends of theshaft with the locking collars outward.Mount this assembly to the engine plate inthe elongated holes, snugging up the bolts.

When you buy the engine, also get athrottle-control cable (Photo G) and fourconduit clips for securing the cable to theframe. Lead the cable to the accelerator foot-pedal. Mount the centrifugal clutch ontothe engine shaft and position the engine onthe mounting plate, but don't tighten thebolts and nuts yet. Line up and tighten thesprockets (Photo H) so that the 36-toothjack-shaft sprocket is in line with the clutchsprocket, and the smaller sprocket on thejack shaft lines up with the axle sprocket.Fit the chains so there is about 1/2 inch ofslack halfway between the sprockets. Thentighten all mounting bolts in the engine holesand pillow-block holes.

Steering unit. The steering shaft (PhotoC) is 1/2-inch-diameter cold-rolled steelwith 1 inch of thread on both ends. Drill the

1/4-inch pin hole near the top of the shaftas indicated in Fig. 1. Later a pin is insertedhere which prevents the wheel spinning onthe shaft. Drill the 1/2-inch hole and the5/16-inch hole in the pitman arm, then weldthe pitman arm to the steering shaft asshown. Mount the steering shaft through the1/2-inch hole in the axle perch and secure itwith a lock nut. Attach the drag link (PhotoC) to the 5/16-inch hole in the pitman arm.

Make the steering-shaft support from apiece of 1/8-inch hot-rolled steel and weldthe bushing to the underside in line with the1/2-inch hole drilled in the support to re-ceive the steering shaft.

The accelerator (Photo G) is of weldedconstruction, with holes drilled to accommo-date the return spring, the swivel screw forthe control cable and the hole for the spacerbushing which mounts to the frame.

The crank (Photo C) is for appearanceonly. It is made of 1/2-inch diameter hot-rolled steel heated and bent to shape. Drill a1/2-inch hole in the center of the front crossmember of the frame and weld a 1/2-inchI.D. bushing behind the hole to support thecrank end. Use a cotter pin to hold the crankin the bushing.

Bend the eight fender brackets of 1/8 x3/4-inch hot-rolled steel in a vise. You canpurchase a set of fiberglass fenders or makethe fenders yourself of 22-gage sheet metal.If you make your own, have them shearedto the exact dimensions at the tin shop whereyou buy the metal. The tinsmith will also runthe metal through his slip-roll sheet-metalformer to produce the desired 10-inch radius.Note that the fenders all have a 1/2 -inch edgeflange bent under for rigidity.

Paint the fenders with a primer coat, thenwith glossy black enamel. You can stripethem with a striping tool or by using mask-ing tape (use a fine brush). Mount the fen-der brackets (Photo I) to the frame so therewill be approximately Wi inch clearancebetween the fenders and the top of the tires.

Body. The floorboard is cut from Vi -inchplywood. Remember to mark and cut theelongated hole for the foot pedal, and drillthe ^-inch clearance hole for the steeringshaft. Give the floorboard a coat of shellac,followed by a coat of varnish. v

Make the pedal wear plate (Fig. 1) ofhot-rolled steel. After elongating the %0-inchhole in it, mount it over the elongated holein the floorboard.

The radiator (Fig. 2) is made of wood, the(Continued on next page)

APRIL, 1965 93

S&M's Antique Truck

(Continued from page 93)top curved portion being cut from a pieceof 4x4-inch lumber; the front and sides areplywood. It is assembled with Weldwoodglue and flathead screws. The dashboard iscut from 1/2-irich plywood and screwed andglued to the radiator assembly. Paint theradiator assembly with bright red enamel,the radiator itself flat black trimmed withbrass paint.

The seat is made of plywood and assem-

bled with Weldwood glue and flatheadscrews. Upholster the backrest and seat cush-ion (Fig. 2) with 1-inch foam rubber andNaugahyde covering. Give the seat a primercoat, then one coat of bright red enamel. Theseat cushion is left unattached, but is fittedsnugly in place later.

Cab. Clamp and bandsaw the stock for thetwo sides of the cab at the same time, aftermarking the contours of the cut as shown inFig. 2. Cut the roof sections and back panelfrom 1/8-inch Masonite. Cut the back win-dow opening for the Plexiglas and the twostrips of molding that hold the Plexiglas inplace. Assemble the cab with Weldwood glueand 3/4 -inch brads spaced at 2-inch intervals.Paint the roof of the cab glossy black and thesides bright red enamel. Then place the cabaround the seat and fasten it to the sides ofthe seat with four 1/4 -inch carriage bolts.

Mount the radiator and cab assembly tothe floorboard; the radiator unit (Fig. 2) is

94 SCIENCE & MECHANICS

mounted 1/2i inch behind the front edge of thefloorboard. The cab mounts flush with therear edge of the floorboard. Use flatheadwood screws turned in from the undersideof the floorboard.

Now pick up the whole floorboard assem-bly and fit it onto the frame, guiding thesteering shaft through the clearance hole inthe floorboard. The body is held to the framewith four 1/4-inch carriage bolts. Slide thesteering shaft support over the steering shaftand attach it to the dashboard with tworound-head screws. Insert the 1/4-inch pin inthe steering shaft, then mount the steeringwheel and cap it with an acorn nut.

Mount the accelerator foot pedal throughthe elongated hole in the floorboard and at-tach it to the frame with spacer bushing, boltand nut. Attach the throttle control cable(Photo D) to the pedal, put on the pedal-return spring and adjust the cable for properreturn action to the carburetor.

Stake body. The stake body (Figs. 2 & 3)is made of 1/4 x 2-1/2-inch finished white pine.The rear stake section may be a permanentor removable installation. For a removablesection make the two brackets shown inFig. 2. The base for the stake body is of1 x 4-inch white pine mounted to the bed ofthe stake body with flathead screws turnedin from the top. Leave the stake sides theirnatural color, using a shellac sealer and avarnish finish. Mount the complete assemblyto the frame by the four side straps securedto the base and frame with 1/4-inch round-head screws.

The headlights and taillights are optional.Add a radiator cap cut from the end of a filehandle.

Go over the truck thoroughly now, makingsure all nuts and bolts are tight. Then fillthe tank with gas and the crankcase with oiland start the engine (which is readily acces-sible from beneath the stake body). Adjustit for idling speed so that it will de-clutchautomatically when you release the footpedal.

Hop in, and away you go. •

PORPOISE JAW OILThe incomparable lubricity of the dolphinoils has led to over 100 years use as superblubricants for timepieces, micrometers, fineinstruments, electrical contacts and all deli-cate mechanisms. Remains fluid at —20°F.Resists oxidation, gumming, evaporation.

MAIL $1 for the multipurpose oil formulation in thefamous 1/4-oz. round bottle.

WILLIAM F.NYE, INC., P.O. Box 927,New Bedford,Mass.Precision Lubricants tor Delicate Mechanisms Since 1644.

APRIL, 1965 95

SIDEWALK PLAY CAR

By Elmer V. Clark ance for bandsawing the curved sections atboth ends of each piece. Use waterproofglue in the joints. After the glue is dry,bandsaw the curved ends and plane andsand the parts to the finished size. Apply acoat of shellac to prevent absorption ofmoisture. The side frames are joined nearthe ends with long studs, or draw bolts, andpipe spacers as shown on the blueprint ona following page. Note that the front andrear-spring shackles are mounted on thedraw bolts and that these must be left looseso that the shackles can move freely. Notealso that the brake pedal is pivoted on thesame draw bolt as the front-spring shackles.In this case two spacers are used to serveonly as collars to position the pedal. Exactsizes of the draw bolts and spacers are notimportant.

Note especially the construction and

IVELY youngsters and craftsman fa-thers alike will get a thrill out of this

tiny play car, which looks and drives like areal automobile except that it's scaled downto sidewalk-coaster size and travels at slow,safe speeds. It's driven by an auto startermotor of the type having a built-in reduc-tion gear and is fitted with a foot brake, lev-er-operated clutch, pneumatic tires anda conventional steering gear. As picturedabove, the original car measures 58 in. over-all length, with a 42-in. wheelbase and 20-in. tread, but allowable variations in dimen-sions and the necessity of adapting certainparts according to availability, may changethese dimensions slightly. For these reasonscertain dimensions have been purposelyomitted and adaptation or substitution ofparts has been left to the discretion of thebuilder. An example is the length and typeof the springs specified in the constructiondetails. Obviously, these can be longer, oreven slightly shorter than the lengths given.The side frames are of 2 x 2-in. oak and, inorder to avoid waste in forming the curvedends, or lifts, the members are built up tothe rough shape by gluing together stripsof ¾-in. stock. Before gluing the strips to-gether, be sure that there is ample allow-

L

174 POPULAR MECHANICS

POPULAR MECHANICS

mounting of the front and rear axles on thesprings. The front axle is fitted with drilledpads to which the underslung springs arebolted, but at the rear it will be noted thatthe axle bearings serve as spring pads.Shims of 1/8-in. flat steel are placed betweenthe spring and the bearings, one shim beinglonger and having a drilled lug welded nearthe forward end to provide a bearing forthe brake shaft when the band-type brakeis used. When the shoe-type brake, shownin the detail above, is used, the brake-shaftbearing is attached to the car frame.

The front axle is of the conventional auto-type construction, the principal parts beingmade from pipe and flat steel, bent, weld-ed and bolted together as in the blueprint.The drag link and tie rod can be taken fromFord Model-A steering linkage. Crosley or

American Austin parts may be substituted.Rods with ball joints also can be impro-vised. A Crosley or Austin steering gear canbe used, the gear being mounted on a brack-et under the hood. The steering shaft is ap-proximately 22 in. long and ½ in. in diame-ter and is mounted on a generator bearingat the top end. The lower end of the shaft isfitted into an adapter sleeve, the size andlength of the sleeve depending on the typeof steering gear used. The steering wheelis 8 in. in diameter, the original being takenfrom a discarded toy.

Although details on the blueprint showthe starter motor welded to a rocker shaft,which passes through a hole drilled in theflange of the reduction-gear housing towhich it is welded, for best results weld abracket to the gear housing and then weld

the free end of the bracket to the rockershaft. This construction will give a some-what better clutch action when tighteningand slackening the double V-belts with theclutch lever. The rocker shaft turns in bear-ings bolted to the side frames. The clutchshaft, with its tension spring, is mounted inthe same manner. Use a 2-in. V-pulley onthe reduction gear and a 5-in. pulley on therear axle. Although double V-pulleys areshown, single-groove pulleys will serve thepurpose quite satisfactorily. Only the right-rear ground wheel is fixed on the axle andserves as a driver. The left rear wheel turnsfree. This arrangement gives the necessarydifferential when turning.

Details on pages 174 and 175 give the wir-ing diagram, construction of the batterybracket and the position of the controls.Note the arrangement of the brake switchand how it works in the motor circuit. Whenit is desired to stop, the clutch lever ispushed forward and the brake pedal de-pressed. A small lug welded to the innerend of the clutch-lever shaft opens thebrake switch and stops the starter motor.The motor cannot be started until the clutchlever is pulled part way back. This arrange-ment prevents undue idling of the startermotor. With the pulley sizes given and withthe gear ratios of the average reduction-gear starter motor, the car travels at a speedof approximately five miles per hour. A6-volt, 130-amp. battery will give abouteight hours of service on one charge.

Construction of the sheet-metal body isquite simple. It is made in three sectionswhich consist of the hinged rear deck, thedriver's compartment and the hood, whichincludes the separate false grille. The pat-tern for the grille is first laid out on 2-in.squares and then cut to the form shown,before bending and soldering. Sides of thecockpit and the hood are attached to theside frames with screws uniformly spaced.The seat bottom, floor boards and dash arecut from ½-in. plywood. The seat can beupholstered if desired. Bumpers, dummylights and other fittings are optional withthe builder.

35cICD

1962MARCHAPRIL

for Your Children(Battery-Powered)

Antique Auto

Make This

1. Half-scale replica of 1901 touringcar wi l l delight youngsters, bring a touchof nostalgia to Dad and the older folks.

2. Home-shop electric welder wil l handlenecessary welding, or welding shop wil ldo the work for just a few dollars.

ANTIQUE AUTOHalf-ScaleReplica of 1901 Touring Car

GEORGE E. JONES

THIS DELIGHTFUL LITTLE CAR of thehorseless-carriage age, Fig. 1, andthe cover, will let the youngerdrivers of the family whiz aroundthe neighborhood at a sizzling 5m.p.h. with three chums aboard,and do it all day on one batterycharge. Construction is simple andcan be handled in any home work-shop. Parts that are difficult tomake, such as wheels, brakes, balljoints, etc., can be purchased.

Start construct ion with the frame.Fig. 7. Cut the l-in.-sq. tubing to

length and file curved notches inthe ends to receive the axles. Ifyou have decided to make the axles,rather than buy them, do themnext. Hacksaw the spindle yokes tolength and bend them to shape in avise. Drill the 1/2-in holes for theking bolts after the yokes are bent.Cut the front axle and weld theyokes to the ends, centering themon the axle parallel to each other.Position the axle on the frame sidemembers and weld it in place.Fig. 2. Cut the steering-column

perch, drill a 1/2-in. hole in it andweld it to the front axle. Fig. 3.

Cut the rear axle and butt-weldthe cap screws to the ends. Weld,this assembly to the frame rails.

