The Epic an electric tri car.

[PeteMcP]

We've all had this happen. Went into the garage with great plans, got out the bucket of hole saws, and there is everything but the one I need. However all is not lost because Amazon has all kinds of them and one arrived a half hour ago.

I need a 1-5/8 washer to rest against the bearing race that I have to pull out of the wheels. It's thin so if I'm not careful I'll be pulling on the bearings themselves and probably leave the race behind. Not easy to find and even less easy to find in a country that uses metric. Solution is the washer left behind by a hole saw there for I needed a 1-3/4" hole saw to get the 1-5/8" washer.

Tomorrow I'll get them cut out and we'll see if the cleaver plan works.

Steve.

Steve,
FYI: The 40mm dia. hole saw I used to cut the hole in my ACE's tank for the filler neck produced a slug - or 'washer' - the correct 1-5/8" dia. you're after. Incidentally, I didn't waste the slug either. I used it as the mounting flange on the tank's side to accept a brass oil pump. Hope your puller plan works out.

 

[indian22]

I've got two delayed projects and it's amazing how thing get misplaced, used or lost in just a few years or even months.

Rick C.

 

[curtisfox]

I've got two delayed projects and it's amazing how thing get misplaced, used or lost in just a few years or even months.

Rick C.

And after you replace it you find the one you were looking for..........Curt

 

[indian22]

Exactly!

 

[fasteddy]

That's why we all have two or three of some things and still have a hard time finding them.

Steve.

 

[PeteMcP]

I once spent a day and a half making a brass master pattern, an injector for one of my loco kits, comprising 13 teeny, turned and hand made components, only to drop it somewhere on the workshop floor after having carefully soldered the last part in place. Spent the next couple of hours on my hands and knees scouring the shop floor, looking for the pattern without success. Gave up searching for it in the end and set-to fabricating another from scratch which I finished up before close of play that evening. Wasn't pee'd-off in the slightest when I was stripping off to shower that night and the lost brass pattern tinkled onto the tiled bathroom floor after falling out of the turn-up of my jeans... I can laugh about it now.

 

[fasteddy]

Pete, I can imagine the feeling when it hit the floor. You just knew what it was when it hit. Then you had two of them.

I ran a refinishing shop and the owner had an antique shop across and down the street a bit. It was a commercial refinishing shop and we did very little work for him. Never saw much of him day to day. I left the money and paper work in the safe on Friday night and Saturday morning it was gone. One morning the door opens and in walks Andy, in high dudgeon ranting and raving about all the junk all over the work bench and how he wasn't having HIS shop looking like that.

I had the somewhat bitter pleasure of informing him that he had just tossed three very hard weeks of carving so I could repair a very beautiful and heavily carved European side board that was eight feet tall and ten feet long and missing small pieces of the carving, the largest of them perhaps two inches in length. Dozens of them, carefully labelled so I knew where they went. There was a time limit on how long the piece could be in the shop before the owner expected it back and we were going to make it.

Mr. Andy had to call the owner and tell him what happened from the office phone so I know the reason why was told to the owner. Why didn't we just dig the parts out on the garbage? They had picked it up before I got to work but it was full of wood scraps and debris and most of the pieces were the size a small finger nail.

Steve.

 

[indian22]

Great expectations is a Dickens.

Rick C.

 

[MEASURE TWICE]

I once spent a day and a half making a brass master pattern, an injector for one of my loco kits, comprising 13 teeny, turned and hand made components, only to drop it somewhere on the workshop floor after having carefully soldered the last part in place. Spent the next couple of hours on my hands and knees scouring the shop floor, looking for the pattern without success. Gave up searching for it in the end and set-to fabricating another from scratch which I finished up before close of play that evening. Wasn't pee'd-off in the slightest when I was stripping off to shower that night and the lost brass pattern tinkled onto the tiled bathroom floor after falling out of the turn-up of my jeans... I can laugh about it now.

I knew there was a reason for buying jeans with the correct inseam, but not because they exist. For me they exist and with too small a waist. Don't remember what I look for and found in the pant leg but think some fastener or the like I could not find. Oh also keys!

 

[silverbear]

I finally have something for show and tell for the American Flyer. It has been sitting in the background in my shop as I work on electrifying recumbent Terratrike Rovers and doing a little on the old Indian Hiawatha tri-car in the basement. Every now and then I give the Flyer a look over and some thought for later on. You may or may not recall that the bike has a 36V Golden Motor hub front wheel and that I was tentatively planning to up the battery and controller to 52volts, the same as my other electric builds. I have assembled battery building kits from Vruzend along with 18650 cells through Aliexpress out of China. Everything is now here waiting for me to muster up the courage to put the cells together into finished bricks. Bricks are now together and all the cells are producing close to 3.7v. Next is doing the connections between cells which is where it gets potentially exciting if I screw up and create a short circuit. Four different bricks have been laid out in 14S4p, 14S3P and two in 14s2P. These are for the quad and recumbent tadpoles. One of the small ones was going to be assigned to the American Flyer, but along the way I reconsidered leaving the voltage at 36V using the original 36v. controller, thinking that for that bike 36 volts is probably enough power along with the 3 speed Sturmey Archer rear hub. The original intent was electric for hills and using the bike mostly as pedal power. I also thought I would not be tempting fate with wrecking the hub by over volting it… not likely to happen, but could.

