Velocars and other interesting vehicles.

[silverbear]

Anne and All...
You should be ashamed of yourselves for contributing to the delinquency of a geezer! Just at that time of year when I am making resolutions of moderation and feeble stabs at growing up into an adult like responsible person you expose me to more child-like temptation. Oh well, adulthood is highly over rated anyway and in my case it is probably too late.
This does have a lot of appeal. I'm wondering if the buckboard frame/suspension would lose much in a 3 wheel tadpole configuration. Would it work or does it really need to be a 4 wheeler?
SB

 

[curtisfox]

Just in case you need more detail pictures.................Curt

https://www.google.com/search?q=Wal...WYNCf9TVM:&usg=__kozahlYRZLnC-lXBvFpVp21yAJw=

 

[moto-klasika]

Just in case you need more detail pictures.................Curt

https://www.google.com/search?q=Wal...WYNCf9TVM:&usg=__kozahlYRZLnC-lXBvFpVp21yAJw=

======================

Thank you Curt,
Very inspirative collection of photos!​

As could be seen, early Waltham Orient buckbaords were smaller and quite simple: not any suspension and not any body, but later - they became almost "real automobiles"...
Maybe that would be good way for any of us to develop project of simple vehicle in something more "comfortable"?

Zoran
​

 

[Allen_Wrench]

Hello Allen Wrench,

What were you thinking of covering your velo with?

Steve.

Well Steve, I have evaluated a very wide variety of materials. I looked at various kinds of door-skin, and surfacers and paint I would need to use, and I was none too sure about wood's impact resistance. The Cyclekarts I've been studying don't need to go out into traffic, so wooden bodies are fine for them.
Then I looked at aluminum - whew! - too rich for my blood. And steel would add too much weight.
Then I searched through plastics. Some, like fiberglass, became brittle in the cold. Some degraded or faded after long-term UV exposure, and degrading was right out, and fading too; can't have MY machine looking played-out. And, sorry, but I just could not stomach the look of coroplast on my vehicle.
I settled on pre-colored 1/8 inch-thick HDPE, also known as puck board. You can form it with a heat gun. It's very impact resistant (being made to have hockey pucks and hockey players smack into it). The dyes they use in it resist UV fading. It's weather resistant. It's almost everything-resistant, even most kinds of paint won't stick to it (which is why I'll be getting the pre-colored kind). And it's more affordable than most other reliable and workable materials I researched. Puck board seems a good fit.

 

[curtisfox]

Was looking at this this morning,same stuff all the political signs are made of, thought it was a kool idea. ................Curt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiejAhol4Ps

 

[moto-klasika]

Anne and All...
You should be ashamed of yourselves for contributing to the delinquency of a geezer! Just at that time of year when I am making resolutions of moderation and feeble stabs at growing up into an adult like responsible person you expose me to more child-like temptation. Oh well, adulthood is highly over rated anyway and in my case it is probably too late.
This does have a lot of appeal. I'm wondering if the buckboard frame/suspension would lose much in a 3 wheel tadpole configuration. Would it work or does it really need to be a 4 wheeler?
SB

====================

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Hello Silver,[/FONT]
​

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I just have to sign your sermon about life of us never-grown-up kids (according to opinions of "ordinary" people)... Yes, Anne is guilty for everything! Pressed by personal, economical and professional problems, more than a decade ago I "decided" to abound all dreams and plans for building my own "wheels", but after pen-friendship with her – I refresh them and so on a few times... [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]--- ---[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Suspension: as could be seen from many photos and a few videos, buckboards have good flexibility up-down, without any springs, giving us some “comfort” over bumpy roads... In the same time, they have torsional flexibility (platform/chassis could be twisted over uneven surface), relaxing stresses on vehicle. Body, if ever built, must be flexible too, or attached at three points to platform/chassis...[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Any of three-wheelers do not have torsional forces, being in contact with ground just on three points (stabilized position), so one problem less! Therefore – they must have only flexibility up-down for “comfort” of personal and vehicle... [/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]In Europe, and even in Swiss, rear wheels at distance of 46 centimeters (around 18”) between them – should be consider as ONE WHEEL, and vehicle as three-wheeler! Decades old standard: among other, it was used by motorised Mochet and BMW Isetta to stay in lower part of tax-scale and need motorcycle licence!!! Maybe to (ab)use such layout for my quadricycle?[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Regards,[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Zoran[/FONT]
​

 

[moto-klasika]

Hello Allen Wrench,
What were you thinking of covering your velo with?
Steve.