5. Wheels available from supplier canbe fitted with 3-1/2-in. Morse internal-expanding brakes; used on rear only.

3. Closeup shows arm welded to bot-tom of steering cloumn, bracket weldedto front axle to support end of column.

4. Brake handle is fitted on spacer toposition it outside of body to it projectsup through running board.

6. Shown in this photo are positions ofelectric motor, support, sprockets andchain. Brake is visible on far wheel

MARCH-APRIL . 1962 > I I

12 < WORKBENCH

Make the four gussets, Fig. 7, andweld them to the underside of theframe at the corners. Fabricatethe front-wheel spindle assemblies.Fig. 7. Drill 5/16-in. holes in the

arms first. Make the brake-handlebracket and attach it to the left sideof the frame, Fig, 4. Cut the floorpan and make notches in it for thebulkhead legs, steering column and

brake handle. Now, cut all rods tolength and thread them: Drag link,tie rod, motor-hanger rod, brakerod, motor-adjusting rod and steer-ing column, Fig. 7. Weld the pit-

M A R C H A P R I l . 1 9 6 2 > 1 3

man arm to the steering column1-1/2-in. from the end. Assemble theball Joints on the tie rod and draglink. Bolt the ball joints to thespindle arms. Make the sprocket

coupling next.Clean off all grease, rust and

weld spatter from the frame andpaint it with metal primer, thenone coat of flat-black enamel. When

the paint has dried, put on thefront wheels, backing off the caste-lated nuts 1/4 turn from snug so thewheels spin freely. Pin the nutswith a cotter pin. Adjust the ball

joints on the tie rod to produce1/16-in. toe-in for the front wheels.

Bolt the brake drum to the left,rear wheel. FIG. 5. and mount thebrake-shoe assembly on the axle.Snug up the wheel with a castelatednut and lock with a cotter pin. Puton all hub caps. The right rearwheel is the drive wheel on whichis bolted the 60 tooth sprocket,Figs. 6 and 7. Bolt the wheel to theaxle, lock with cotter pin.

The power plant for the car canBe a converted electric gear motor,a government surplus item sellingfor about $16 to $20. It will tun on6 or 12 volts and is fully reversible.Burden Sales Co 900 West " O "St.. Lincoln. Nebraskka. has manytypes of these motors in store.Your power plant also can be aregular 2- or 3-brush auto gener-ator. To convert the generator, re-move the third brush if it has oneand leave the grounded brush asis. The wire from the other brushgoes to on outside terminal. Thefields are so lde r - connec ted andwires from the two fields are ledto an outside terminal. Most autoshops can make the conversion.

Position the motor on the hangerrod inserted through holes in theframe. Align the two sprockets andinstall the chain. Mount the motorrod to the motor and to the frameand adjust it's length so there is1/2-in slack in the chain between

sprockets. Next bend the brakehandle to suit a rm length. Fig. 7.and drill the rod and pivot holesDo not install the handle.

Cut all parts of the body, Fig.8, then use a couple of lengths of2 x 4 clamped together t o makeall bends Put all sub-assemblies,Fig. 9. together. Assemble radiator,hood, dash and bulkhead as one

8. Parts for the car body are easily cutand formed with ordinary hand tools. Herefender is being cut to shape.

9. One template ii uicd to make alltour Irndrrt. Two, of courw, Arr rt-terved in betiding to produce pairt.

10. Shown are all sheet-metal com-ponents ready for assembly on the chassis.Black is the color of the original.

14 < W O R K B E N C H

with rivets or sheet metal screws.Hop in the car, flip the dash

switch to forward and step downon the accelerator. You are underway for years of fun. Twenty-fourparts and accessories f'or the carcan. be purchased from: Ma-JoLektri-Kars. P. O. Box 3134. Glen-Oaks Station, Burbank. Calif. Writefor a parts list.

unit. Fig. 10. Paint all body sub-assemblies with a coat of met.alprimer. then a coat of glossy blackenamel. Wheels can be gold or red

Now, the final assembly: Posi-tion the floor pan; install the hoodassembly, the fender assembliesand steering column. Fit the brakehandle through the running-boardslot and adjust it to the brake rod.Wire the motor to the battery andfloor accelerator. The battery islocated under the front seat, heldby brackets fabricated to suit thebattery size. Fasten all components

Put your small fry in thedriver's seat of this great little

buggy and watch him grin

Build your kidsthe sidewalk classic

Designed by R O B E R T W O O L S O N

ITS BLACK FABRIC TOP, leather dash-board straps and gas headlamps, this bright redreplica of its prototype—the open roadster ofthe early years of this century—will bring atwinge of nostalgia to grownups and a shriek ofdelight from the younger set.

It does a safe, quiet 5 miles per hour, has a12-volt electrical system driving a 12-volt auto-mobile generator which serves as the motor, andcarries its own built-in battery charger.

It's great for everyday fun on the sidewalk and

sensational in the local Fourth of July parade.You can buy nearly all of the parts at your

hardware store or at an automotive-parts store.Assembly is not difficult, particularly if youfollow the pull-apart drawings carefully.

Before you buy or cut any materials, run overthe list of keyed parts and carefully check eachone on the pull-apart drawings. This will giveyou a good idea of what goes where on the ply-wood frame. The dimensions of some of theparts you have to make, bolt sizes and other im-

501

FRONT PIECE, BODY

OPENING FOR DRIVE-BELTADJUSTMENT (IN ONE PANEL ONLY)

SEAT BACK

TAKE BOLTS HOLDING CENTER TOP BOW

COUNTERSINKFOR CORNER-IRON BOLTS

END PIECE, SEAT, 2 REQD.

The steering column is held in position by aplywood support and metal brace to theframe. A metal angle serves as the top bearing

portant information are in the keyed list alongwith parts nomenclature.

Begin construction with the frame which is cutfrom a piece of 1/2-in. plywood. Cut the pieceslightly oversize, about 1/8 in. all around, to allowfor finishing the edges; there must be no splinters.Then lay out the hole pattern and drill all theholes which are located by dimension, exceptthe holes F. Hole diameters are taken directlyfrom the bolt sizes given in the parts list. Theseven countersunk holes (indicated by concentriccircles) are drilled and countersunk for l.5-in.No. 8 F.H. wood screws. These hold the brake-shaft supports and the front-fender support, partsNo. 27 and 31. One hole, D, is not countersunk,as it takes the screw holding the lower end ofthe steering-column brace, part No. 59, whichpasses through the frame and turns into thefront-fender support.

Holes A and B in the frame must be drilled atan angle, hole A for the steering post and B forthe brake cable. Drill hole A slightly undersizeand at the approximate angle and then work itto size and the correct angle later on with a round

502

I DOTTED LINESI INDICATE POSI-

' TION OF RUBBERFLOOR MAT

CHASSIS FRAME, 1/2" PLYWOOD

SHAFTCOLLARS

BRAKE-BANDTIGHTENER

BRAKE ASSEMBLY

file when you fit the steering post. Also you'llhave to do some work with the round file to bringhole B to the correct angle to take the brakecable without binding. Holes C, E, G and H arefor the passage of wiring through the frame andonly the approximate location is indicated. Thefour holes F take 10-24 F.H. screws (with nuts)and hold two 3-in. corner irons which serveas motor-mounting brackets. It's a good idea tohave your motor on hand so that you can de-termine the distance between the pairs of holes,as it may vary from that given. Be sure of theover-all dimensions of the battery case beforeyou cut the well and make the support.

The front axle consists of a length of hard-wood and two steel straps. Note in the pull-apart

BRAKE ECCENTRIC ASSEMBLY

503

GROUND-WHEEL DRIVE

KEYED PULL-APART VIEW(REAR WHEELS, FABRIC TOP,WIRING AND BATTERY NOT SHOWN)

KEYED LEGENDS1. WHEEL, SEMI-PNEUMATIC, 12 x 1.75. BALL-BEAR-

ING. FOUR REQUIRED (SPARE WHEEL OPTIONAL)2. SHAFT COLLAR, 1/2 IN.3. WHEEL SPINDLE, 1/2 x APPROX. 3 IN. STEEL. TH'D.

1/2-13. TWO REQUIRED4. HEX NUT, 1/2 IN., WITH WASHER5. HEX NUT, 1/2 IN., TWO REQUIRED6. HEX NUTS AND LOCK WASHERS, 1/4 IN.7. FLAT SPACER WASHERS, ONLY TWO SHOWN; FOUR

REQUIRED8. AXLE STRAPS, TWO REQUIRED9. AXLE, HARDWOOD

10. SAME AS PART NO. 611. SAME AS PART NO. 512. HEX-HEAD MACHINE BOLT, 1/4 X 2 1/3"13. HEX NUT AND WASHER, VA IN., TURNS ONTO END

OF STEERING ROD14. TIE ROD15. STEERING ROD16. SAME AS PART NO. 12. NOTE THAT BOLTS NO. 12

AND 16 PASS THROUGH AXLE ONLY, NOTTHROUGH FRAME

17. KINGBOLT, 1/2 x 2 1/2 IN., TWO REQUIRED18. PIPE TEE, 1/4-IN. TWO REQUIRED. THREADS

REAMED OUT TO TAKE 1/2-IN. KINGBOLT19. STEERING ARM, TWO REQUIRED, R. AND L., ONE

HAS THIRD HOLE FOR STEERING ROD20. LOCK WASHER, 1/2 IN.21. HEX NUT, 1/2 IN.22. CHASSIS FRAME, 1/2-IN. PLYWOOD23. CARRIAGE BOLT, 1/4 X 3 IN. TWO REQUIRED24. FOOT SWITCH, DPST, PUSH-BUTTON TYPE, NOR-

MALLY OFF25. ROUND-HEAD 10-24 SCREW, 3/4 IN. LONG. RE-

QUIRES TWO NUTS, LOCK WASHER BETWEENNUTS AND TWO SPACER WASHERS

26. BRAKE PEDAL27. FRONT-FENDER SUPPORT28. SPOTLIGHT SWITCH, LEVER-ACTUATED, SPDT,

BUT USED AS SPST ONLY29. SHAFT COLLAR, 1/2-IN., ACTUATES SPOTLIGHT

SWITCH. A SECOND COLLAR IS REQUIRED ONBRAKE SHAFT TO HOLD IT IN POSITION AFTERASSEMBLY

30. WIRE BRAKE CABLE 1/8-IN. DIAMETER, OVERALLLENGTH APPROX. 28 1/2"

31. BRAKE-SHAFT SUPPORT, OR BEARING. TWO RE-QUIRED

32. BRAKE SHAFT, 1/2 x 17-IN. STEEL SHAFTING33. BRAKE ECCENTRIC, 3-IN.-DIA. V-PULLEY34. BRAKE RETURN SPRING, 6 3/4 IN. LONG, 1-IN.-DIA.

COILS35. ROUND-HEAD 10-24 SCREW. 2 IN. LONG. LOCKS

END OF BRAKE BAND36. BRAKE-BAND TIGHTENER, 2-IN. V-PULLEY37. BRAKE BAND, 1/2-IN. V-BELT, OVERALL LENGTH

APPROX. 16 1/2"38. BRAKE-BAND LUG, 1/8 x 1 x 6-IN. STEEL OUTER

END GIVEN ONE-QUARTER TWIST39. SHAFT COLLAR, 1/2-IN.40. BRAKE STUD, 5/16-.|N. STEEL, TWO REQUIRED.

THREAD 5/16-18 AND FIT EACH WITH TWO HEX NUTS41. REAR AXLE, 1/2 x 23 1/4-IN. LENGTH OF DRILL ROD

42. BRAKE DRUM, 4-IN. V-PULLEY. DRILL 5/16-IN. HOLESTHROUGH WEB ON 2 1/8-IN. CENTERS FOR BRAKESTUDS

43. BALL-BEARING PILLOW BLOCK FOR 1/2-IN. SHAFT.TWO REQUIRED

44. MACHINE BOLT, 1/4 X 1 IN. WITH NUT AND LOCKWASHER. TWO REQUIRED. THESE BOLTS JOINMOTOR MOUNTING LUGS TO 3-IN. CORNER IRONS,ONE LEG OF EACH IRON BEING CUT TO 2 1/8 IN.LENGTH. DRILL HOLES FOR BOLTS CENTERING 15/8IN. ABOVE THE CORNER-IRON BEND

45. DPDT TOGGLE SWITCH. SEE WIRING DIAGRAM46. BATTERY WELL AND SUPPORT

47. CORNER IRON, TWO REQUIRED TO SUPPORTDASHBOARD **

48. HEAD LAMP BRACKET49. HEAD LAMP, DRY-CELL POWERED, TWO REQUIRED50. PEDAL. ACTUATES START-STOP SWITCH51. FRONT FENDER, TWO REQUIRED. EACH CUT FROM

3/8-IN. PLYWOOD, 4 IN. WIDE, 12 IN. LONG WITHUPPER CORNERS ROUNDED TO 1-IN. RADIUS,LOWER OUTSIDE CORNER TO 2-IN. RADIUS

52. DASHBOARD, 3/4-|N. PLYWOOD53. SOFT-IRON RIVETS, 1/8 x 3/4 IN. EXACT LENGTH

DEPENDS ON WIDTH OF SHAFT COLLAR USED54. STEERING CRANK55. SHAFT COLLAR, 1/2 IN. NOTE THAT PARTS NO. 54

AND 55 ARE JOINED WITH RIVETS, PART NO. 5356. NO. 8 WOOD SCREW 1 1/2- IN. LONG57. STEERING COLUMN, 1/2 IN. DIA., 18 IN. LONG,

STEEL SHAFTING58. STEERING-COLUMN SUPPORT, 3/4-|N. PLYWOOD59. STEERING-COLUMN BRACE60. SCREWEYE, 1/2 IN. TWO REQUIRED. TAKES SWIVEL