Having purchased a number things through Aliexpress with satisfaction in quality of merchandise, price and delivery I took special interest in an offer on a 36V. Battery pack including a low amp charger. From what I’ve seen with electric bike sources stateside there has been difficulty finding batteries and those available are quite expensive. I’m not usually a gambler, but thought I’d have my daring night at the casino by taking a chance on this battery pack. Might be a winner with decent cells or a loser with the other kind. Should I or shouldn’t I? What the heck…it’s just money. Come spring I’ll just pick some more leaves off the money tree I planted this fall. I read in my Lepricon Gardening guide that a small bag of silver coins planted in the fertile ground and regularly sprinkled with liquid nitrogen (urine) is a sure fire traditional practice leading to great wealth with your own orchard. Can’t wait for spring! So i placed my order.

It cost less than that with the special offer to a preferred customer (that’s me!) and just yesterday the battery came.

Nice color and no acid dripping out or smoke so thumbs up! I did check the voltage and it registers at 38v. So far, so good. Who knows what brand they are… pretty well guaranteed to not be the high priced spread like Panasonic or Samsung, but maybe this is a brilliant startup trying to open up a market and I could be getting in at the ground floor so to speak and helping something great happen. Or not. I figure that even if the batteries don’t last through a thousand cycles they will likely last longer than I will. Sometimes when you gamble you lose and it is still fun going to the casino, having some cheap thrills. And once in awhile you actually win something. Either way, I’m having fun. I also upped the anti (sp?) by purchasing a battery holder to mount on the seat post.

What’s another $30 bucks or so?… a few more leaves from me money tree, that’s all. Now it’s time to hurry up and wait for the holder to come. Oh boy…
SB

 

[indian22]

Silver bear I have 3 of those aluminum holders mounted on rear racks two are 36v 16 amp he & one is 48v 16 amp he all are from china and all have lasted 3 years and a lot of recharges the 48v is about to be opened up as it's not wanting to charge up. I'm thinking these all have Chinese cells, but we will see. I'm hoping and think the cells are fine but suspect the BMS is bad and won't reset properly. None of these packs were expensive and like you said the aluminum case adds $30 or so. The slide on, locking mount/on-off switch works well. I mount mine on a rear rack, but down tube or seat tube is great, if there's room.

I'm hoping you will be pleased with the packs performance. I pedal continually and use a twist throttle (no pedal or cadence sensor) and get really good mileage as a result plus exercise. My Mountain bike gets serious miles on a charge but that's pedaling with a 8 speed Shimano derailleur, never tried to test with motor power only though. I tested 3 of my 36 v packs this week they were fully charged. One was 41 volts, one 37.7v & the other 39 a. Thirty six 10s packs do vary a bit and of course age and number of recharges plus add ambient temp matters as well. I have one pack 36v that never charges past 35v I'd think this pack is only at 80 percent of it's capacity when new and it performs great just won't charge up to spec.

In studying up on lithium pack repair I see a lot of BMS problems and the stated reason is using very poor quality think cheap, BMS even with packs having quality brand name cells. Cutting corners? Good BMS replacements of 30amp are quite inexpensive, but tech time is expensive. The hub motor kits use, typically, throw away controllers of 20 or 30 amps (48v kit) I'm in the process of upgrading controllers as they fail, using 30 amp for 36v battery and 40 amp for 48v motor sets.

By going up 10 amp on 36v motor, 20 amps to 30 amps, 360 watts are gained making the 750 watt into an 1,100 watt. Speed is the same, but torque is increased. 48v motor with 10amp controller increase gives3/4 hp gain. Either one is a huge gain in hill climbing and acceleration.

When you buy a hub motor kit grom a specific supplier,chances are the selection of 500w, 1,000 watt and 1,500 watt motors are the exact same motor but supplied with 3 different amperage controllers. Some will have a 750 watt offered as well.

Of course increased amps will, if used recklessly will really drain a battery. On road trips I use enough throttle to keep the bikes pace and enough gear and pedal pace to steady my speed. I typically coast descents or just pedal a little to keep my speed constant.