===============================
Steve and Allen,
Maybe I missed something, but where could be found photos and information for Allen's velo? Never too late, never too old to learn something new, or just to enjoy in other person's projects!
Zoran

 

[curtisfox]

While on the Orient site seen this,not much above the buckboard.....1906 Success............Curt

https://www.google.com/search?q=Wal...nDvs5S_CM:&usg=__kozahlYRZLnC-lXBvFpVp21yAJw=

 

[fasteddy]

Annie and all may have been a little more impressed if it wasn't so darned easy to lead you from the path of righteousness.

I have been kicking the idea around about a 3 wheel version but I think that it would need a frame around it to stiffen it.
The buckboard would pivot on the rear wheel without stiffening of some sort. With 4 wheels it couldn't do it.

Can and will it be done? Hopefully.

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

Curt,

The Orient buckboard looks like it could be built in stages. First the buckboard and motor to get it going and then add the body as you go along. Rear mounted motor to a lawn mower type differential axle?

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

Allen,

I would never have thought of puck board but it would be excellent for a body covering. Water proof, highly abrasion resistant, unbreakable and you have a dazzling array of colours.

What body shape did you plan on?

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

Zoran,

I think Allen's velo plans are locked up on paper at the moment in the planning stage. It will be a most interesting build for sure. First the bike and then the body.

Steve.

 

[curtisfox]

Curt,

The Orient buckboard looks like it could be built in stages. First the buckboard and motor to get it going and then add the body as you go along. Rear mounted motor to a lawn mower type differential axle?

Steve.

That's my intent will see what happens,it will also be my swapmeet buggy i am thinking.................Curt

 

[curtisfox]

Also noticed that the Orient has buggy springs, also wondering what it would look like with wood spoke wheels..............................Curt

 

[fasteddy]

Hello Curt.

I think it would look better with wooden spokes myself. I wonder if anyone makes them.

Steve.

 

[moto-klasika]

While on the Orient site seen this,not much above the buckboard.....1906 Success............Curt

https://www.google.com/search?q=Wal...nDvs5S_CM:&usg=__kozahlYRZLnC-lXBvFpVp21yAJw=

================================

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Curt,[/FONT]
​

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Quite interesting "High-wheeler", very popular class of automobiles, but only in rural America! Some where built as serious automobiles, but this one was just motorized horse-drawn kart! On some photos it is clearly visible that it didn't have automobile-style steering, but central king-pin as horse-drawn karts: know as “fifth wheel”![/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lyle, my pen-friend from America built replica of Holsman high-wheeler, after two replicas of Oldsmobile 1903... Big problem was big wooden-spokes wheels (so-called artillery wheels). He bought it form some company that produced them and other components for Amish karts and carriages! They were extremely expensive. I found a few such companies here in Swiss and France that produced them, but again too expensive, in spite that had disk-brakes attached... Could be bought with solid rubber tyres, but pneumatic too. They are of metal construction, but look as wooden...[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]One photo of old Succes buggy and a few Lyle's photos are attached![/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]It would be quite nice riding so high and watch countryside around, but such automobile is too complicated, to big and too expensive for me to build...[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Zoran[/FONT]
​

 

[Ludwig II]

Wooden spoked wheels will be avaiable from horse equipment suppliers, but are going to be $$$.

 

[curtisfox]

Yes they are made but $$$$$, I would make my own. een it done but the guy used pine and didn't last long. He cut them out and just routed the edges rounded over and looked really good. Had all i could do from laughing when he should me knew right away they wouldn't last.
He then used steel tubes and that didn't look to bad. I have a turntable i made just to clamp rims to and get centered. My thoughts are to use 27" or 700 rims and tires. The Success has 16 spokes so they would be thin. The pot is getting stirred and is a cooking.................Curt

 

[fasteddy]

Found one spot that had the prices listed and with hard rubber tires from 18" to 30" they were $425 U.S. a pair. If your building a copy of an early auto you need them but as I learned with the tri car I'll never try to do a close or exact copy again.

Steve.

 

[curtisfox]

Just making it look good is all i need LOL, not a replica just a buggy...............Curt