SNAP ON TOP STRAP61. FRONT PIECE, BODY62. SHEET-METAL SCREW, SIZE 1/2—8 (OR 10), BINDER

HEAD, FIVE REQUIRED63. CORNER IRON, 1 IN., FIVE REQUIRED TO ATTACH

BODY TO FRAME. EIGHT REQUIRED FOR JOININGTHE FOUR PARTS OF BODY

64. DRIVING AND DRIVEN V-PULLEYS, DRIVING PULLEY,2 IN. DIA., 5/8-IN. BORE. DRIVEN PULLEY, 10 IN.DIA., 1/2-BORE. USE 1/2-IN, V-BELT, 34 IN. LONG

65. TURNBUCKLE, SIZE (CLOSED) 5 1/4 N HOLDS MO-TOR IN FIXED POSITION

66. AUTO GENERATOR, 12-VOLT. SERVES AS MOTORWITHOUT ANY ALTERATION

67. CARRIAGE BOLTS, VA X V/Z IN. FOUR REQUIREDWITH HEX NUTS AND WASHERS

68. CHARGER, 12-VOLT69. TURNBUCKLE, PART NO. 65, IS FITTED WITH NUTS

AND LOCK WASHERS TO PREVENT IT FROM LOOS-ENING

70. BACK PIECE, BODY, 3/8x 6 5/16 x 15 3/16-IN. PLYWOOD71. SIDE PIECE, BODY. TWO REQUIRED. ONLY OWE

HAS OPENING FOR BELT ADJUSTMENT72. BUTT HINGE, 1 1/2-IN., TWO REQUIRED73. BEARING, TOP END OF STEERING COLUMN74. SCREW, 10-24, 1 IN. LONG75. CORNER IRONS, 1-IN. AND 3-IN. SIZES, TWO RE-

QUIRED OF EACH76. REAR FENDER, 3/8 x 4 x 12-IN. PLYWOOD WITH

THREE CORNERS ROUNDED TO 1-IN. RADIUS77. RUBBER HOSE, 5/8-IN. O.D.78. STEERING WHEEL, 1/2-IN. BORE, 10 1/4-IN., DIA.,

CAST-IRON V-PULLEY79. SHAFT COLLAR, 1/2-IN.80. ELECTRICIAN'S BLACK PLASTIC TAPE81. SIDE OF SEAT, TWO REQUIRED82. SEAT BOTTOM, 3/8.|N. PLYWOOD. MEASURES 8 1/4-

IN. WIDE, 21 7/8-IN. ON LONG SIDE, 20 IN. ON SHORTSIDE. PADDED WITH CORRUGATED-RUBBER STAIRTREAD

83. SEAT BACK84. MOTOR-COMPARTMENT COVER, OR DECK. 3/8 x8 3/4 x 16-IN. PLYWOOD85. DECK HANDLE86. LEATHER STRAP, TWO REQUIRED WITH BUCKLES87. STOPLIGHT, 12-VOLT88. HOOK AND EYE, 31/2 IN., HOLDS HINGED SEAT IN

DOWN POSITION. EYE SCREWS INTO BACK OFSEAT NEAR BOTTOM. HOOK SCREWS INTO FRAME

* PURCHASE A 24-IN. LENGTH OF DRILL ROD AND CUTTO REQUIRED LENGTH AFTER MAKING TRIAL AS-SEMBLY. LENGTH MAY VARY FROM THAT GIVENDUE TO POSSIBLE VARIATIONS IN WIDTH THROUGHPILLOW-BLOCK BEARINGS AND WHEEL HUBS

** INSIDE CORNER IRONS ARE USED THROUGHOUTASSEMBLY. ALL 1-IN. IRONS JOINING BODY PARTSARE HELD WITH 10-24 SCREWS AND SQUARE NUTS

505

Battery-powered headlights snap onto metal bracketsattached to the dashboard. The brackets comewith the lamps. Note also the construction of thefront axle and the steering-knuckle assembly

506

The brake band is a 1/2-in. V-belt anchored to a stationary lug and a tightener, andpasses around a V-pulley on the axle. Note the two studs which engage the wheel

view that there are three pairs of bolts that passthrough the axle, the two kingbolts, the pair ofcarriage bolts holding the frame to the axle,and a pair of machine bolts that hold the threeparts of the axle together. The wheel spindlesswing on the kingbolts, which pivot 1/4-in. pipetees. Threads in the body of the latter are reamedout to take the kingbolts in a close fit. A hex nut,lock washer and a steering arm are placed oneach spindle before turning the latter into thethreaded stem of each tee. You'll see the orderof assembly in the pull-apart view. A shaft collarwith setscrews holds each wheel.

Assemble the rear axle in its bearings on theframe. Then make the brake-shaft supports andscrew them in place on the underside of theframe, noting that the one that is grooved forthe brake-band lug goes on the right side of theframe, viewed from the front. The completebrake assembly is shown pulled apart. Thereare two points to note especially in this assembly.First, the brake-band lug, part No. 38, dropsinto the groove in the brake-shaft support. Thewood screw holding it in the groove passesthrough the frame from the top. side, throughthe lug and is turned into the brake-shaft sup-port. The inner end of the lug is held by a 10-24screw (with nut) which passes through a hole inthe frame. This hole must be drilled through the

frame after the parts are located. Second, thescrew holding the forward end of the brakeband in the groove in the brake-band tightener,part No. 36, passes through the band and a holein the tightener and shaft.

Parts of the brake-eccentric assembly areshown on page 503. A 5/16 x 1 3/8-in. stud is cross-drilled near the unthreaded end to take the endof the brake cable. A nut and washer are rundown on the stud and the cross-drilled end in-serted in a hole drilled through one side of thepulley (eccentric) rim. The free end of thecable is passed through the hole near the endof the stud and the nut tightened, clampingthe end of the cable securely in place. This ar-rangement provides adjustment of the brake-cable length when the assembly is complete. Thereturn spring is attached to the stud with a sec-ond nut and washer and the opposite end ofthe spring attaches to an anchor on the bottomof the frame.

Note now the similarity between the ground-wheel drive, and the brake assembly. Both makeuse of short studs, the unthreaded ends of whichenter holes drilled through the inner half of thewheel webs. Two studs are required for the brakebut only one for the drive.

The steering gear is of simple constructionand consists of the tie rod, steering-rod, crank,

507

Swivel snaps riveted to the ends of straps hook into screweyes in the top edge of the dash

the column, column support, brace and wheel.The latter is a 10.25-in.-diameter V-pulley, theV-groove being filled with a 5/8-in.-diameter rub-ber hose and then wrapped with electrician'splastic tape. This makes a neat, realistic wheelrim. When assembling the steering gear you mayneed to make some adjustment in the "geom-etry" by bending the arms so that the frontwheels toe correctly.

The body also is of the simplest construction,made entirely of 3/8-in. plywood and joined with1-in. corner irons, each held in place with two10-24 screws and square nuts. Parts for theseat are assembled in the same manner, using thesame size irons and screws. The one exception

in this procedure is the method of joining oneleg of each corner iron holding the body to theframe. Here a No. 8 or 10 sheet-metal screw 1/2in. long (part No. 62) is used instead of a10-24 screw and nut to join the leg of the ironto the frame. Dimensions of the seat bottom,fenders and hinged rear deck, or cover, will befound in the parts list. Rear fenders are joinedto the body with corner irons (parts No. 75)and 10-24 screws and nuts. Front fenders areattached to dashboard and fender support with1.5-in. No. 8 screws.

Next step is to add the top and install thewiring. The top, authentic in appearance, con-sists of a metal frame covered with an artificial-

508

Assemble the top before placing it on the car. The metalframe, consisting of front, back and center bows, andbraces, is made from aluminum rod and tubing that is avail-able in all hardware, building supply, and hobby stores

CHARGER WIRING SCHEMATIC

12-V. BATTERYCHARGER

COMPLETE ELECTRICAL WIRING SCHEMATIC FOR SIDEWALK CLASSIC

110-V. A.C.

X SWITCH TERMINAL NOT USED

510

CHARGE-OFF-GOSWITCH. D.P.D.T.(BOTTOM VIEW)

12-V. STORAGEBATTERY

ACCELERATORSWITCH D.P.S.T.N.O. PUSHBUTTON

CHARGE GOOFF

CENTER-OFF TOGGLE SWITCH

STANDARD SURFACE-MOUNTED UTILITY BOX BRAKE-LIGHT

SWITCH S.P.S.T.-N.O.

110-V. A.C.

# 10

# 16 WIRE

AUTOGENERATOR

12-V. 30-AMP.CHARGER

- +12-VDC.OUT

110-V.DC.IN STOP

LIGHT

# 10 WIRE

# 10

# 16

# 16

# 16WIRE

CHARGEOFFGOSWITCH

12-V. BATTERY

X TERMINALNOT USED

BRAKE-LIGHT

SWITCH

ACCELERATORSWITCH

GEN.

110-V. A.C.

110-V.+ -

Ready access to all electrical equipment—battery, motor, switch and charger—is made possi-ble by the hinged seat, top and deck, which tilt forward. The seat is held down with a hook

leather fabric, the pattern for which is given onpage 509. Overall measurements before hem-ming are shown with the exception of one dimen-sion, from the rear window opening to thebottom of the back flap, which is given afterhemming.

Don't cut the fabric until after you have madeand assembled the bows and braces. You canbend the center bow by hand, but you run therisk of getting an uneven bend and spoiling thecontour of the roof as a result. Instead, borrowan electrician's conduit bender for this job.After bending, flatten at the points indicated anddrill holes for the bolts. Then bend the front andback bows, flatten the ends slightly, and alsodrill the holes for the bolts.

The holes in the front bow for the bolts thathold the upper end of the braces are locatedand drilled after a trial assembly.

Now refer to the drawing on page 509 forthe location of the holes for the bolts holdingthe center bow to the ends of the seat. Drill theseholes and mount the assembled bows temporarilyso that you can more easily fit the fabric top.Lay the fabric over the bows and determine thelocation of the pleats, or tucks, and the amountto be turned under for the hems. This done, sew

The electricals are housed in the body, with the bat-tery in a well under the seat. Note the position of thecharger and the "off-go-charge" switch. Note also theuse of snap-on terminal clamps on the battery

511

The back drop, or flap, of the fabric top is attachedto the back of the seat with storm-sash hangers. Therear window is fitted with a sheet of clear plastic

the hems all around, making the pleats as yougo. Cut the opening for the rear window. Cutthin, clear plastic about 1/2 in. larger all aroundthan the opening and sew in place. After pleat-ing and hemming, fold the forward end of thefabric around the front bow and fasten withsplit rivets. Note that the leather straps are at-tached to the top with split rivets at the pleatsand at the front edge of the fabric. Attach a

The wiring from the foot-operated switch and thestoplight switch is stapled to the underside of theframe. Wire sizes are indicated on the schematic

swivel snap to the free end of each strap, fas-tening with split rivets.

The back drop, or flap, of the top attachesto the back of the seat with three storm-sashhangers. Note that the sash half of the hangeris riveted to the lower edge of the fabric, whilethe other half of each hanger is attached to theback of the seat with 10-24 screws and hex nuts.

Note that when everything is assembled thehinged seat, deck and top tip forward to giveaccess to the electricals, motor, battery, chargerand the off-run-charge switch. The exact loca-tion of the switch and charger is of no impor-tance; place them so there is access to each.

When wiring, follow the wiring diagram whichgives the wire sizes to use. Wires from the start-stop, foot-controlled switch and to the stoplightswitch are stapled to the underside of the frame.Before making the test run, be sure you havethe correct tension on the driving V-belt and thatall nuts and screws have been properly tightened.The fifth, or spare, wheel pictured is optional.The carrier is simply a threaded 1/2-in. stud andshaft collar installed on the back body panel.Brackets for the headlights (the brackets comewith the units) are screwed to the dashboard asshown.

colors are optionalPaint colors are optional. The original pic-

tured was painted a bright red with a silverstriping, an attractive combination. The top ofthe plywood frame was finished in natural color.The disk wheels were sprayed with silver paint.

There are some interesting decorative touchesthat you can add which will increase the authen-tic look and at the same time make the car morefun to own. For example, if you shop around,you should b.e able to find one of those oldrubber-bulb operated auto horns. If you canfind one with a shiny brass bell, so much thebetter.

The same material you used to make the topwould serve very well as a covering fabric ifyou chose to upholster the seats. You wouldn'thave to be fancy. Just cover the wooden seat andback with 1 or 1.5-in. of foam rubber, cover withthe fabric, then tack to the edges of the seat. Uselarge-headed colored upholstery nails. For afinal touch of authenticity, drive some of thesenails into the back and the seat in a grid pat-tern, with about 6 in. between nails, to imitatethe old upholstery buttons.

See also: bicycles; cars, midget; stage coach; train,children's; unicycle.

512

That's a 200-lb. load — four 504b. bags — entirely supported on a cushion of air.

OU'RE almost ready to believe inflying carpets when you open thethrottle and see a 200-lb. load float

eerily off the ground. Tip the handlesslightly and you have to brace yourself tokeep this wheel-less Flying Cart from skit-tering down the drive faster than you want

CONTINUED

HOW I BUILT THE

Flying CartBy Hubert Luckett

162 POPULAR SCIENCE JULY I960

Plywood, plastic, and aluminum make the airframe

FINISHED "HULL" showing how fan shroud androunded contours in the plenum chamber areobtained, using sawed-to-shape plywood coveredwith a skin of sheet aluminum and plastic film.

ALUMINUM IS FASTENED to inner curve of strutsby bending a flange over flat against the ply-wood, and securing with stapling gun. Alumi-num is slit every 1-1/2" to make a smooth bend.

to follow. More—you can easily trundle a 100-lb.load across a soft, soggy lawn with this machineand never leave a mark.

The Flying Cart is a true ground-effect machine(GEM). It has no wheels. It glides on a cushionof compressed air supplied by a modified chain-saw engine and a four-bladed wooden prop.

