Databanks

Is this the gokart that featured in the alternator to motor conversion video? That was a great idea (even if those poor batteries couldn't take the strain for long)

That's so adorable! Also, you forgot the rat treats to distract the fuzzbutts from stealing the sewing supplies

If I could make one suggestion here - slow down the slideshow please. It's very hard to get an idea of what you've built at the speed they zip past at and the text is gone before you get past the first couple of words. From what I can see, though, seems like a nice piece of upcycling (no pun intended)

You could also try using zip-ties to boost the joint strength

There are some pretty rough roads around here - I'd be concerned about the lamp falling out of that holder without some additional support. Other than that, I have to say it's a brilliant idea and looks rather neat for such a simple lamp.

Actually, forget the kids - this looks like an ideal base for a shade house/green house/outdoor work area for inclement weather. For those of us renting a home, we can't always build long term structures - your idea is perfect as the landlord has no reason to complain about a work shed you can pack up in a matter of hours!

Another source of generator could be the stepper motor from old floppy drives or defunct CDrom drives - I can't remember the wiring method off-hand, but a little googling will turn it up. Just be aware those puppies can churn out as much as 24V DC unregulated, so remember to keep that in mind. IIRC I saw them used in a wind generator and they'd wired in a little car USB charger to keep it at a nice steady 5V on normal use, but also allowed them to pull that out and just use the car lighter socket for higher voltages. combined with your simple yet effective idea here, you could probably keep a phone topped up, a small SLA battery in the loop and just have the lights on via a switch as needed. If you really wanted to get some power going, even rig up a couple of steppers with your method ...

Another source of generator could be the stepper motor from old floppy drives or defunct CDrom drives - I can't remember the wiring method off-hand, but a little googling will turn it up. Just be aware those puppies can churn out as much as 24V DC unregulated, so remember to keep that in mind. IIRC I saw them used in a wind generator and they'd wired in a little car USB charger to keep it at a nice steady 5V on normal use, but also allowed them to pull that out and just use the car lighter socket for higher voltages. combined with your simple yet effective idea here, you could probably keep a phone topped up, a small SLA battery in the loop and just have the lights on via a switch as needed. If you really wanted to get some power going, even rig up a couple of steppers with your method - though that could be getting carried away.I do like your idea - looks more rugged than the little store bought one I had that blew up after 10 minutes of riding (apparently I was going too fast???)

Yes, those chinese ones don't last long - mine died after 10 minutes of riding. Apparently 15 to 20mph is to much for them

heat shrink a soda bottle?

Or view all steps -> Print as PDF

Hammerhead, isn't that one of the freebies on Atomic Zombie?

Yeah, the ideas for the front wheels could translate nicely to a 'bent.

Reo-rod works well, too - I'll post photos when I finish welding

Not quite finished

Oh that's brilliant. So going to have to make one of these, thank you. No room in my tiny flat for a real workshop, so micro-tools like this are ideal

Great idea using the chain links for the hitch. Very simple yet perfect for the job. That bed frame would make an ideal basis for a little caravan that can be towed behind your bike. Wish I could pick one up around here as it would have saved me a lot of fudging with used fence posts to make my frame. If you look for Paul Elkin's coroplast camper you'll see where I got the concept from - thought they'd make a good project to build and offer through homeless assistance centres. Made from junk. If you have ideas, I'm listening!

Even unfinished, it's good quality work and wonderful repurposing of that bed frame. I think I prefer the way you've done it with the wheels protruding, to be honest. 'ibles like this are always good to read as they give others good information that can be adapted to their own needs (like a bike camper trailer)

Hey, discovered something to add to this. A lot of patch kits come with a VERY small tube of glue that just won't do all the patches included. Well, turns out that if you heat the patch while it's on, the orange part will melt and adhere to the tube even better than with the glue alone. Throwback from when patch kits included a box of matches for vulcanising, I guess. Anyway, by running a lighter gently over the patch then pressing down hard, I got a better bond than by glue alone and needed just a tiny drop to hold the patch in place. I even experimented with NO glue - just the heat method. The tube is still holding air perfectly, so if you're stuck for glue, find a smoker!

