MadModder
Gallery, Projects and General => Project Logs => Topic started by: Bogstandard on June 13, 2011, 05:42:54 AM
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We have a bit of a dilemma in our household at this time. At the moment, my better half can't go out to do the regular shopping, so to save us starving to death, I go out on my buggy for about a 4 mile round trip into town.
I can't go in the car because not only does it hurt too much, I just cannot walk far enough to get from the car to the free buggies they have inside the supermarkets, plus I need to go around the local market as well, not really accessible to cars.
No problems going on the buggy except for one thing, I can only carry one bag of shopping between my feet and maybe a bit in the tiny front basket.
Then last week, for doing someone a big favour, I was given this. A blow moulded trailer with pneumatic wheels, I think for towing behind a bicycle.
(http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa102/bogstandard_photos/From%20June2010/TRAILER01.jpg)
Now this is where a few members on here get involved, maybe without realising it.
Dave (Bluechip), very kindly gave me a welding set a couple of months ago, plus a load of thick wall square tubing.
So out came the welder, and by playing about with the settings, by about half way thru building this tow bar, I had got my 'feel' back and was doing passable welds. As you can see, it is using original holes in the buggy chassis for mounting it, so if I am going somewhere posh, it can be taken off.
(http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa102/bogstandard_photos/From%20June2010/TRAILER02.jpg)
This is where a couple more members got involved.
I was having a discussion with Peter (HS93) on Skype early one morning (middle of the night really) about how to go about getting an articulated joint between the buggy and trailer. I was thinking along the route of a CV joint, and he then said, 'what about a steering rack ball end'. Good blitzing session Peter.
Another member then became involved.
Ralph (Divided He-ad), a few months ago, had given me some large ball joint ends, about 2.5"(63mm) across. Perfect for the job in hand.
So by hacking off the screwy end, it was duly welded to the tow bar upright. Then using some stainless bar (again donated by Dave), I machined up a spigot that was loctited and bolted thru the ball. The knurled locking nut came out of my scrap box and was modified to fit. The trailer doesn't swing around this pivot, but is actually locked down solid to it by tightening down on the knurled knob, all articulation comes from the ball joint itself.
(http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa102/bogstandard_photos/From%20June2010/TRAILER03.jpg)
This is the eventual build up, and now having tried it out a couple of times, I found it is perfect for the job, I can get about 4 bags of shopping into the trailer and it follows me about better than Bandit does when out for a walk, no problems going up or down kerbs or on uneven surfaces.
(http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa102/bogstandard_photos/From%20June2010/TRAILER04.jpg)
So just a few jobs to finish it off.
I might add a couple of side braces to the upright.
Tidy up a few of the early welds.
Get it painted black.
Get a 'long vehicle' sticker for the back of the trailer.
Just a final word.
Without mates, like the ones mentioned above, I doubt very much if this project would ever have got off the ground.
A great big thanks chaps.
Bogs
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You are missing the long vehicle sign off the back :doh:
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excellent idea there :thumbup:
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HI bogs wat a job good and nice to see things for free put to good youse well dun right for a word of waning not just to you but all us bugey yousers its a ganst the law to youse your buge on the mane road with out a regastrashon number plate and road taxe ther are three types of buge foot path onley foot path and road and road onley you dont need a tax disk or number plate fore the foot path one just need it for the last two dont panik you dont need to spend out as the rode fund licence is free as to is the number plate and i no this by being stoped by the boys in bluw on my way to the post ofice if in dawt go and see them or the shop that you got the buge from i was under the impreshon that as it was battery driven that i dont need them but as they ponted out to me thers only 1 vacel alawd to drive on the road with out them and that belongs to the qween
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Hi John,
Good'un. :clap: :clap: :clap:
When you go shopping don't forget the strawberrry triffle :)
:beer:
DaveH
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Ya know... you could put a small pillow in the trailer and let bandit ride in comfort on longer drives. :thumbup:
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Well done that man, Better get a patent on that for I bet there is a lot of people that would buy it
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
Stuart
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That's using your knoggin John. Very nice design! :smart:
Eric
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sweet... & well done all who helped :D
Hey bogs.... how many cans does it take? :)
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Well done John, and suppliers! :clap: :clap:
Where would we be, without the input from our forum friends....... :thumbup:
David D
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Ya know... you could put a small pillow in the trailer and let bandit ride in comfort on longer drives. :thumbup:
I have visions of Bandit on the top, bedecked in goggles and scarf, doing a 'Snoopy and the Red Baron' ....