I built the "airframe" of ordinary lumberyardmaterials for $59.75. If you're well supplied withplywood scraps you can cut that figure in half.Engine and props are from an outboard air-driveunit sold by Airboats, Inc. (3323 N. FlorissantAve., St. Louis 7). New, they cost $130.

How it got that way. The cart didn't start outas a search for an improved wheelbarrow—ithappened the other way around. The buildingitch came with the first story I read about airsleds, and intensified with each story thereafter.It was a challenge to build a totally new kind ofvehicle before all the development problems weretrampled to death—and all the unanswered ques-tions were answered—by multimillion-dollar re-search programs.

I doodled the requirements. It would have to be:• Reasonably easy to build with ordinary

home-workshop tools.• Adaptable to continuing changes and experi-

Write for fuller drawingsWant to build the Flying Cart? The drawing

at left shows enough for you to proceed on yourown. For larger scale drawings, send $1 to: FLY-ING CART, Popular Science, 355 Lexington Ave.,New York 17, N. Y.

CROSS-LAPPED STRUTS are clampedbetween main frames, glued andscrewed to the spacer block. Notefloor flange that anchors leg of theplatform covering engine.

PLASTIC FILM is folded double un-der the clamps. Sheet-metal screwshold the two aluminum clampingstrips. Plywood clamp at bottom isheld by wood screws.

CONTINUED

Add the deck, motormount, and prop

DECK IS SEPARATE ASSEMBLYheld by bolts securing the motormount. Side rails are notched toengage upper corners of thestruts and rabbeted to receive1/4"-plywood deck cover. Wire-mesh blade guard is clampedbetween deck and hull.

MOTOR MOUNT is bolted throughthe deck and upper main frame.Hardwood blocks clamping ends ofeach pair of angles add rigidity tothe mounting assembly.

PROPELLER MUST BE BOLTED to thehub after the engine is in place.Vanes were added after the firsttrials to counteract torque effectand improve the air flow.164 POPULAR SCIENCE JULY 1960

mental modifications, yet functional in its mostelementary form.

• Large enough to carry a practical load—nota toy.

• Small enough for one man to handle andnot pose an awkward storage problem.

• Cheap enough for a modest budget.All of these points apparently ruled out a rid-

ing vehicle. So when someone suggested an airbarrow, it seemed like a happy choice.

The one that didn't work. Take one leftoversheet of plywood that happened to be 34" by 48";nail one-by-fours to the edge to form an openbox; cut a hole 24-1/2" in diameter in the centerof the plywood sheet, and you have the body ofmy first "feasibility-study" model. A 1/2-hp. elec-tric motor driving a 24", three-bladed cast-alumi-num exhaust-fan prop supplied the air. I wantedto see if the crudest possible rig would provideany encouragement to go ahead with the project.It almost didn't. When I switched it on, theshop filled with a wild roar and a dense cloudof dust, but there were no signs of levitation.The air stream was hitting the floor and bounc-ing right back through the fan blades.

I extended the sides to 16" to get the fanfarther from the floor. This time it teetered onthe brink of floating. Backwash through the fanwas greatly reduced. I rigged up a crude equal-arm balance and found that the machine required

[Continued on page 226]

Author's sketchbookshows future plans

CONVERSION TO AN ANNULAR JET will beeasy. According to theory, it should ridehigher off the ground. Il l try a flat plywoodbottom first, then tackle the problem of mak-ing a properly shaped core like this.

A LIGHTWEIGHT with keen bal-ance may be able to ride it as is,with the throttle relocated on areversed set of handles—butonly on a smooth surface.

BIG DREAM awaits a cooperativeneighbor. Two carts joined to-gether (with engines turning inopposite directions) offers ex-citing riding possibilities.

-A

INVERTING THE ENGINE would lower center ofgravity and allow use of standard prop with anengine rotating in conventional direction.

AN OVERSIZE SKIRT with a drawstring in thebottom edge may improve stability and perform-ance as an air barrow over rough terrain.

165

226 POPULAR SCIENCE JULY 1960

How I Built the Flying Cart[Continued from page 164]

68 pounds to balance with the motornot running—only four pounds when itwas turned on.

Scarcely a resounding success. But inspite of air leaks, turbulence, fan ineffi-ciency, and high weight-to-power ratio—I was getting 64 pounds of lift. It wasn'thard to think up reasons for going ahead.

The one that worked. Poring over allthe research papers I could find, I cameup with these rough specs:

• Shape—square. For a given area,power, and operating height, the shapewith the shortest perimeter gives themost lift. A square is the closest practicalapproach to the optimum circular shape.

• Size—5' by 5'. The most significantfactor in GEM performance is the"height-diameter" ratio (h/d). Withinlimits you can trade one for the otherand carry the same load. A larger vehiclewould operate higher off the ground, butit becomes clumsy to use and a problemto store.

• Design—plenum chamber. This islike an inverted saucer with the air cush-ion retained inside the bowl. It's the sim-plest of the proven GEM configurations,and gives good hovering efficiency closeto the ground.

• Power—chain-saw engine. The ten-tative design promised to lift about 30 to35 pounds per horsepower, as nearly as Icould estimate. A reasonable payloadwould require five hp. The lightest five hp.I could think of was a chain-saw engine.

• Propeller— ??? This turned out tobe a shopping problem. I was gettingdiscouraged about finding one that wouldfit the shaft, blow the right way for en-gine rotation, and provide optimum loadfor the engine. But a half-dozen problemswere solved at once when the Airboatsunit was suggested to me. It uses a five-hp. Power Products chain-saw enginewith reversed rotation and has a properlymatched prop.

Building the air frame. Problem: Howdo you make a close-fitting duct for thefan and a smoothly contoured bowl forthe plenum chamber with ordinary wood-working tools? Fiber-glass laminate wouldgive the needed shapes, but would becomplex to mold, and also would be tooheavy in the required strength. A skilledtinsmith could do it with sheet alumi-

CONTINUED

How I Built the Flying Cartnum, using aircraft-type construction, butthat was beyond me.

Plywood frames sawed to shape andcovered with a skin of aluminum andplastic were the answer. The final designproved to be easy to build and turnedout surprisingly strong and rigid for itsweight. The completed machine, includ-ing the engine, weighs only 80 pounds.

Building the Flying Cart. First I cutout the two 32" squares of 1/2" plywoodand the eight 3/8" plywood struts. I madea trial assembly of these parts, whichform the backbone of the vehicle, using5" bolts and TeeNuts to clamp it together.All other dimensions were taken directlyfrom this framework. After all the woodframing members of the "hull" were nice-ly fitted, they were taken apart and reas-sembled, with waterproof glue and woodscrews for all joints.

The sheet aluminum was fastened onnext. The inner edge was screwed to the.1/2 "plywood first. The sheet was thenpushed in tight against the inner curve ofthe struts and the bottom edge screwedto the one-by-two bottom frame. The 1/2"overhang at each end of the aluminumsheet was snipped every 1-1/2", the liphammered flat against the strut andstapled with a stapling gun. The fanshroud went on next, with the top andbottom edges fastened in a similar fashion.

Enclosure of the plenum chamber wascompleted by clamping six-mil polyethyl-ene across the corners, using the twol/8"-by-l" aluminum strips and the sawed-to-shape l/4"-plywood bottom piece.

The deck was assembled dry, placed inposition and the notches for the strutsmarked. After the notches were cut, itwas reassembled, with glue and screws.

First tryout. I didn't wait for suchniceties as handles, throttle control, bladeguard, and proper motor support, to seeif it would work. With the major struc-ture finished, I bolted a pair of angles di-rectly to the frame to support the motor.

The engine took hold on the third pullof the starter rope. With a roar from theunmuffled exhaust and a cloud of dustfrom my driveway as it was swept cleanby the air blast, the Flying Cart wasfirst airborne at dusk one Sunday after-noon. It rose about three inches fromthe ground and hovered there. Startledfaces popped up in neighboring windows

228 POPULAR SCIENCE JULY 1960

How I Built the Flying Cartand a horde of small fry materializedfrom nowhere. Cries of "What is it?" weresoon replaced by, "Can I ride?"

I soon paid for my impatience. Themotor support proved to be too limberand vibration broke the straps holdingthe gas tank.

Back in the shop, the motor supportwas stiffened by clamping the ends of theangles tightly between hardwood blocksand adding a second pair perpendicularto the first. Handles and flexible-cablethrottle control came next.

Remembering the demand for rides, Imade a removable platform to cover theengine. Supporting legs went through 1"holes in the deck and top main frame andwere anchored with slip-in floor flangesscrewed to the bottom main frame.

Early trials of the finished vehiclequickly led to the first two modifications.It would carry a load nicely on smoothpavement, but got into trouble on roughground or going over a curb. A flexibleskirt at the bottom caused the rigid partof the craft to ride high enough to clearobstacles. The skirt easily conforms touneven surfaces and retains the air seal.This also eliminated most of the pushingin climbing hills. By holding the machinelevel on a slope, all the air escapes onthe downhill side, thus providing thrustto push the cart uphill.

If you let go of the handles, reactionto the prop torque made the whole cartspin around. Vanes set in the air streamcounteracted this, after a bit of fussingto get the correct pitch. An unexpectedbonus resulted: The vanes seemed tosmooth the air flow in the plenum cham-ber and gave a measurable improvementin lift.

The plastic corners are a considerableaid to the experimenter. With cloth rib-bons stuck to various surfaces inside thechamber, a light shining through onecorner •will let you observe air-flow pat-terns through the other three. Some curi-ous things have shown up. Under certainoperating conditions, part of the air flowseems to want to give a negative lift.It may actually be creating a suctionthat is limiting the operating height ofthe vehicle. Next step: modification ofthe air flow to eliminate this apparentnegative lift. The machine may yet proveto be large enough to ride successfully.

m

GAS RATION SPECIALGo to market, beach or visit friends on one of thesebabies and forget your gas worries. You can cover100 miles or better on one gallon of precious fuel.

by Howard G. McEntee

WITH gasoline and oil getting scarcer allthe time, it behooves those of us who

are able, to arrange our transportation insuch a manner that a little of these com-modities will go a long way. A small motorscooter is one of the most economical formsof powered transportation. Unfortunatelythe supply of these vehicles is limited, withnew ones unobtainable, and used ones scarceand prohibitively priced. The answer seemsto be ''build your own."

The scooter to be described was evolvedafter the writer secured a second hand engine

90

in fair shape. This was carefully recondi-tioned, and worn parts replaced, whereuponit was found to be very reliable in operation.This engine is a Lauson RSC, rated at 1.5H.P., but any engine of from 3/4 to 2 H.P. orso is satisfactory, as they are all of about thesame size and general arrangement. Theprospective builder will probably be unableto secure a new engine, but the second handfield is very large. An advertisement in thelocal newspaper will usually bring results.

Only general dimensions will be given asa building guide, since the construction will

Mechanix Illustrated

naturally be governed largely bywhat parts the builder can gathertogether, as was the case here.

Construction starts, of course,with the frame, which is made of1-1/8"x3/16" soft angle iron. Bedsare a fine source of this material.First the side pieces are cut tolength; then with a hacksaw,slots are cut at points A and B(see drawing) on the verticalside, up to but not through thehorizontal side, or, in other words,to the apex of the angle.

The pieces may then be benteasily in a vise. After each sidemember is bent at the two points,and the three cross pieces are cutto size, together with the centermotor support piece, they areabout ready for welding. First,however, six slots should be cut.four for mounting the engine andtwo for the rear axle. Those forthe engine must be positioned

Left: Completed scooter with lights, hornand rear vision mirror. Some states re-quire twin headlights and tail light forthese vehicles. Check with your MotorVehicle Bureau. Below: Side viewshows principal construction points.Motor is at right angles to chassis.

August, 1943 91

Parts details. Most materials can be obtained from junk. Frame is made from old bed rails.

according to the particular unit to be used,but should be measured so that the motorpulley comes at about the point shown. Thewelding can be handled by any well equippedauto repair shop.

After these initial welds are made, the sidemembers must be cut once more at points Cso that they may be bent inward at thefront.

The bearing for the front wheel fork on thisscooter is a cast iron piece about 7-1/2" talland with a tubular stub at top and bottom. Itwas made for heavy commercial deliverybicycle use. but a bearing tube from an ordi-nary adult bike will do very well. This pieceis held between the upward and inward bentfront ends of the frame with a single bolt.The bracing pieces running from points C onthe frame up to the top of the bearing tubeare of 1"x1/8" angle iron bolted at top andbottom and also welded at the latter point.The tube should slant to the rear at an angleof about 20 degrees.

At points A on the frame a 5/16" bolt is runfrom side to side with a spacer of smalldiameter gas pipe between the side members.

The front fork will have to be built up asthere is no bicycle part of the correct size.The lower ends, or prongs, of the fork arecut from an old bike frame and are brazedto a piece of 1-5/8" diameter tubing which is 5"long. The prong pieces should be fittedthrough oblong holes cut in the lower sideof the tubing and curved to butt snuglyagainst the inside of the upper portion. Thestem of the fork is also cut from a bicycle soas to make available the threaded upper end.This piece is brazed into the 1-5/8" tubingwhich is first bored or filed out for a snugfit. The bearings and cones from a bicyclefork assembly, together with the nuts andwasher that hold them in place, complete thispart of the machine.

The neck is much longer than those usedon bicycles and must be built up from one ofthe latter plus a piece of tubing that will fitinside the stem of the fork. The same tighten-ing arrangement as used in standard bikepractice is satisfactory. Bicycle handlebarsand lubber grips are used.

