Just a thought…

As could be guessed, it’s a thought about our little build…

I’m pretty sure i’ve mentioned this in a previous post, but i’ll elaborate here. But first, a quick outline; i said before that we could perhaps do with a rethink about what we’re doing this for.

We’re doing it for that charity soapbox derby, i hear you say. Well, looking at the specs for the cart, thats simple enough really. BUT, will we be able to do it in time? We’ve (that is, Benni and myself) thought of using a wooden chassis to begin with, then making the metal one using the wooden ‘prototype’ as a template – after all, i easier to alter wood rather than metal.

Also, with our failings at getting sponsorship, we may not be able to afford metal for the chassis. So wooden would be easier and cheaper. But the problem arises of the roll cage, which we must have according to the specs. a chunky wooden one might do the job, but wood is surprisngly weak – especially at joints – so i don’t think that’d do.

So, we either need to rethink the design, or rethink what we’re doing this for. If we do it for the Race then it may end up difficult and expensive. If we build it anywya, we have no particular reason to be making it… apart for the sheer hell of doing it for the sheer hell of it. Perhaps we all need to put our brains together and figure a compromise.

A bit of testing may be best, if we get a chunk bit of wood, suitable for a roll cage, and see how much it’d take before breaking. Make a rectangle of it, and then jump up and down on it. If this proves very strong, then we could then simply do a completely wooden cart. If not maybe a wooden frame and chassis with metal roll cage incorporated, or something along those lines…

comment and let me know what you think,

Uncle Austin Wozzer

 

About the Racer project…

Where’s it going? Nowhere

I think we may need to rethink this a bit. We’ve been going at this for months now, and only have some drawings and half a presentaion to show for it. At this rate we’re not going to make our christmas deadline, or the actual Derby. Perhaps we need to have a serious meeting to get everything sorted out. Or maybe we should rethink our objective… currently we’re doing it for the Richards Castle Soapbox Derby. Perhaps we should still make it, but for ourseles, for the fun of it. That way we can be more flexible with the design, and maybe even have a motor of some kind!

What do you think? Because presently, i seem to be the only one thinking about this. I know Benni has Work full time. It’s just a bit annoying when i post (and i’m the only one doing so) i get the same response i would if i had posted in the fish tank.

Comment or email

Uncle Austin Wozzer

 

We’ve Stalled!

Which is funny, seeing as our Racer doesn’t have an engine…

I’ll admit things were going slowly before i went on holiday, but now we’ve come to a complete halt. Truthfully, nothing I asked to be done over the two weeks i was away has been done. So, it seems up to me to pick my fellow racers up off their arses!

Unfortuneatly, Mr Benni has moved into full time at his previously part time job – so isn’t always available to help with the build. But never mind, that’s good on Benni, nice job for hisself there. I hope thats going well for you!

So, the first move i’m going to make to get this team goign again is: sizes. For a long time now, i’ve said we neeed to get dimensions and so forth under our belts -  thus i’m going to whip up a quick diagram of the skeleton and then figure out some measurements!

Benni: do you think we might be able to order stuff through your boss?

Smatt: how are the drawings comming along?

And that’s about it for the moment, I scincerely hope that we can get our momentum up and going again, or this project goes under.

Uncle Austin Wozzer

 

Uncle Wozzers going on Holiday

As the title says, i’m off on holiday!

First the Lake district, then Whitby. And, my bikes coming with me! I’ll have plenty of fun riding round some lakes, don’t you worry!

This means one rather major member of the team is not going to be here for 2weeks… no excuses though! There’s still work to be doing for our little build!! I’ll set you all up with some work to do while i’m not here…

- All designs done ~ front, sides, top, underside, back

- Sizes ~ ties in with the designs, I suggest Benni gets Smatt to sit in a driving position, and Benni measures around him with a tape measure. Your smart Benni, i’m sure you know what i mean

- Research ~ prices, mainly. I want to know what sizes i can get for what prices e.g. pack of six 19×38x1800mm lengths of timber for £X, 4mm ply is £Y per m2, etc

It’s two weeks, that should be enough, what with school and work and such things

I’ll be back around the 25th, so see you then!

Uncle Wozzer

 

“Right” *leaning forwards* “what’s the plan?”

The Racers seem to have reached a bit of a slack period, and this big fancy meeting thing is pretty much down the drain for now.

Thus the Team Leader, Wozzer, is going to get hold of a ringbinder folder and start a folder for all the paperwork. I’ll get hold of seperaters and plenty of paper, some plastic wallets and so on. We’ll (as a team) start to complie all our ideas for the various parts of this build.

We’ll have a section for everything. A copy of the race pack, chassis, skeleton, skin, wheels / steering / brakes, costings, time plans, dimensions, anything else we can think of! All ideas in one place, a book of designs, list of measurements etc.

You don’t need to comment, not that you do anyway, we’re doing this.

Uncle Austin Wozzer

 

We need another meeting!

Indeed we do!

Basically, i’d like to have a meeting with all the Red Racers. A big one, that covers everything. From materials, to sizes ,to cost, to design, even to uniforms. Everything!! I won’t take all the credit for the idea, as Smatt inspired me.

Ideas as to where and when, I thought perhaps at my house (we have plenty of rooms and space to talk) weekend or after school. Other options include: Ben and Smatts house, simalar times; perhaps out on a common or park or something; I even hought we could book a room at my church and doing it there.

Comment or e-mail or speak to me at school to let me know what you think. any other ideas?

Uncle Austin Wozzer

 

Update to the design!

After some scale drawings by our desginer, Smatt, we have realised that we need different wheels!

20″ wheels are too big, 18″ is a bit better but still large, even 16″ seem rather big. Therefore after some discussion, we have decisded to use 12″ wheels. These will suit the cart, and also may be easier to get hold of as people outgrow their small bike quite quickly!

But, smaller wheels mean lower speed. So perhaps we could use 16″ and just accept that thery’re going to look big – Smatt, could you do a scale drawing of a 12″ and a 16″? Next to each other, please and thanks! Comment or email to let me know you’ve got the message!

 

We’ve had our meeting

It took about 45mins, but we got everything done.

Everything on the agenda anyway, there’s still a long way to go! The ‘business pack’ for sponsorship is being put together, and a few ideas for later came to light. Our admin team, i.e. Mat, is doing the wordy bit while Benni and Smatt are working together to do some annotated working drawings and diagrams of our build. And Wozzer is applying himself to both parts, and the constant underlying research, designing and general thinking.

So, in conclusion, the meeting was sucessful and is definatly worth doing again! Hopefully, the other Racers agree. We’ll keep posting as this project develops! Hopefully the next post’ll be about a successful sponsorship deal!

Uncle Austin Wozzer

 

Meeting

If one was to reveiw the last 3 or so posts, they will find a post about having a meeting.

As a follow up to this post, also posted by me: Uncle Wozzer, we still need to have this ‘meeting’

To this effect, I would be grateful if the Red Racers involved, i.e. Mat, Smatt, Benni, and myself, would either e-mail Wozzer or comment on this post (or both) suggesting when and where we could have this ‘meeting’.

Do it now!!

 

New Member!

The Red Racers have a new member, as if the title wasn’t obvious enough.

He is yet another Red Rider and has joined us to do “admin” stuff, thus freeing up more of the teams’ hands to get down and dirty making the actual cart.

So, the Malvern Red Racers would like to welcome: Mat