Nah, just take the switch off and use the same holes that are pre-existing. Piggy-back the frankenswitch onto the regular - no drilling into light switches required

Relatively simple and yet highly effective. Nice work and thank you for sharing

There's a double bug bonus for us Aussies. They catch flies rather well. I've been making these traps for decades and they're great. You can also staple them together for added weather proofing but if you hang/place them somewhere that they'll get rained on you may find they get over filled with rain water. A couple of pin holes at the water level you want solves that and if the trap is hanging, place a potted plant under it to catch the enriched water. The sugar and yeast bait is new to me but makes total sense - dark, warm and loads of CO2. As the mozzies die off and start to decay, it starts to attract flies more than mozzies. You guys who don't get flies can replace the liquid but I leave it. Each dead fly decays and attract more flies as long as there's water in the trap. The dark ...

There's a double bug bonus for us Aussies. They catch flies rather well. I've been making these traps for decades and they're great. You can also staple them together for added weather proofing but if you hang/place them somewhere that they'll get rained on you may find they get over filled with rain water. A couple of pin holes at the water level you want solves that and if the trap is hanging, place a potted plant under it to catch the enriched water. The sugar and yeast bait is new to me but makes total sense - dark, warm and loads of CO2. As the mozzies die off and start to decay, it starts to attract flies more than mozzies. You guys who don't get flies can replace the liquid but I leave it. Each dead fly decays and attract more flies as long as there's water in the trap. The dark cover is a great idea - looks far neater as well as boosting effectiveness.

Hey that's what this site's for :D Sharing ideas in a positive way. Oh and don't forget the snail and slug trap version. Use a Powerade bottle for the bigger mouth and put beer in it. They can't resist the stuff and your veggies will be that much healthier

Well, still a work in progress, but your sidecar has been a great help. Had to stop at this stage as it was getting too late - I live in an apartment block and don't want to get noise complaints. Used the front forks of a 16" kids bike found dumped on the road as I don't have an angle grinder and the thought of using the hacksaw to get the read segment was not appealing. Going to go out and scrounge for a floor and sides soon so I can continue in the morning. Under South Australian law, the sidecar has to be on the left and much thinner than yours but it was great inspiration

Between this and a few other 'ibles (there aren't many for this sort of trike) I'm getting lots of ideas for a junker of my own, thank you. Obviously everyone has different junk available but seeing this at least gives a stepping stone for how to assemble it into a workable vehicle :D

Would a tube of rubber cement work better for holding things steady? Takes a few hours to dry but fairly solid after that.

Good point. I was thinking more about holding the mirrors to the metal, but yeah gluing them to the bike could be a problem. Glad you found a tape that works well.

Sad that you need them, but good design. Have you had any issues with sharp edges on the metal strips?

I'm wondering if you could use some silicon to add friction instead. Opinions? Or maybe both

Yes, handlebar indicators are a must. Hand signals are pretty much useless at night, after all. I do a lot of towing of my little trailer, so I thought having a secondary set on there that can be disconnected easily would be helpful - incorporating a switch for the tail lights would also save having to walk around the bike and trailer switching each light on (South Australian law means I have to have at least one on each side of the back of the trailer, plus the bike as well - a single switch on the handlebars would be way better - like motorcycle and car owners take for granted but sometimes forget)

Doubtful, since it's going to be air cooled - the faster you go, the more it gets cooled. As for overloading, if in doubt you could always place a limiting resister or regulator, but those coils aren't really going to be too much of a risk

Next step, wrap EL over them? The more lights/reflectors on our bikes, the better and the more awesome they look, the more you get noticed, right?

Looks like it would be very comfortable for long cruises and just going where you feel like. Nice work. Plenty of cargo space for camping, too. Just connect a bike camper or pack a tent, although with that seat you could even sleep there at a pinch.Very elegant solutions for what at first glance looks complex and difficult.

There are also front wheel kits that you could use - pretty much identical to the rear wheel, only not need to transfer the gears etc over and should be suitable for the trike with no modifications. 99% of this 'ible is a match, really. I've seen loads of them on ebay ranging from 250W through to 1000W, some batteries included, others not. Possibly the Magic Pie might have a front wheel version, I don't know. Hope that helps.