The seat is mounted over the motor and isheld on a cut-down bike seat post brazed to

92 Mechanix Illustrated

Here is bare frame with seat support and engine mount shown.Cut slots for hold-down bolts to fit your particular motor.

a curved piece of 1" diameter tubing. Thistubing is braced by two pieces of 3/4"x1/8"angle iron which run back to the main frame.The seat itself is of a large, well sprung typethat makes for comfortable riding. All jointsof the seat support are brazed and the wholetripod may be removed from the frame bytaking out three bolts.

We come now to the power and drivemechanism, where lie most of the procure-ment and construction headaches. Thewheels are heavy duty type with ball bear-ings, carrying husky 4 ply tires of 10x3 size.The rear tire must be of the so-called "lugbase" style, meaning that the tire has mouldedridges running crosswise around the innercircumference, which fit into slots pressed inthe steel wheels. These ridges or lugs pre-vent the tire from slipping around the wheelunder power. Do not try to use a smooth-type tire as it is wasted time, a fact ascer-tained by sad experience. Either style of tire,however, may be used on the front wheel.These tires are usually of single tube con-struction with no inner tube.

Wheels for these small tires are usuallymade in three pieces, consisting of a hubcarrying the ball bearings, and two pressedsteel discs to fit in the tire, the three sectionsheld together by [Continued on page 132]

Above: Gas tank feeds motor by gravity. Domeshaped gadget near wheel is generator. Right:Clutching arrangement is operated by idler pulley(center) which raises and lowers to engage or dis-engage driver pulleys. Wheel itself (with sprocket) isin turn driven by chain from sprocket on pulley shaft,

August, 1943

Closeup of sturdy front fork construction.Licenses are required by some states

93

Gas Ration Special[Continued from page 93]

bolts. The rear axle is simply a 7" length of 3/8" dia-meter rod threaded at both ends and fitting snuglythrough the center of the bearing on each end ofthe hub. Spacers between the outside of the bear-ing and the frame sides position the wheelsecurely.

The sprocket on the rear wheel is an 18 toothunit of the disc type, held in place oh the wheelby three 3/16" bolts and pipe spacers. The sprocketis held out from the wheel far enough so that itclears the tire by about 3/8", and must be adjustedto rotate absolutely true, with no radial or sidewobble. The long bolts are inserted in place ofthree of the short ones that hold the wheel partstogether. Although the sprocket shown is a specialunit, most bicycle dealers can supply one withthe proper number of teeth, and which can bedrilled for the three bolts.

The chain is standard bicycle variety of 1"pitch and 3/16" width, and the two sprockets must,of course, be of similar description. The chain isabout 30" in length. While on the subject, itmight be said that while the chain mentioned hasproved quite satisfactory and will give goodservice if cleaned and oiled occasionally, a muchtetter drive may be had from the s»-called No. 41N chain. This is 1/2" pitch and 3/16" wide and isused on many racing bicycles as it is more suitedto high speed work. The sprockets must be ofthe same type.

It is quite possible to use V-belt drive fromthe counter-shaft to the rear wheel. If this isdone the wheel pulley should be about 5-1/2" diameter with a 3" countershaft pulley, the ideabeing to get a 2-1 ratio between the two.

The countershaft sprocket is a 9-tooth size,also a standard bike part, with an added steelhub. The shaft is 5/8" diameter and is carried ina self-aligning ball bearing pillow block at eachend. Ordinary bronze-bushed bearings are quiteusable, but must be oiled more often. The sprockethub should be pinned to the countershaft with ataper pin or plain 1/8" diameter rod. Set-screws.simply will not hold here for any length of timeunless used with a keyway of some sort. Aftertrying vainlv to make the sprocket stay put, itwas finally pinned, keyed and held by two setscrews, and has not budged since being sofastened.

The countershaft is cut flush with the bearingon the right end but projects 2-1/4" beyond the leftbearing. On this end are fastened two 5-1/2" dia-meter pulleys.

The motor pulley is the type with 1-3/4", 2-1/4"2-3/4", and 3-1/4" steps, only the first and third of-which are utilized. The "gear shift" is very simplebut highly satisfactory. The two V-belts are leftin place at all times but are too loose to provideany power transfer from motor to countershaft.When the shift lever is pushed downward, apulley is lowered onto the top of the inner belt,

132

tightening it so that the countershaft is driven.For high "gear" the lever is then raised upwardspast the center position where both belts areloose, until another idler pulley is forced upagainst the underside of the other belt, whichtightens it and again drives the counter shaft, butat a higher speed.

The two idler pulleys are of ball bearing con-struction, and each is held to the shift rod by asingle 1/4" diameter bolt. Roller skate wheelsare good for this use; if flanged pulleys areobtained they must have a width inside theflanges of at least 1/2". Plain bearing types arenot advisable here as the pulleys turn at highspeed and are under considerable load.

Some means must be provided to hold theshift arrangement in the desired position, whetherup or down. An auto brake lever ratchet and pawlhave been adapted for this use, and while themake is unknown, the builder can probably findsomething satisfactory at his local supply storeor "junkie."

Most of these ratchets are designed to hold inonly one direction and slip the other way, so theteeth must be filed to such a shape that they willhold in either direction. The pieces are usuallycase-hardened but can be softened for drillingand filing by bringing them to a red heat for afew minutes, then allowing them to cool slowly.

The ratchet piece was drilled large enough tofit over the bearing of the shift lever and is bracedby a piece of 1"x3/16" steel running down to theframe. The bearing is a piece of brass tubing5/8" in diameter with 1/32" wall thickness, insidewhich is the shaft itself, a length of 1/2" diameterrod, turned down to 3/8" at each end and threaded.The tubing is brazed to the angle iron seat braces.

The shift lever is bolted onto its shaft with thepawl on the overhanging rear and actuated by a3/16" rod run forward through the wooden handle.A spring keeps the pawl tightly against theratchet except when the push rod button is de-pressed.

The shift rod which carries the two idlers isheld to the lever by a single 1/4" diameter bolt andanother bolt of the same size keeps the lowerend of the rod in place. The slot is 3-1/2" long whichallows the rod a vertical movement of about thesame distance. Both of the bolts are provided withbronze bushings to reduce wear. The rod mustbe held out about 7/8" from the frame so thatone idler can be placed on each side. The holesfor the idler pulley boits should not be drilleduntil the motor and countershaft are mountedand the pulley and belts put temporarily in placeto be sure the idlers will be in the proper location.

A spring coupling is provided between the leverand rod as may be seen in the illustration. Therod is bent out at right angles at the top and an

[Continued on page 142]

Gas Ration Special[Continued from page 132]

extension made from a 3/8" diameter bicycle rearwheel shaft bolted on. This slides through twoholes in a U-shaped metal piece, with a springat top and bottom. A bolt over the upper end keepsthe whole assembly in place and is turned tightenough to place the springs under considerablepressure. Such a device prevents overstretchingthe belts and makes the drive smoother.

This completes the heavy construction work,but many other details remain. The floor boardsare of 9/16" plywood held on with bolts. On oneside a cut-down bike kick-stand is fastened,bolted both to the floor and the frame for strength.

The motor is fitted with a simple muffler and along tail pipe and is surprisingly quiet in opera-tion. Construction details are shown on the draw-ings. The muffler bodytubing and the exhaustpipe ends are closedwith discs of 1/16" steelsheet brazed in place.The small tubing hasabout 20-1/4" dia.holes in each piecewhich appear to beample.

A guard piece of 3/4"x 1/8" strap iron, bent

upward at the frontand bolted to the floorboard, runs rearwardabout on the centerlineof the frame. The rearend is supported by theangle p i e c e whichguides the after end ofthe brake cable. Thisguard projects about 1"lower than the mufflerand protects the brake mechanism, and thecountershaft pulleys as well, when the machineis being lifted over curbs and other obstacles.

The sheet metal gas tank is fastened to theseat support in front and the vear is held upon a frame of 3/4"x1/8" strap iron. This frame isextended over the tank to form a handle that isvery convenient when lifting the vehicle.

Front and rear fenders are bent from No. 20gauge sheet steel; the one in front is braced bystrips of 16 gauge sheet riveted in place. Bothfenders are the flat crownless type,—all that canbe made without extensive sheet metal workingequipment.

The brake is external contracting and workson an ordinary 3-1/2" V-pulley keyed to thecountershaft. The brake band, cut from 20 gaugesteel, has a lining of heavy leather. A simpletoggle arrangement tightens the band around theV-belt and is actuated by a foot pedal on the floorboard. The two are connected by a piece of autochoke wire.

142

" I t has no practical value, but it works!'

The carburetor controls of choke and throttleare on the handlebars, operated by bicycle-typeflexible wire cables.

Some States (such as New Jersey) require twoheadlights and a tail light before a license willbe granted. The lights used here are all bicycleproducts operated by a small bike generatordriven by the rear tire. As this does not producequite high enough voltage, the generator is nowbeing belt driven from the countershaft.

A great deal of experimentation has been doneto ascertain the proper drive ratios. Although thephotos show different size pulleys on the counter-shaft (they were 5" diameter for "high" and6-1/2" for "low") these have been replaced by twoof 5-1/2" dia., which seems about right for the

motor used. The ratiofrom motor to rearwheel (using pitch dia-meters of the pulleyswhich average 1/4" lessthan outside diameter)and including the 2 to 1afforded by the chaindrive is thus about 4.2to 1 for high and 7 to 1for low. This provides atop speed of about 25m.p.h. in high andmakes for easy startingand plenty of power forhill climbing in low.Using the p u l l e y sshown in the photos,the ratios were 3.8 to 1and 8.3 to 1 respec-tively, but these werethought to be a bit toofar each way for best

results. All the belts and pulleys are ordinary 1/2"wide home workshop equipment.

A simple device was developed to prevent theV-belts from pulling when the shift is in neutral,a natural tendency even though they are quiteloose. An angle bracket is mounted on the motorcrankcase, the end projecting outwards just infront of and below the motor pulley. To this arebolted two strips of brass 1/8"x5/8"x2" long,bentso they just clear each belt when it is tightenedto the running position. They prevent the beltsfrom wrapping around the pulley when loose.

Persons under 19 years of age comprise 45% ofthe Soviet Union's population, compared with 32%in Great Britain, 30% in France.

Because eating spoiled food may cause animalsto become ill, home economists advise buryingany spoiled canned food with a tablespoonful oflye to each quart.

MECHANICS and

This Scooter

HANDICRAFT

If you can fix a bike, you can build a put-put that's almost as convenient as a second car and costs far less to run.

By Howard G. McEntee

OU simply get on this homemade scooter and go. There's no clutch, no gearshift.

Open the throttle and you're off. Tackling a grade? It shifts down automatically. When the going is easy, it shifts up again.

Hard to build? No. Though it looks like

Y

These are the main parts, but you'll need such extras as bolts and nuts, 1/2" and 3/8" pipe, lock

washers, sheet metal for fenders, wheel dust seals, and brake and idler springs.

something off a sweet-running assembly line, it isn't a tough job. If you can take a bike apart and get it together again, you can handle this, too.

Scooters are taking thousands to work, school, play, and the corner drugstore for just pennies a day. And no wonder. These little puddle jumpers are a cinch to handle. They park on a grease spot, and can be licensed at bargain rates. This one's a bar-gain in other ways, too.

What's it got? A lot, in view of today's high prices. Here's what your $75 buys: An easy-starting, lightweight two-cycle en-gine, an automatic clutch with variable drive ratio, an efficient brake, pneumatic tires, chain drive, lights, and a spring-mounted foam-rubber seat.

The engine is the most expensive item, but fortunately there are reliable two-cycle engines available for $25 or less.* If you have a suitable engine or can rebuild a used one (see PS, June '51 p. 187), this figure can drop to the vanishing point.

What'll it do? You won't beat even a Model A from the light in this little job. But the take-off is smooth, and you'll get where you're going at something like 20 miles an hour. Although it would bust be-fore making Pikes Peak, it will take you up easy grades and can be walked up stiff ones

POPULAR SCIENCE

under its own power. The brake is effective, starting is a cinch, and roadability is good. The machine is light enough to carry if necessary, and one man can put it into an auto luggage compartment.

Welding does it. The cost includes $6 for welding the frame, and it's money well spent. Although you could bolt or rivet the frame together, you'd have to overlap mem-bers or provide gussets at all joints. But welding service is available everywhere, and a welded frame is much easier to make, neater looking, and stronger.

You'll find most welders cooperative, es-pecially if you cut and fit frame members correctly and clamp them in proper align-ment. Electric welding is preferable. It's less likely to warp the stock.

Cutting the frame. Two 45" lengths of angle iron must be cut, bent, and welded at two points. For the 30° upward bend, cut through one flange of each piece 12 1/2" from an end. Watch yourself, for these members are not identical; you need a right and a left. Bend the uncut flange, spread-ing open the cut. Then have 1/8" reinforcing plates welded across the breaks.

The second bends are in the other flanges, and require narrow notches. These are closed up by bending, and need no reinforcing, just careful welding. The front of the frame is filed to fit around the head. Try to make the two parts a reasonably close

Measuring 12 1/2i" from ends of main frame members, cut through one flange, and bend the other up about 30°. Be sure to make one right, one left. Cut 1/8"-thick braces to be welded across the breaks. Weld across them inside the angle also.

First bend (at right) has been welded in both members and a 3/8"-wide V notch cut 2" above it. Second bend closes these notches, ready for welding. Clamps hold a crosspiece in place. Head (in hand) will be welded to rounded frame ends.

match, but don't fret about it, for weld-ing will close up small gaps.

Assembling the frame. The fork turns in ball bearings like those in the wheels, but made for a 3/8" axle. The 1" pipe for the head can be bored out in a lathe to fit the bearings, or filed by hand, since the outer race does not turn. Cut the angle brace. Then wire it and the head in place for welding, or drill the frame members for a clamping bolt and have the holes welded

up later. Make sure the head is vertical to the frame, as viewed from the front, or your wheel will be askew.

