Cardboard Race Car
Intro: Cardboard Race Car
I have wanted to do this for a few weeks now, except on a much more massive scale... My goal is to someday make a full scale cardboard moving tank so that I can ride my way across campus safe from the denizens of the blizzardous winters in this state, safe from death...
As it is, this entire race car is made out of cardboard, gorilla glue, and wood (wheels and dowels only).
Pretty much a bamf race car. videos at the end!
Unfortunately for the car, and for everyone else since they can't see it, the car was run over by a truck at the bottom of a hill we raced it down... so we no longer have the race car... My only regret is that we stopped the video too soon.
As it is, this entire race car is made out of cardboard, gorilla glue, and wood (wheels and dowels only).
Pretty much a bamf race car. videos at the end!
Unfortunately for the car, and for everyone else since they can't see it, the car was run over by a truck at the bottom of a hill we raced it down... so we no longer have the race car... My only regret is that we stopped the video too soon.
STEP 1: Choosing Your Size
We roughly picked the dimensions to be 4 feet long and 2 feet wide (no actual measuring was done for dimensions).
Cut out a large sheet of cardboard of this size, we will glue everything onto this board (double-corrugated cardboard is the best!!!)
We next sketched a rough estimate of what the car was to look like-
wings
windhield
hood
back box
sitting box
yep, real professional vocab here :)
The next steps will show you how to make these...
Cut out a large sheet of cardboard of this size, we will glue everything onto this board (double-corrugated cardboard is the best!!!)
We next sketched a rough estimate of what the car was to look like-
wings
windhield
hood
back box
sitting box
yep, real professional vocab here :)
The next steps will show you how to make these...
STEP 2: Building the Back Box
the back box as I call it is the piece that the wings sit on and that goes at the rear of the vehicle. (Pictures will help, its the thing that in the end is red)
Start with a large sheet of cardboard (double-corrugated is best)
Follow the folding patterns shown in the first picture of this step, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Only cut the very outermost black lines. The rest of the black lines are fold lines (fold at them)
The flaps along the sides of this....erm...shape.... should be glued in such a way that you end up with a box like object that can be glued down onto the floor of the car. (step 1)
Start with a large sheet of cardboard (double-corrugated is best)
Follow the folding patterns shown in the first picture of this step, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Only cut the very outermost black lines. The rest of the black lines are fold lines (fold at them)
The flaps along the sides of this....erm...shape.... should be glued in such a way that you end up with a box like object that can be glued down onto the floor of the car. (step 1)
STEP 3: Build the Hood
Now lets build the front piece of the car.
Again, start with a large sheet of cardboard (double-corrugated)
Follow the folding patterns shown in the first picture of this step, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Only cut the very outermost black lines. The rest of the black lines are fold lines (fold at them)
The flaps along the sides of this....erm...shape.... should be glued in such a way that you end up with a box like object that can be glued down onto the floor of the car. (step 1)
Again, start with a large sheet of cardboard (double-corrugated)
Follow the folding patterns shown in the first picture of this step, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Only cut the very outermost black lines. The rest of the black lines are fold lines (fold at them)
The flaps along the sides of this....erm...shape.... should be glued in such a way that you end up with a box like object that can be glued down onto the floor of the car. (step 1)
STEP 4: Place in the Sitting Box!
I used a box that was used to hold reams of paper. They were the right size and easily (and free) available.
Glue everything together and in place.
Glue everything together and in place.
STEP 5: Get the Dowels Ready!
Approximate where the axle dowels will go (just wooden dowels, really cheap at any arts and crafts or hardware store).
Cut holes in the front hood and rear end of the car with a knife or x-acto blade so that they are large enough to fit the dowel through, and straight.
Take measurements for the wheel size (mine were 9.5 inches in diameter)
(next step is wheels)
DO NOT GLUE THE DOWELS (AXLES) ONTO THE CARDBOARD FRAME OF THE CAR, OR ANYTHING FOR THAT MATTER EXCEPT THE WHEELS!
Cut holes in the front hood and rear end of the car with a knife or x-acto blade so that they are large enough to fit the dowel through, and straight.
Take measurements for the wheel size (mine were 9.5 inches in diameter)
(next step is wheels)
DO NOT GLUE THE DOWELS (AXLES) ONTO THE CARDBOARD FRAME OF THE CAR, OR ANYTHING FOR THAT MATTER EXCEPT THE WHEELS!
STEP 6: Paint It!
Go outside (fume hood, etc) and paint the car whatever colors you so choose... Then let it dry safely...
STEP 7: WHEELS!!!
this is the only part that it is helpful to have tools for... you could always make cardboard wheels, but since I had the tools, I used them.
Thanks to Andy for actually being the one to cut the wood to these circular wheel shapes :)
Drill a hole in the center to fit around the axle dowel.
Once done with this, glue (gorilla glue) the wheels onto the dowel once you have the dowel also cut to the right length and inserted through the holes on the car.
Thanks to Andy for actually being the one to cut the wood to these circular wheel shapes :)
Drill a hole in the center to fit around the axle dowel.
Once done with this, glue (gorilla glue) the wheels onto the dowel once you have the dowel also cut to the right length and inserted through the holes on the car.
STEP 8: GO Race
Pull your new race car out and throw it down a hill or cliff. For some real fun, throw some explosives in the sitting box and have fuse, push it down a hill and watch it explode! (I would have done this had the race car not been hit by a truck and smashed)
STEP 9: Videos
Not sure how well all these videos turned out, hope you enjoy them :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B-Vnj-nurM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B-Vnj-nurM