DIY Wooden Scooter

A simple wooden scooter I built over the summer. It's built using structural lumber, regular bolts, screws and metal straps.

It's design was derived from this scooter: https://www.buildeazy.com/photo-scooter-sean.html

By Vaughan Ubuane

Step 1: Materials and Tools

Materials:

Wood, for the frames.

Wheels

Screw eyes, for the pivot

Threaded rod, for the axles

hollow metal rod, for the axles

nails

bolts

Tools:

12V electric drill

wood saw

Wood drill bits

bolts and screws

Step 2: Deck

The scooter deck is made from 3 pieces of wood, nailed together. The rear wheel was salvaged of a broken kids’ scooter.

Holes were drilled through the two side-planks, to hole the axle for the rear wheel.

The overlapping parts of the planks need to be large, else they will bend and twist when you stand on the deck.

Step 3: Stem

The front fork is made of two pieces of wood nailed to the middle plank that acts as the steering column. The handle bar is made of another short plank.

The wheel’s axle is a hollow metal tube. Metal washers, a bottle cap, and a skateboard bushing were used as spacers.

Step 4: Pivot

A short piece of wood was attached to the front of the deck with metal straps.

Screw eyes were screwed into the front of the deck and the stem. A washer was placed behind the top eye screws to prevent them pressing into the wood when you stand on the deck.

Make sure the eye screws are evenly spaced and mesh, to spread the load equally.

Bolts are pushed through the holes. Washers sitting on top the eye screws to make sure the bolt heads and nuts don’t pass through. The longer the bolts used, the steadier the pivot. A threaded rod, cut to length, would be preferable.

Step 5: Brake

The brake lever is attached to the scooter deck with a small door hinge. A nail was hammered to the lever and the deck, though which a rubber band was wrapped round, though a spring could be used.

Bicycle brake pads, from a kids’ bicycle, are screwed into the lever, to protect the brake lever from wear and increase the stopping distance

Step 6: Stand

The stand is made from a large twig, which has had the bark scrapped off and the ends sawed.

The stand is loosely held to the frame with a nail, while a second nail in front stops the stand swinging too far forward.

Step 7: Improvements

Deck - The boards could be screwed together as well as nailed, as the boards separate slightly, or the bolts on the rear wheel’s axles should be loosened so not to press the boards too much

Stem - A wooden rod could be used as the handlebars, allowing for the addition of rubber grips or bells.

Pivot - A threaded rod rather than separate bolts. Rubber pads or springs could be used to provide a little shock absorption.

Brake lever - A spring rather than rubber band, as the rubber deteriorates.

Stand - The stand is unstable and shifts around. Perhaps multiple nails or a small wooden block could be used to stop the stand swinging forward. Perhaps a wider base would provide greater stability, or the nail hammered deeper to increase the resistance.

Wooden dowels could be used in the frame, between the planks in the scooter deck.

Perhaps the scooter could be electricified.

The scooter could be made fold-able, using a door hinge and a Brenton fence bolt to lock it when upright.