Note that, except for the axle slots, no holes are made in the vertical flanges of the long frame members. All other holes go in the top flanges, which don't carry much of the load.

The scooter shown was assembled mostly with square-shoulder carriage bolts, for which you must file the hole square. This

Diagonal frame brace is welded between the head

and first crosspiece. This and center one are angle stock, the rear one flat iron. Round off corners that touch fillets inside frame sides, for a close fit. Bore ends of head for bearings, and drill fork crosspieces for kingbolt, before welding.

Makings of a wheel hub. Ball bearings are in place in the shells. Center spacer must clamp between inner races without binding the bear-ings. A lathe is ideal for facing spacers squarely to length. Felt seals prolong bearing life. Bolts and nuts clamp hub together.

Industrial type sprocket used here was bored out to clear the axle spacer. Sprocket is set off by four spacers 1 9/16" long, cut from 3/8" pipe. Spacer ends against sprocket are square, but inner ends are filed to contour of hub shells. The holes in the shells must be opened out to clear 1/4"-20 bolts.

Front engine mounts rest directly over the center frame crosspiece. The rear ones sit on the bearing hangers, and therefore are 1/8" shorter. All mounts are cut from 1/2" pipe. Iron straps across them provide an inboard support for the engine base, in which the mounting holes are 3 1/4" apart.

takes only a few seconds and saves time in assembly, because it isn't necessary to fumble underneath with wrenches to hold a bolt while cinching up the nut.

Lock washers under all nuts are, of course, a must if you want the scooter to be roadworthy. Don't under any circum-stances omit them.

Wheels. These are 10" by 2.75" tubeless pneumatics, inflatable through a valve. Valveless (semi-pneumatic or zero pressure) tires give a harder ride. Be sure to get the heavy-duty grade, since light-service tires of both types aren't recommended for much more than wheelbarrow speeds. ,

At least the rear wheel must be the lug-base type, having molded protuberances on the tire that fit indentations in the hub. Make certain you have this kind, or you may find the hub going around while tire, scooter, and rider stay put.

To prevent the bearings from turning di-rectly on the axle, the inner races must be clamped against a center spacer. This and outside spacers can be cut from ordinary 1/2" pipe drilled out a bit. Each center spacer must be carefully fitted. If too long, it won't allow the hub to be assembled; if too short, it will bind the bearings. Each wheel must turn freely when clamped with axle nuts with the center spacer in. Start with this spacer a trifle long, and shorten it a little at a time.

The front axle is simply a 1/2" hex bolt 5 1/2" long. If you can't get one 8" long for the rear axle, use a square-head machine bolt or a 1/2" shaft threaded at both ends.

Chain drive. The roller chain shown is No. 41, 1/2" pitch and 1/4" wide. This is stronger than necessary. Similar chain 1/8" wide is stocked by bicycle stores and will serve as well.

The sprockets should give a ratio of about 2 1/2 to 1. The large (32-tooth) sprocket is fastened to the rear hub with 1/4"-20 bolts on spacers cut from 3/8" pipe. Mount the wheel and spin it to help you true up the sprocket.

Countershaft. Bearings are the self- aligning type, which make assembly easier than rigid bearings. The 1/2" countershaft must be at 90° to the frame, with the rear axle parallel to it, for quiet chain operation. The small sprocket (13-tooth) must be pinned to the shaft. Setscrews will not hold. Drill a hole through hub and shaft, ream with a No. 3 taper reamer, and drive in a taper pin.

A crossbar of 1/2" shafting is filed flat where it crosses the frame, and bolted on. Brake lever is welded of 1/2" pipe and 1" strap as at left. It pivots on the crossbar. So does the idler bracket on the drive side and the kick stand on the other. Pointed end of brake lever strikes frame crosspiece as a stop. Brake band is looped over, riveted, and notched to form clevis as at right. Clevis pin is unthreaded portion of a bolt. Lower end of brake band is bolted to frame crosspiece. Engine will rest directly on straps, not on nuts shown.

A shaft collar goes between this sprocket and the nearer bearing. The brake drum takes the side thrust at the other bearing. Leave just a little end play.

Brake. Use a 3 1/2" steel or cast-iron flat pulley for the drum if possible—a die-cast one will wear rapidly. The scooter shown has an iron V pulley with the sharp ridge turned off the flanges. Pin the drum fast, or use two setscrews tightened against flat spots on the shaft.

The brake band is a flexible strip of 1/16" by 3/4" steel. Bend the band around the drum before riveting on some 1/8"-thick woven brake lining. Bolt the lower end of the band to the frame crosspiece and form the other into a clevis as shown.

Extra holes in the brake lever allow for adjustment, and a spring normally holds the band off the drum. Braking action tends to wrap the band around the drum, which makes the brake very responsive.

Engine. For the engine shown, cut four mounts from 1/2" pipe and two straps of 1/8" by 1" stock. These give an inboard support for the engine base, which is narrower than the frame.

The engine comes with a governor, which should be removed. An auto choke cable 72" long is connected to the throttle. At-tach a spring to hold the throttle closed unless the button on the handlebars is pushed.

The muffler on this engine interferes with

the drive pulley. Take it off, separate the two aluminum castings, and, using the mounting holes and port in one as a tem-plate, mark new ones on the other. Drill and file them out. Plug unneeded holes with bolts and gasket cement, leaving the original cylinder port as the exhaust.

Before mounting the engine, put lock washers under the three screws that hold the crankcase to its base. Tighten the screws hard. You don't want them to loosen under vibration, for they are difficult to reach with the engine in place.

Belt drive. It's the centrifugally con-trolled pulley, acting as both clutch and variable-ratio drive, that makes the 1-hp. engine perform as well as it does. Some pulleys of this type will serve as a clutch, but offer little or no ratio change. The one I used, a V-Plex clutch model 18T9*, shifts from a drive-belt diameter of 3/4." at rest to one of 2 1/4" at high speed.

The keyway on the engine crankshaft may not be long enough to let the pulley slide close in. To remedy this, grind out one of the two keys cast into the bore of the pulley.

An idler keeps the belt taut. Adjust the pull of the idler spring so that it holds the belt taut over the entire shift range, yet leaves the belt loose when the engine is idling. [Continued on next page]

Ends of frame head receive ball bearings like those in the wheels, but with 3/8" hole. Here the lower bearing is on the king bolt over lower fork crosspiece. Spacer held in the hand goes between the bearings inside the head. Short spacer raises nut above top crosspiece for ac-cess. Be sure to use lock washer.

The best over-all drive ratio will depend on the kind of roads you travel. In flat country, with 13- and 32-tooth sprockets, a 4" pulley on the countershaft may suffice. In hilly territory, a 5" pulley may be neces-sary, or you may want a smaller drive sprocket.

Fork assembly. Like the wheel bear-ings, those in the head should be clamped against a center spacer. Remember to insert

Seat frames are fastened with 1/4" bolts. Make certain the brace in rear frame clears the car-buretor amply. Kick stand goes on this end of crossbar. Valve springs, turned over a pair of nuts on each rear frame bolt, rest in shallow holes in plywood seat. The seat must hinge to give access to gas tank.

Motor pulley changes flange spacing as engine revs up, changing ratio and also acting as a clutch. Idler takes up belt slack. It consists of two ball bearings bolted to straps that pivot on the crossbar. Muffler has been reversed to clear drive pulley. Its cylinder-mounting boss is now the exhaust opening.

felt washers and dust caps to keep grease in and dirt out. If you can't buy them, you can improvise them from felt rings and 1/2" washers, with a smaller washer inside the felt ring, as shown in the photos.

The trimmings. In fitting the seat sup-port, make certain it clears the carburetor, gas tank, and muffler by at least 1/4" all around. Cut the floor boards from 3/8" or 3/8" plywood, and attach them with 1/4" carriage bolts.

Some states require a tail light, head lamp, and horn before the scooter can be licensed. Battery lights sold for bicycles will serve, but if you want to use a magneto-type (battery-less) lighting outfit that is powered from a wheel, better check its legality in your state.

Trial run. Follow instructions on the engine name plate for mixing oil with gaso-line. Always close the fuel petcock and if possible run the carburetor dry (which takes several minutes) when leaving the scooter overnight. Otherwise the carburetor jets are likely to clog with oil, making starting difficult.

Be sure to carry your starting rope at all times. A scooter with a centrifugal clutch can't be started by pushing, although in an |34 POPULAR SCIENCE

emergency you can probably start the en-gine with a handkerchief, knotted at one end and twisted into a short starting rope. If the scooter tries to get away from you at low engine speeds, lower the idling speed. Also,check the belt idler tension. Fit a stop to the idler bracket if necessary. On the other hand, failure to "take hold" may be due to too large a belt or insufficient idler tension.

Remember that most belts will stretch after short use, so it's well to start with a slightly tight one.

Up- and down-shifting will be governed in part by the tension of the idler spring, so you may want to experiment with this.

Get your license, practice on some lonely road until you get the feel of the thing, and you're set for happy scootering. END

A quick yank starts the engine. Run carburetor dry when you slop, or jets may clog with oil.

MI's HIGHWAY KART

You don't need a trailer or a station wagon to haul this

kart to a track-you can drive it there on public roads!

By R. J. Capotosto

RIVING a kart is a real thrill.Seated on a low-slung frame only

inches from the ground, you teel as ifyou're doing 80 mph when you're doing20. Yet it's surprisingly safe. The lowcenter of gravity and a width two-thirdsthe length make it almost impossible toflip a kart in a tight turn. Just abouteveryone who tries a kart gets the urgeto own one—and if you've got that urge,you get a bonus in building the MIHighway Kart.

Since karts are generally driven onspecial tracks, it is not necessary to reg-ister them. However, transporting a

90

CLAMPS and a piece of angle-iron holdkingpin brackets in position for welding.

Mechanix Illustrated

SHEET STEEL is cut and bent to shape,then spot-welded beneath the sissy rails.

ENGINE MOUNTING plate is tack-weldedat first since it may require shifting later.

NOTES: FRAMING MEMBERS, BUMPERS AND SEAT RAILS ARE

OF ANGLE IRON WITH JOINTS WELDED.

REAR AXLE ROD AND PLATE ARE OF COLD-ROLLED STEEL

FRONT AXLE BRACKETS ARE OF HOT-ROLLED STEEL.

BRAKES are the internal expanding type.Two are needed for kart used on highways.

BOTTOM view with the belly pan weldedin place. Note bends in the control rods.

92 Mechanix Illustrated

THROTTLE control linkage is simple but DON'T overtighten the nut on the king-foolproof. Return spring is on the right. pin. Use a slotted nut and a cotter pin.

CUSHIONS are foam rubber. A Boltaflexcover is stapled to the plywood backing.

RETURN spring connected to brake link-age is strong enough to pull pedal back.

READY for the road. Latex paint was used to give tires white sidewalls.Headlights 24 inches above ground comply with the law for night driving.

BRACKETS are adjustable so that head-lights may be lowered when not required.

94

EVER READY 12VFOG LAMP (2)

HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY

TAIL LIGHT

kart is often a problem. Itcan be hauled in a sta-tion wagon—if you own awagon—or it can be towedon a trailer. Either way,the lugging can be quite anuisance. With this inmind, our model was de-signed so that registrationcould be obtained, makingit possible to drive the kartto its destination on publicroads.

Our plates were ob-tained in New York. How-ever, regulations vary andthe requirements wouldhave to be checked inother states. First we hadto supply three things:proof of ownership (a billof sale for the engine); anaffidavit stating that thekart was built by our-selves; and a list of theparts used. To make thekart legally roadworthy ithad to have front and rearbumpers, a brake on eachrear wheel, headlights,taillights, turn signals, arear license plate and ahorn. In use, the head-

LICENSE PLATE LIGHTSINGLE CONTACT 4 C.P.

WIRING DIAGRAM FOR 12-VOLT SYSTEM

WITH TWO BRAKES, the linkage must beset so that both will be applied at once.

HAND CRANK for engine's impact starterfolds up out of the way when not in use.

95

NOTE: IF TWO STOP LIGHTS AREREQUIRED USE ANOTHER SWITCH

FOR HEADLIGHT USECLEAR FOG LAMP (2)

TURN LIGHTSINGLE CONTACT4 C.P. (2)

DPDTTURN SWITCH

BLINKER SHORTINGSWITCH

BLACKLEAD

REDLEAD

REDLEAD

BRAKE LIGHTSTOP SWITCH

SEE NOTE

LIGHTSWITCH

12-VOLTGENERATORBUILT INTOENGINE

GROUND

DOUBLE CONTACTLAMP 4 C.P. (2)

TURNLIGHT

MICRO MUFFLER is shown being boltedover exhaust port of Clinton E-65 engine.

LIGHT switches and a switch for short-ing out engine are on panel below wheel.

LARGE-SCALE PLANS

are available with complete text andphotos. Send $3 to MI Plans Service.Fawcett Bldg., Greenwich, Conn., andspecify Plan WB-4, Mi's Highway Eart.

CRANK is pressed after four turns, re-leasing a spring which starts the engine.

lights are required to be 24 inches abovethe ground. A permanent arrangementof this sort would not be desirable, sowe mounted the lights on adjustablebrackets which allow them to be low-ered.

Electrifying the kart was simplifiedby using a Clinton E-65-1100 series en-gine with a built-in, 12-volt flywheelgenerator. This eliminates the need fora heavy battery, relay and externalgenerator. The engine delivers 5.2 hpand it has a 5.76 cubic inch displace-ment, putting it in the Class A category.It is fitted with an impact starter andfour turns of the crank followed by apress to release the spring are sufficientto start the engine. A Mercury centri-fugal clutch permits no-load startingand load-free idling and it automaticallyapplies the load to the engine at its mostefficient speed. Brakes are the six-inchinternal expanding type. If you do notplan to register the kart, one brake willbe sufficient as a Class A rig.

