The Epic an electric tri car.

[fasteddy]

The sandblaster mods were a thundering success. Not often I get to say that. Small learning curve but mostly, don't open the door and look in while your foot is on the air pedal. Had to adjust the air coming in for the vacuum to draw out.

There is a vent on the manifold that the sand goes through. It can be opened or close so the blast material doesn't clog up in the manifold. That was bit finicky to get just right but seems to be spot on now.

Peeled the slag off the strap steel I'm going to use for the brass lamp supports in seconds without the pulsing and constant clogging. Good constant volume of grit. Not having to hold a trigger down all the time was a hand saver.

I use course ground glass.

If the weather tomorrow is good I'll weld up the steel for the headlights.

Steve.

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Looking to all future positive developments Steve. Photos when you can.

Tom

 

[silverbear]

It sure feels good when you solve a problem and make things right.

 

[fasteddy]

So true, Silverbear. Never happens enough that you forget the joy.

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

The headlight brackets are finished up. One set for the Epic and one set for the Indian Tri Car. I'll order another set of headlights soon. Working on the best way to attach them to seat of the Indian and the delivery box on the Epic. I think that I'll go with a piece of the 1-1/2" x 1/8" steel I used for the brackets screwed and epoxied to the wood then I can use riv nuts to bolt the brackets on.

I pop riveted the cast iron brackets to the headlight mounts I made using the screw holes in the cast iron brackets which are shelf brackets in another life. The metal sticking up with the two holes in it are where the brass lights will attach. For some reason the photo is sideways. I'll get a better one tomorrow if it doesn't rain.

High winds and 53F makes today a non work day. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Steve.

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

91F here today Steve,
First mowing of two acre lawn today.
A little tall but the dandelions were taller. Clean sweep. Sadly the blooming violets got clipped too.
Ground was dry and dusty like mid summer. Mowing through the fallow garden I spotted asparagus coming up. In the fridge now. Tomorrow I think a walk down to the creek to fish a bit and look for morels is the thing to do. The smoke from the N.M. wild fires is making our air awful.
Just being out side makes you a three pack a Dayer

Tom

 

[fasteddy]

Mounted one of the headlight mounts on the Indian Tri Car and put the brass light on it to an idea how they will look. I have longer bolts for the light coming and when the light is mounted permanently the bolts will run through some copper gas line to hold the light in place.

Next week I'm going to get the paint and some tubing to make Silverbear's front fenders for the Hiawatha Tri Car. They have a very Art Deco style curved fender support.

The box will be made from sign plywood. Crezon plywood is smooth and can be painted over easily. The other choice is gluing metal onto plywood, then painting it.

Steve.

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Coming together nicely Steve, devil is always in the details. But striving for perfect when good enough will do.
The coming generations will see our work, at best a curiosity. What pleases us, well.....


Tom

 

[PeteMcP]

Those lamps and brackets set the chair off to a tee, Steve. Impressed with how bright those lamps are.
(Do I see an out of focus Airstream in the background of one of those pics?)

 

[fasteddy]

A nice and new Airstream at that. Usually parked beside the house behind a fence. They tow it with a Tesla.

I owe you a huge, Thank You, for pointing out the lights to me. They are indeed bright. They are LED and I will be interested to see how long they last between charges not that I'll be using them much night. More for daylight riding as a safety precaution.

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

Thank you. The lights look good on the tri car. Once again, Thank you, Pete for the tip on where to get them. Just fill in work until we get a break in the weather and I can get into more work on the Epic. Hope to get out to the paint supply, metal supply and the plywood supply, Wednesday.

Paint and body supply is about a 1/4 mile from the metal warehouse and then it's a stop in for the plywood for the Epic's delivery box on the way home.

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

Just found a new accessory parts honey hole. I just threw my wallet into it and the wait begins.

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

I've gone back and forth trying to work out how to get the jack shaft on the bike. I built what will look like a magneto but wasn't sure how it would look or work. Put the motor in with the electric motor it on the bike to start lining things up and had to figure out wide the bottom bracket needed to be to clear everything.

Had to order an adapter to use the European bottom bracket in the 2" bottom bracket tube. Adapter goes in on either side of the tube and three bolts hold them in place. They are threaded inside and the European bottom treads into them with the pedal crank shaft. It will be mid June to get some of the parts since they are coming from China through Amazon.

Frame is clamped in place so I need to make a quick stand to lift it up so the back wheel can be added and the bike will be level. Still trying to figure out how to make a bearing press to get the bearings out of the front wheels so I can add bearings for a 3/4" axle.

Tomorrow's problem.

Steve.

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

It would be nice to see the bearing build problem. As my High School Socials' Study teacher was fond of saying.
" A lot of ways to skin a cat".

Tom

 

[fasteddy]

Hi Tom,
The wheel bearings? Let me know and I'll add a photo. Part of the problem is that they pressed in a bearing spacer as well so it's impossible to get a bearing puller in behind them. The complete unit needs to come out.

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

Back on the Epic with nothing so far to show for it. Trying to make a jack shaft that looks like a magneto. With attempt three, I'm getting closer to what I want. When and if there is any success I'll post some photos.

The weather over the last week has done a turn around. It's 82F and sunny at 1pm. Hopefully it will keep up since Art is happy with it.

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

It has been a while. Still working on the bikes but haven't posted much. Chiropractor has worked wonders. Nowhere near perfect but much improved with two visits.

If you've been here over the years you may remember I started building a trike with a rear cargo box a very long time ago. It's been in storage and I got thinking about the plywood box on the back and would it work for the Epic's delivery box? Put on the explorer hat and crawled over the tires and wheels, past the coolers, skirted the 1946 5 ton Chevy front end that belongs to my nephew and burrowed down and unscrewed the plywood panel's. Spiders were not harmed nor amused.

I had planned on taking off the complete frame and the panels but changed my mind. I can add panels to the frame later so I left it. Tomorrow is a Home Depot run to get wood to build an interior frame and plywood for the top. The existing panels need sanding but are in good shape otherwise.

Later this week I need to press on with the paint and metal run so I can get everything done so I can assemble the bike in the garage if the weather turns bad. The garage in amongst all this is getting a major clean up. It's like Christmas with thing I forgot I bought being found and sometimes three or four of them because I didn't know I had one or two or three.

Trying to help with things around the house as well. My brother fell off a ladder two Saturdays ago and landed on his back on a picket fence and broke both his back and the fence. No spinal injuries but his L2 vertebrae has a medium fracture. He's up the past two days and walking limited distances but at almost 76 it isn't easy.

I'll post photos as soon as I can.

Steve

 

[indian22]

Sorry Steve about your brothers injury.

Box sounds a good project now that your getting around better.

Rick C.

 

[fasteddy]

Hi Rick,

My brother is coming home tomorrow with luck. He had a major turn around in the last 36 hours. He's able to walk more. They feel he will do better here at home.

I have the motor in and I'm trying to get the sprockets aligned as well. The box will be fun and I need to get it put together so I can weld the mounts in. There is even space on the shelves

Steve.

 

[PeteMcP]

Wow! Sounds like your brother was very lucky Steve. 76 year olds don't usually bounce that well.

Glad you're making some headway on the trike box. Looking forward to seeing progress pics.