Power Tool Racer. Quick & On The Cheap!

The 2nd annual Seattle area Power Tool Race & Derby is just around the corner and race-tool kludgineering is in the air! Folks are building racing machines out of leaf blowers, grinders, vacuum cleaners, drills, and of course circular saws.

This instructable is meant to share just how quick and sloppy simple it can be to build a racer from a circular saw and stuff you likely have kicking around your garage. To construct such a racer you need only some old skates, scraps of wood, screws, bolts, a drill, and of course a circular saw.

The 2007 Seattle Power Tool Race & Derby is June 23rd.

Go here if you are interested in information and rules: Power Tool Race & Derby

If you enjoy this instructable and would like to join us at HazardFactory for one of our Saturday Build Days please contact me (jeremy at lowly.org)! We're happy to help you get your tools race ready!

Step 1: Collect Materials

This can really be built from 100% scrap. In my case though I went out and bought a pair of skates and some tub/shower door rollers. In total I spent $12. If you had to buy the wood, saw, and everything you might be able to spend $50 bucks on this project.

Bill Of Materials:

• In Line Skates (8 bucks)
• Scraps of Plywood
• Scraps of 2x2 or 2x4
• Tub/Shower Roller (3 bucks)
• Screws
• Bolts
• Stiff wire or a Zip Tie
• Circular Saw

Tools:

• Drill
• Circular Saw (the same one!)

Comments

[rimar2000]

You have given me an idea: to do a small apparatus as this to produce straight courts in any surface. I have a cutting table where I can set the hand grinder, but this would be more practical. THANKS

[Rishnai]

Hey, you used a chunk of wood as a shim! No fair! I recently used the uppers from an old set of skates, bolted to an old shelf, as a sandboard. I didn't think of using wood shims, so I made a metal bracket system out of angle iron, bolts, and blood. Heavy, but effective.

[spacematters]

I was definitely trying to limit my tool set to hand drill and the circular saw itself... sometimes it fun to work within arbitrary constrains. Normally I'm prone to over building ;)

[Rishnai]

I know that feeling, sometimes I'll just toss a paper airplane at the garage and whatever tool(s) it hits, that's the power tool of the day. Of course, there is much that can be done with a hand drill alone....

[spacematters]

I do love the hand drill... I usually suggest the hand drill for folks working with kids, the lower rotation speed reduces the danger factor. Also the chuck makes it easy to stick just about any wheel onto it.

[cowscankill]

nice! this is soo cool

[smed21]

how come there is no race in New Jersey. At least have one on the east coast. Me and my father would love to do this. If anyone knows of a race that is close to me, please reply. Thank you.

[thewoodcarver]

I saw a race with power tools on TV once 2 dremels or die grinders side by won 1 race I do think seems like a fun way to get rid of that old sears dremel knock off that always needs brushes

[gyromild]

if i got right, the spinning saw blade makes contact with the track floor providing the forward drive...right? have you tried running it on the tarmac for example? did it produce lots of sparks? might ruin the the blade and the saw though.. i definitely gonna build this, and maybe try running it on the driveway, at night.. cool stuff! great instructable..

[spacematters]

Yes sir! I'll add a profile shot later this week to show the blade on track.

It definitely makes a racket when this puppy runs onto tarmac... not much in the way of sparks.

In the mean time... here's a bad ass grinder with blade from last year:
http://static.flickr.com/65/195945175_f07ba74210_o.jpg