For simple and sturdy construction,angle-iron is used throughout. Thiseliminates welding of fish-mouth jointson tubing, something which is ratherdifficult unless you're an experiencedwelder. Welding angle-iron is very easyby comparison. It's also easy to shapethe angle-iron by cutting slits or notchesin one side and bending it in a vise.

Start construction by cutting all theangle-iron to size and forming it asshown in the drawings. Cut the notcheswith a hack saw and save the triangularwaste pieces. These can be used to fill inthe spaces formed where the slits openup on reverse bends. When cuttingnotches, drill a 3/16-in hole at the baseof the V to allow proper bending clear-ance. File all cuts clean to remove burrsprior to welding. The 3/8-inch holes forthe brake and [Continued on page 112]

Mechanix Illustrated

Highway Kaxt[Continued from page 96]

throttle studs should also be drilled at thistime.

To simplify the welding, clamp thepieces together and tack-weld them first.Then check the positioning to see if it's allright to complete the welds. We used aLincwelder 100 and obtained excellent re-sults.

The 1-1/4x1/2-in. kingpin brackets shouldbe clamped in perfect alignment beforethey are welded in place. These bracketsare made by heating the metal to a cherryred and then bending them in a vise. Ifyour welder is equipped with a carbon-arc torch, you will find it excellent forheating the metal. The rear axle and brakeflange are also attached at this time. Notethat the rear axle is offset to allow for thesprocket on the left side.

The engine mounting plate is madefrom quarter-inch steel plate. It has elon-gated slots to allow for proper alignmentof the engine. A simple way to make theslots is to drill the two end holes and cutout the material between. Use a keyholesaw or, better still, a jig saw with a fine-toothed blade and a slow speed. Wax theblade and feed the work slowly. Since thisplate may have to be moved slightly onfinal assembly, tack-weld it into place.

The throttle and brake linkages are as-sembled as shown in the drawings. Makethe control rods from quarter-inch cold-rolled steel, threaded at each end. Tem-porarily attach the rod assemblies to theframe, clamping them at the stop guidebrackets. The rods should not bind whenthe pedals are operated. The returnsprings should also be in place at this timeso that proper tensioning and positioningis obtained. When all checks out, the unitscan be assembled to the frame.

The firewall, belly pan, dash and sidepieces under the sissy rails are cut from20-gauge sheet steel with heavy-dutyshears. Bending is required to fit the sidepieces into place. Attach all these platesby spot-welding every inch.

The steering knuckles are made bywelding 3/4x4-inch cap screws to steeltubing of half-inch inside diameter. Drilland tap the tubing to accept a grease fit-

[Continued on page 116]

May, 1962

Highway Kart[Continued from page 112]

ting, taking care to remove any burrs thatmay form on the inside. The cotter pinhole in the axle also may be made at thistime. Determine the location of the holeby placing the wheel with bearings on theaxle. Then remove the wheel and threada nut onto the axle, noting the exact loca-tion of the hole. Lock the nut in place witha second nut and then drill through the flatside of the nut. The wheels, incidentally,are available from the Indus Corp., 1815Madison Ave., Indianapolis 25, Ind.

The steering tie rods are threaded ateach end for a distance of one inch so thatthere will be sufficient adjustment fortoe-in. The steering rod and wheel aremade of 3/8-inch cold-rolled steel. The largebend in the wheel may be made cold butthe sharp bends will have to be heated.The 3/8-inch bronze bushings are pressedinto the top and bottom of the steering rodtube. A plastic mallet is good for drivingthem in. As an added safety feature, thewheel and arm are welded to the steeringrod after assembly. Make sure that thearm is in alignment with the steeringwheel before welding.

The carburetor throttle lever is con-nected directly to the throttle linkagethrough a length of throttle cable. Attachthe cable to the body of the engine with abracket made from a scrap of 20-gaugesteel. The separate gas tank is mounteddirectly behind the driver's seat, againusing 20-gauge steel for straps.

The electrical system is next added byfollowing the wiring diagram. Usestranded wire and tape all the leads in aneat bunch so that none will dangle. Thetaillights and turn lights are screwed di-rectly to the frame by drilling small holesat the rear of the fixtures. The stop lightswitch must be positioned so that it closesthe circuit when the brake pedal is de-pressed one half of its travel. Naturally,the engine must be running to provide cur-rent for this test.

The upholstery consists of a quarter-inch plywood backing, a two-inch foamrubber filler and a covering of Boltaflex,a product of Bolta Products, Division ofThe General Tire and Rubber Co., Law-

[Continued on page 118]

May, 1962

Highway Kart[Continued from page 116]

rence, Mass. Pull the material tight overthe foam and staple it to the rear of theplywood.

The Indus wheels do not come withwhite walls as shown. We used a latexpaint for this. Be sure to clean the rubberthoroughly before painting. All metalparts of the kart should be given a coat ofmetal primer before painting them withenamel. The lamp brackets, control rods,etc., are sprayed with aluminum paint. Toadd to the looks of the kart, a ribbed rub-ber floor mat is used.

Due to the space limitations where theengine is positioned, it is not possible tomake full turns of the impact startercrank. However, the crank is connectedthrough a ratchet and full turns are notnecessary.

Our kart, including everything but theengine, was built for $116. The 5.2-hp en-gine with built-in 12-volt generator was$85.74, bringing the total cost to $201.74.Naturally, you can build the kart for con-siderably less if you don't want to includethe features necessary for highway use.MI has made arrangements with the Fine-crafts Products Co., Box 7031, Jersey City7, N. J., to supply readers with the partsfor this kart. Write to them for a pricelist. •

GOLF CART-OR FAMILY RUNABOUTFirst, it's a golf cart powerful enough to carry two adults and equipmentup steep slopes. But it's also a heart-saver for the aged, "legs" for aninvalid, and a "school bus" or shopping "car" for Mom. It featurestwin-motor drive, four speeds forward and reverse, coil-spring suspension,2-wheel brakes and tricycle steering, plus a built-in battery charger

PART I

SPEEDS UP TO 20 m.p.h. and 30 to 40miles on a single charging of the bat-

teries make this cart an ideal utilityvehicle for any home, farm or business.The cart is wide and low, both to assurestability on any terrain and to provideample room for any of several combina-tions of motors and batteries.

First step in the construction is to makethe main frame, Figs. 7 and 10, of steelchannels and angles. Arc welding is re-quired in this assembly. The next stepafter the main frame is assembled is toassemble the drive-unit frame, Figs. 7through 11. The rear cross member of thisframe is a length of 3/4-in. pipe that pivots

By Tom Riley

in two U-shaped brackets bolted to platesthat are welded to the rear cross memberof the main frame. The brackets are aloose fit on the pipe. Strips of inner-tuberubber then are wrapped on the pipe underthe brackets to provide a "snubbing" pivot.Stub axles for the rear wheels are weldedto a length of pipe to produce a completeaxle, that will give a width of 41-1/2 in. be-tween the outer sides of the tires. Thisleaves a clearance of 3/4 in. between thetires and the outer edges of the cart'smain frame. The drive-unit frame is madenarrow enough to clear the brake drumson the wheels. Coil springs used in therear suspension are kept aligned by 3/4-in.

POPULAR MECHANICS

Versatile is the word for this golf-cart-runabout. Grandmother, Mother,Dad and the kids all find use for it

pipe caps bolted to spring plates at thefront of the drive-unit frame and to the 2-in. cross member of the main frame. A long3/8-in. bolt with fuller balls at each end isused to "snub" the frames together and toprevent sidesway of the drive-unit frame.The lower right-hand detail in Fig. 7 showsthe snubber bolt, springs and pivot-bracketsetups. A piece of 3/4-in. plywood is boltedto the drive-unit frame to support the mo-tors. Slotted holes in the plywood permitthe motors to be moved to allow adjust-ment of chain tension. Heavy turnbucklesare attached to the frame and to the mo-tors near the shaft ends to "hold" thisadjustment.

Wheels, which should be purchased be-fore assembling the drive-unit frame be-cause of the need for measurements, canbe of several types. For the rear, the wheelsshould have 4.80 or 5.50 x 8 turf-type tires,such as used on most golf carts. A less ex-

Spend your time improving yourgame, instead of walking. The cartgets you around in half the time

pensive substitute are wheels torn lightaircraft, which are available as war sur-plus. These have tires with a channeltread, and are complete with bearings,hubs, and spindles. Also available are 6-in. brake drums and sprockets drilled tofit the wheels. For the front wheel of thecart a rounded tire is best. A 14-1/2-in. bal-loon aircraft tire or a 16-in. standard in-dustrial tire should be used.

The fork assembly is made as shown inthe left-hand detail, Fig. 7. Either turnedbrass bushings or ball bearings can be used,pressed into a counterbored length of pipeor tubing. The latter then is welded overa hole drilled in the 3-in. frame channel,Figs. 6 and 10.

Three types of d.c. electric motors canbe used for the cart. Sprockets and chainsfrom light motorcycles are used with eachto deliver a speed of from 350 to 400 r.p.m.to the rear wheels. Aircraft starter motors,

Photo of frame front end shows location of fork,foot and hand brakes, extreme turning angle possible

Fig. 8, available as war surplus, can be usedif only moderate power is required. Al-though rated at 24 volts, they are designedfor intermittent service and should be runwith four batteries producing 12 volts,or three batteries that will provide18 volts. Most of these motors turn onlyabout 100 r.p.m., so a large sprocket isfitted on the motor and a smaller one onthe wheel. Check the r.p.m. rating of anytype motor before obtaining sprockets. Asecond type aircraft motor, also availableas surplus, is a high-speed unit that rotatesat about 5000 r.p.m., which makes it nec-essary to use a gear reducer of from 5-to-lor 10-to-l to reduce the speed to a pointwhere chains and sprockets can handle it.A third type motor, the most expensive, isa propulsion or traction motor, Fig. 9, such

168 POPULAR MECHANICS

Drive-unit frame with aircraft starter motors in- Here drive unit is f i t ted with propulsion motors,stalled. Note turnbuckles from the frame to motors such as used tor golf carts and industrial lifts

APRIL 1958 169

2" CHANNEL

2" CHANNEL

as is used for golf carts, electric lifts andthe like. They are available from the largermotor manufacturers.

Brakes for the rear wheels of the cartcan be made in two ways. If you purchasewheels with 6-in. drums, parking brakesof the external-contracting type, used onthe drive shaft of Plymouth cars, can be

'modified for use as shown in the right-handdetail, Fig. 7. A second type of brake isto bolt a double V-pulley to each wheel anduse two V-belts as "brake bands." The lat-ter brake is efficient, but wears rapidly.Arrangement of the cables for both the

hand and foot brakes is shown in Fig. 10.The parking-brake handle can be onepicked up in an auto-wrecking yard.

The seat back and three floorboards noware cut from 3/4-in., exterior-grade ply-wood. Ten 2-in.-dia. holes in the back arelocated toward the center so mud from thetires will not spatter through. These, andnine holes in the seat floorboard ventilatethe charger and batteries. The seat front,cut from 1/2-in. plywood also is attached,after being slotted for the reversing switch,Figs. 11 and 13.

Figs. 1 through 5 show just a few of the

MOTORS

DRIVE-UNIT FRAME

170 POPULAR MECHANICS

ANGLESCHANNEL

PARKING-BRAKECABLE

ANGLE

TURNBUCKIE

HEAVYSPRING

STEEL FLATEYEBOLT

LOCATION OF BASIC PARTS REAR SPRING

2" VENTHOLES

REVERSING SWITCH

"ACCELERATOR"SWITCH

SINGLEWHEEL

STEERING HANDLE

CHARGER

BATTERIES SPEED CHANGER

Springs used to counterbalance the hoods of someautomobiles are strong enough for the fork assembly

many uses for this versatile golf cart-run-about. If it is to be used by an invalid, thecart should be fitted with hand, rather thanfoot controls. The "accelerator" pedal canbe replaced with a lever-controlled switchon the instrument panel or glove shelf.Brakes also can be operated by a longlever projecting upward through the floor-board and positioned for the driver to graspit easily. An upward-projecting extensionhandle also will have to be fitted on thereversing-switch. It is important that thisswitch be handy for any driver, as it canbe used to brake the cart in an emergency.If the cart is to be driven on streets orhighways, check with city and state offi-cials for types of licenses required beforeconstructing the cart. You may find thatyour state or city does not permit a vehicleof this type to be driven on the streetsor on the highways. Next month will beshown the installation of wiring, batteryhook-up and attachment of the body sides,front and seat.

This view of cart shows neat appearance of seat andrear deck. Note reverse lever at front of the seat

APRIL 1958

GOLF CART- RUNABOUTPART II

By Tom Riley

A FTER COMPLETING the main frame,drive-unit frame and all other work

described in Part I last month, the next stepin construction of the cart is installation ofthe batteries. Heavy-duty, 6-volt batteriesrated at 170-amp. hours or better should beused to assure maximum performance.Batteries having bolt-on connecting postsare the best for installation in the cart, asthey allow interconnection of the batterieswith inexpensive "bus bars" of 1/8 x 3/4-in.aluminum flats, Fig. 19. Screw strips of3/4 x 3/4-in. hardwood to the floorboard

WIRING

FIELD

around the batteries to keep them in place.Batteries shown in Fig. 19 are standard-sized, grouped in a rectangle and centeredin the cart. If long, narrow batteries areused, place them four in a row across thecenter of the seat space. Weld a frame of3/4-in. steel angles for a hold-down and se-cure this frame on two ends by means oflong 5/16-in. bolts passed through the floor-board. This arrangement is similar to thatused to hold the battery in an automobile.The lower, left-hand detail in Fig. 15 showshow four 6-volt batteries can be hooked

together for 12 volts, thedetail to the right shows a24-volt hookup. Note the6-volt take-off for lights.If the cart is used on thestreet, it will require ahorn and lights as well asa license. When extra ac-cessories are installed, tapeach unit from a differentbattery. This distributesthe electrical drain so thatone battery is not over-taxed. Because the bat-teries are charged as aunit, when the other threewere fully charged, thebattery from which all theaccessories were drainingstill would not be up tostandard.