On short rides under say 15 miles I still pedal but some don't want to and usually they make it home under motor power, if not they pedal and or walk it home. I say told you so....

Anyway glad you guys are finally getting into this as well as gas bikes. Our hobby doesn't have to be either or both are fun and fine!

Rick C

 

[silverbear]

Rick, thank you for your comments. Your knowledge and perspective always give me things to consider.
SB

 

[fasteddy]

Silverbear,
That is a nice battery and the price is decent. I am considering leaving the Monark and sidecar 36v so having seen what you bought I went looking. Like being a kid in a candy store.

I will have to order one soon so it will be here in the spring.

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

Thank you for the information, Rick. The hub motor in the Monark and sidecar has a 500W controller as required here in Canada. I'm going to have to see if a larger controller can be bought from the maker whose name escapes my at the moment. The company I purchased it from here in Vancouver may offer one for off road use or the net may offer one up.

Time to start searching.

Steve.

 

[PeteMcP]

Here's one for tadpole aficionado's out there. Don't see something like this very nicely restored Peugeot Triporteur come up for sale in the UK very often Steve, so I thought I'd share a couple of pics with you. Listed by a well known motorcycle dealer on eBay right now. Leaving you UK£5 change from UK£8k.
Never mind a crash helmet....I reckon a beret, set off with a striped tee shirt and a string of onions round your neck is the correct attire for this !

 

[fasteddy]

To add to that Pete, I'm imagining a Gauloises dangling from one corner of the mouth and a canvas back pack with two or three baguettes poking out of it and the distinctive shape of a couple of bottles of wine within.

Thank you for the photos. They are fantastic.

Steve.

 

[PeteMcP]

To add to that Pete, I'm imagining a Gauloises dangling from one corner of the mouth and a canvas back pack with two or three baguettes poking out of it and the distinctive shape of a couple of bottles of wine within.

Thank you for the photos. They are fantastic.

Steve.

... and plenty room in that stowage box to haul your accordion...!

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Frogy's make nice trikes, or did. You da man Pete!

 

[fasteddy]

No action here for three months to the day. Back into it at long last. Weather has been good for the past week and today it was 65F.

I have been doing small items that will go together for bigger ones. Head light stands for Silverbear's Hiawatha are welded up and all the metal is cut for the head light mounts for the Indian tri car and the Epic's delivery box.

The one thing that has held the back is they need to go into the sandblaster cabinet and it's been ailing over the years.Typical Harbour Freight style cabinet with all it's inherent faults.
The main one it it's a suction feed system.

Tube goes into the blasting media and the air moving through the gun draws up the blast media. Cheap and simple but not overly efficient. You constantly have to hold a finger over the mouth of the gun to blow air back into the line to loosen up the blast media clogs. The media delivery is spotty at best as well.

I saw a kit on YouTube that can be retrofitted to the cabinet and only required around 3 cups on blast media and not the hopper full that the original system required. The cost was $450 U.S. if I remember correctly and I'd have to add another 25% for the dollar exchange as well as the shipping on top of that as well as taxes and duty. The cheap skate challenge was on.

The new system has a foot pedal to control the air flow instead of a trigger on the gun. The blast media now feeds out the bottom of the cabinet. More reliable gravity feed.

I'll continue on the next page.

 

[fasteddy]

There is an air vent on the left side to let in air as the dust is sucked out. I used a shop vac for this. This now has a shut off/air volume control. I used a dust control system gate like the ones used on wood working dust collection systems. This allows you to shut off machines you aren't using. I cut one of the hose mounts off so it fit snugly against the cabinet. That cost $11.

On the inside of the cabinet they use a baffle to direct the incoming air to the bottom left hand corner on that end. This keeps the incoming air close to the work surface. I cut the end out of a worn out cake pan and bolted it on. That was free. They are available on eBay for $30 with the gate.

There is a baffle on the back right side that vents the cabinet. I sealed the top opening so the suction is now from the bottom near the work surface. The problem is that the dust plugs up the filter in the vacuum. To avoid this I ran 2' PVC pipe out the back and down to a dust collector. It's bolted to a 5 gallon bucket with a lid. Cost was $40. They are available pre assembled for around $125+ without the PVC. I bought mine from the net for $22 and free shipping a year ago. Bucket was extra. One brand name is Dust Deputy.

The gun and the foot operated air valve were bought in Canada but they are Eastwood an product. The final cost with shipping and taxes was $178. A bit cheaper than bringing it in from Eastwood and no border hassles and the shippers duty collection fees.

The manifold that the blast media goes into are available on line. Usually $50+. Either factory made or assembled from pipe parts. I made my own using 1-1/2" pipe. Cost was $35.

Air regulator for an air inlet was $35. Hose to go from air regulator to foot peddle was $16.

All Canadian dollars.

Photos below.