Dave BC
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Without mates, like the ones mentioned above, I doubt very much if this project would ever have got off the ground.
And THAT is what a forum is all about.
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Nice one John :clap: :clap: - should make shopping a lot more convenient :thumbup:
Kind regards, Arnold
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Good one Bogs! :beer: :beer: :beer:
And now the mods begin!!
Adding a rack to the top of the trailer would allow the hauling of larger packages. :scratch: :scratch:
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V8 would make it a bit quicker :) :lol:
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Looks pretty functional John. As for the welding, lets just say that your machining skills far exceed your welding skills. :beer:
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Excellent little ensemble you have there now John. In fact it is quite difficult to think of improvements... :scratch:
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Looks excellent john!!
A lick of paint and it will look custom! :clap:
Think of all the tools you could load into that little buggy..... :smart:
Andrew
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Nice setup there John. Thank you also to those who helped you in various ways.
I'm jealous as I'm stuck with a handbasket for my kneewalker, and to add insult to injury the store recently downsized the baskets, went to green plastic "green" baskets. Yes we are indeed going "to .... in a handbasket" at a faster rate based on capacity. As for signs, a so-called friend suggested I get a slow moving vehicle triangle sign just before I suggested a poke in the eye. I do have a "Born To Be Wild" bumper sticker.
Who says you can't go posh with a trailer hitch? They put 'em on Cadillacs. Matching red paint and it would nearly disappear. Good work John.
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Many thanks everyone for the comments.
And now just a bit of a blanket answer for you all.
I knew about the registration for road use, but I only go on the road when crossing it, even though I do 8mph most of the time.
Just let the boys in blue try to catch me speeding on the pavement. :lol:
My long vehicle sticker is made, it just needs to be stuck on.
I STILL have sitting in my garden a 1500cc flat 6 Goldwing mo'sickle, and that has a trailer with a rack on top. I thought about fitting that trailer, but it is about the same size as the buggy, and I thought maybe a little too large. I honestly don't think a rack would be that beneficial at this time.
I haven't done any welding for well over 10 years, and that was stick or gas, where you actually feed the rod in yourself. In the half hour I spent welding this thing up, I don't think I did too bad, considering I had never used MIG before, plus I had to do it sitting down, and didn't realise just how much spatter this type of welding gives out. Even though I had a leather apron on, certain crucial areas of reproduction got rather hot after the spatter settled in my lap. Just give me another hour on it, and I will be welding as good as when I did my 2 year college course in specialist gas and arc welding.
As for Bandit (Snoopy), I opened the lid for the very first time and he jumped straight in, most probably looking for spiders, and he fit in very well indeed, plenty of room to lay down on a cushion. Just one problem though, to keep the rain out I would have to lock the lid down, and after say half an hour, I don't think Bandit would be with us any more, it seals almost airtight. He can stay on his usual spot on the footboard, sitting down, nose facing into the wind with his ears flapping about in the breeze.
I don't think any mods (except for the side braces) need doing. It caters for my needs perfectly as it is.
John
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Nice work John, it seems there really are times when milling out of solid simply isn't the answer :D
I'd be tempted to add a couple of eylets to the sides of the trailer, so you can use bungee cord to hold stuff to the lid (or to hold the lid down when you've over-filled it), but other than that - oh, and the reversing beeper, long vehicle sign and "L" plates, I can't see any other mods being necessary either :lol:
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Ade,
The buggy already has a reversing beeper, and after having a licence for well over 40 years, I don't think 'L' plates are mandatory.
But I did take some piccies of the finished article, after I had added side braces, cleaned off the old 'bird s**t' welds and rewelded them, plus a couple of coats of primer and paint. Things now don't look too bad.
(http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa102/bogstandard_photos/From%20June2010/Towbar1.jpg)
and I also got the warning sign and sticker on the trailer.
(http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa102/bogstandard_photos/From%20June2010/Towbar2.jpg)
I shouldn't need a lighting bar on the trailer, as you can see all the buggy lights over the top. Well that's my excuse for not having them.
John