Next, it is necessary todetermine the method to

POPULAR MECHANICS

FOOT SWITCH("ACCELERATOR")

RESISTANCE COIL

. R E L A Y

IGNITION SWITCH

BATTERY HOOKUPFOR 12 VOLTS 6 VOlTS TO LIGHTS

SWITCHREVERSINGARMATURE

use for reversing the motors you are goingto use. Most traction motors have 3 or 4terminals on the outside, with a diagramprinted on the motor or terminal box, so nochanges are necessary in this type of motor.Most surplus aircraft motors will requirethat short leads be run through the brushcover to extra terminals on an insulatedbase outside the motor, as shown in Fig. 16.Reversing diagrams sometimes are sup-plied with these surplus motors, but it isbest to have an electrician check to makesure it is right. A diagram supplied withmotors used on the original cart was in-correct; it recommended reversing thepolarity of the brushes, resulting in a deadshort, because these particular motors hadgrounded armatures. Fig. 16 shows howthese were correctly reversed. It still isbest to check with an electrician beforeconnecting your motors.

The heavy-duty reversing switch re-quired, Figs. 17 and 21, is obtained inex-pensively by rebuilding an old-style 50 to100-amp. double-pole, double-throw serv-ice entrance switch. They can be obtainedat some electricians' shops because theyare being replaced in homes today withless exposed disconnects. Raise the twocenter, or hinge, jaws of the switch about3/4 in. on pipe spacers, so the blades willclear the end jaws by 3/16 in. when they arelevel, Fig. 17. Replace the two blades andhandle with two 5-in.-long copper blades,pivoted at the middle. Bolt a block of in-sulating material between the blades at thecenter, then attach a new handle. If neces-sary, reposition the four outer jaws on thebase plate so they fit under the new blades.Bolts securing all six jaws to the baseshould extend about 3/4 in. below it, so they

CHARGER DIAGRAM

115 VOLT TO 12-24 VOLT115-VOLTPLUG TRANSFORMER

25 AMP. AT 24-VOLT CAPACITY,

12-HR. TIMER SWITCH20-AMP., 115-VOLT CAPACITY

INDICATOR LIGHT

SELENIUM RECTIFIERSINGLE-PHASE BRIDGE CIRCUIT,

15 TO 20-AMP. CAPACITYAT 26 VOLTS

12 TO 24-VOLTS D.C.TO BATTERIES

HOOKUP FOR REVERSING STARTER MOTORS

NEG TO BATTERIES '12 TO 18 VOLTS

FROM SPEED CONTROL

Above, wiring diagram for reversing aircraft startermotors as corrected by builder of original cart. Jtstill is best to have electrician check motors

INSULATINGMATERIAL

COPPER ORALUMINUM STRIPS

17WIRING

(UNDERSIDE)

Reversing switch for cart, above, is made by mod-ifying switch used originally in house wiring. Theysometimes can be obtained at an electrician's shop

Photo, below, shows installation of four, 6-voltbatteries, with hold-down frame. Charger and timerare in foreground. Wiring diagram is shown at left

MAY 1958 177

REVERSINGSWITCH

GROUNDFRAME

INSULATEDBRUSH

FIELD

MAINTERMINAL

GROUNDBRUSH

Speed-control unit, above, consists of four auto-starter relays and a rectangular resistance coil

+ TO BATTERIES

TO REVERSING SWITCH ALUMINUM BUS BAR

SPEED CONTROL

2" FRAME A N G L E ,

ELECTRIC-CABLE CLAMP

BUS BAR

221 SIDE VIEW

RUBBERWASHERS

-H/B

Above, wir ing diagram and layout of speed controlshows how resistance coil is offset to keep it wel lbelow rear deck. Below, hood is marked for cutting

178

Reversing switch, above, is raised on pipe spacersso that wiring can be run in the space beneath it

can accommodate two nuts and cable ter-minals. On the underside of the switchbase, cross-connect the four outer terminalsas indicated in Fig. 17, using copper or alu-minum strips. The switch handle is a 1/4 x1/2 x 10-in. steel flat, twisted 90 deg. justbeyond the insulating block to which it isbolted. The end is ground down and thread-ed to accept a small gear-shift knob froman automobile steering-column lever.

To vary the speed of the cart motors, aspeed control is assembled from four 6-voltauto-starter relays, which pass the elec-tric current through a varying length ofchrome-nickel resistance wire, Figs. 20 and22. In operation—see Fig. 22—closing relayNo. 1 causes the current to pass through thefull length of the resistance coil, resultingin low speed. Closing relays 2, 3 and 4 giveconstantly higher speeds, with No. 4 pro-ducing full speed because it allows thecurrent to bypass the resistance coil. Useauto relays that have no connection be-tween the relay coil and its main terminals,such as for a 1946 to 1954 Plymouth. MostFord relays, for example, look the same,but have the relay coil wired internally toone of the main terminals, which will causethe 12 to 24-volt current to feed backthrough the 6-volt coils, causing either aheavy "short" or chattering of the relays.If available, 24-volt aircraft relays, whichhave silver contacts, are best. Drill holes3 in. apart in a 1/8 x 3/4 x 11-in. aluminum barand bolt the motor-side terminals of therelays to it. Bolt the four relays to a 4 x 12-in. piece of 1/4-in. hardboard, using rubberwashers as indicated in the lower detail,Fig. 22, to quiet the click when they operate.Connect the four relay housings togetherwith a small wire to provide a 6-volt ground.Making the resistance coil is a cut-and-trymatter, depending on the wire, motor typeand voltage used. Try about 10 ft. of

POPULAR MECHANICS

1/8-in.-dia. chrome-nickel resistance wire,wrapped around a 2 x 6 to form a rectan-gular coil. Because the wire gets hot whenthe cart is running, mount the coil abovethe relays, and extending out from themas in Fig. 22. For the same reason, connectthe coil to the relays with electric service-entrance cable clamps, rather than by loop-ing the wire around the relay terminals.The clamps also allow you to tap off any-where along the coil. Connect the clampsso there is more coil between relays 1 and2, than between the others. If this producestoo slow a first speed, cut down on thelength, if too fast, add more resistance wirebetween the first two relays. The speedcontrol is bolted to the center of the 2-in.-angle crossframe with two pieces of steelangle, Fig. 22.

The 6-volt wire from the batteries andthe four wires from the relays to the "ac-celerator pedal" need be only 18-ga. strand-ed wire, secured to the underside of thefloorboards. On the original cart, the ac-celerator switch, Fig. 24, was a long-wear-ing, silver-contact type made especially forthis purpose by one of the larger golf-cartmanufacturers. Some heavy-duty surplusradio switches also can be used. They area "shorting type" switch. The wiper arm ofthe switch contacts each following termi-nals before disconnecting from the preced-ing terminal, providing a smooth action.The heavy wiring from the batteries to thespeed control, reversing switch and motors,Fig. 15, should be 6 ga. or heavier. Auto-battery cable is excellent but expensive.House-service cable can be used, but is less

AUTO-ACCELERATOR PEDAL

24

"ACCELERATOR" SWITCH(SHORTING-TYPE SWITCH)

satisfactory because it is difficult to bendat sharp angles.

The built-in charger is an optional fea-ture, but it definitely simplifies servicing.The charger shown in Fig. 19 producesmore than 20 amps, at 24 volts, and hasboth a 12 and 24-volt output. An 18-volttransformer would have to be used, if thatcurrent were used in your cart. Mount thetransformer on brackets about 1/2 in. abovethe floorboard, so wiring can be locatedbeneath it. A 12-hour, spring-wound timerswitch, such as used for large fans, ismounted under the seat. The wiring dia-gram is shown in Fig. 18.

Figs. 14 and 25 show how the two sides,rear panel and rear deck, cut from 1/2-in.plywood are attached and trimmed withlinoleum trim strips and steel angles. Theside rails on the rear of the cart are bent

SCREW

V PLYWOOD

%" PLYWOOD

MAY 1958 179

from 1/2-in. Thin-Wall electrical tubing. Thehood of the cart is formed from a singlesheet of 1/8-in. hardboard, measuring 24 x76 in. Cut this panel after it has beenclamped or screwed to the center of thefloorboard, with about 5 in. extending be-low it. Then bend and clamp the ends of thehardboard to the frame. Push it down untilthe top end assumes an even curve, thenscrew it to the floorboard every 8 in. Now,mark the vertical lines of the doorway andany pleasing curve desired for the top andbottom edges of the hood; Fig. 23. Removethe hood and cut it with a bandsaw, or cutit in place with a handsaw. The glove, orpackage, shelf, shown in the photos in PartI of this article, is cut from 1/2 or 3/4-in. ply-wood and screwed to the inside of the hoodat a convenient height. An instrument pan-el is screwed to the glove shelf at about a10-deg. angle. Install a keyed "ignition"switch and any other accessories desiredon the panel. The hand-brake lever is fas-tened to the underside of the glove shelfwith a metal bracket.

Upholstering of the seat cushion and backmay be done by a professional, or at home,if a heavy-duty sewing machine is avail-able. The cover material of the seat shouldbe weather-resistant plastic, and the fillingshould be two 2-in. layers of foam rubbercemented together. The seat cushion is as-sembled around a sheet of 1/2-in. plywood,the completed cushion resting on hardwoodstrips, right-hand detail, Fig. 25.

Note that the seat cushion is slantedslightly, to provide more comfortable seat-ing. The degree of slant will vary, depend-ing on the necessary clearance above thebatteries being used. Drill a few holes inthe bottom of the seat cushion to provideair escapes for the filling. The seat back isformed in the same manner as the cushion,except that it is assembled on a sheet of1/4-in. plywood. The completed back thenis screwed permanently to the seat back.It is necessary to have the seat cushion re-movable to permit access to the batteries.

The completed cart can be painted withany enamel, lacquer or other exterior-typefinish. The original cart was finished witha vinyl-lacquer, two-color "spatter" paint,that has the advantage of producing atough, heavy finish in one coat, and doesnot require a spray gun for application.Rubber floor matting, obtainable at mostauto-supply stores, is used to cover the reardeck, floorboards and glove shelf. Metalenamel should be used on the wheels, railsand steering column of the cart.

If the cart is to be used for golfing, twolengths of web strapping are screwed tothe top edge of the seat back. The golf bagsthen can be strapped in place. * * *

180

IMPLE construction and low cost enable any boy to have one of these ice scooters First get a 2 by Y-in.

plank, 6 ft. long, round the front end, and attach a back-

both from the underside of the body. To simplify driv- ing the screws and to prevent splitting the wood, you

slip a washer on tlxm against the head, and drive them in. Brackets on each side of the backbone are also ad-

BICYCLL FORK vised, these being attached to the backbone pieces be- fore they are fastened down on the body. You will note that there are three blocks set in between the backbone pieces. The forward two are spaced to provide a mast

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pipe which serves as a bearing for a steel rod. A short arm about 6 or 8 in. long is attached to the steering fork, and one of similar length is pinned and clamped to the steering column, both extending out to- ward one side and linked together with a 1/4 or 3/8-in. iron connecting rod. This is threaded at both ends, after which the ends are bent over at right angles to fit holes in the arms. Be sure that the pivot points work freely. Two nuts on each end, lock- ing each other, are better than only one nut, which is likely to come off.

Runners are all the same size. They are cut out of %-in. boiler plate by means of a hacksaw, and the lower edges are filed to a sharp edge as shown in Fig. 5. One of the runners is attached to the front fork by means of a steel rod, threaded at both ends for nuts, and a couple of spacers that cen- ter the runner between the ends of the fork. The spacers may be cut from pipe. The rear runners are pivoted between two lengths of angle iron bolted to the ends of the rear crosswiece. which is a 2 by 6-in.

step and the aft one helps to support the steering column. The blocks are fastened in place by means of carriage bolts as shown in Fig. 2.

The front runner support is an old bi- cycle fork, which is cut off, flattened and drilled to suit as shown in Fig. 4. The fork is clamped to the front end of the backbone with heavy flat-iron straps, these being welded to the fork, or bolted to it with short machine screws so they will not in- terfere with the inside piece that turns. The steering post is similarly attached with flat-iron straps. It consists of a length of

plank, 4 ft. long. For a sail you can use muslin, double

stitched and hemmed. The corners should be reinforced for strength. Eyelets (grom- mets) are inserted along the mast and boom edges of the sail for light rope lacing. The boom should extend upward at an an- gle sufficient to clear the rider's head as well as the steering wheel. Fig. 1 shows how a hook on the bottom fits an eyebolt through the mast. However, an eye welded to a ring that can be clamped to the mast is preferable because any hole through the mast tends to weaken it.

Ice Marked Off for Hockey Game With Salt and Ochre To mark the ice with indelible boundary

\ lines for a game of hockey, mix equal parts of salt and red ochre powder and ap- ply as shown in the drawing at the left. The salt will melt the ochre into the ice to leave a line that is easy to see and will last as long as the ice remains frozen.

Waxing Ski Runners A chemical heat pad will be found effec-

tive in warming ski runners for the appli- cation of a coat of wax. When the wax is put on the warm runners it will flow freely

RED O [ H U POWDt R

, and can be rubbed down to a smooth finish .. - - MIXED in a few seconds.

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