Velomobile Blog

Here is another velomobile blog:
http://plywoodvelomobile.blogspot.com/

Post in the comments section links to other build sites or blogs. It's always nice to see what is happening elsewhere and I find it interesting to discover what other people are thinking or doing.

NEW YEAR NEW IDEAS

It's been a while since I last visited the blog. I'm still attending college and have gone through several life changing events.

Anyway, I've come up with some new ideas for building a scaled prototype. To save on the cost of material for the prototype I would prefer to use a polyester resin which leaves out regular foam for shaping the prototype. The cost of a urethane foam is too expensive to justify the cost. Therefor, no foam is planned to be used to make the prototype.

Chicken wire, I said it chicken wire is my grand idea. Since a scaled prototype won't be supporting anyone the prototype needs only to inspire more ideas and show the spacial relationship in 3d. I plan to make the prototype with fiberglass over a wood and chicken wire frame. Working with the fiberglass will giving me more hands on experience with the material. Additionally, I'll be able to further work on my body work skills. I'll probably use auto body putty since I'm using using polyester resin. However, any actual velomobile would use epoxy micro putty to smooth the exterior of the body due to the lightness of the material.

I currently don't have any design software. I'll have to try and get more software to redesign and put together an electronic design to save on material when making parts. I recently have lucked out in that my father purchased a MiG welder. I might forgo the expense of buying a gas tank for Argon gas to weld aluminum; we'll see.

New generation of ideas

I haven't been able to work on many ideas with work and school. However, I've acknowledge that the transportation needs for my area are quicker than what a solely human powered vehicle can provide. The consideration of an adequate power system for the velomobile has been considered. The need for electric over petroleum based or vise verse hasn't been determined.

A more study wheel design is being considered for long term durability and safety. After replacing my cars pressed wheel bearing system I've started to consider a pressed wheel bearing hub for the front suspension. Also, I'm considering scooter wheels for the front wheels. They come with disc brake mounts, are sturdy, and the axle could be modified. To make the scooter wheel work with the pressed bearing hub the internal bearings of the wheel need to be removed and the hub axle shortened to lessen the axle length.

Update....Still attending school

Feel free to leave links in the comments for Velomobiles or Human Powered Vehicles and I'll post them on the blog for people that are looking for different resources and happen to stumble across the blog.

Back to School

Well, I have decided to go back to school to pursue a degree. I will work on this project when I have time but am unable to make the velomobile a priority. I hope to have regular updates on any progress.

Material Research

I have done some thinking and have sided that building with plywood will be more cost effective and yield quicker results. I would love to use a foam technique but the cost of the epoxy would be too costly. Even a honeycomb material would be nice to try and save weight, but that is also more expensive. The local supply of luan (lauan)plywood is horrible with two thin plys on the exterior and one large ply in the middle. The middle ply does not look like a solid ply but some other filler material. However, the birch plywood seems to have even plys throughout the plywood.

Looking at my design, it looks like a slight bend to the panels would add strength and stiffness. Flat panels are easy to join, but are flimsy without any additional stiffing of some sort. After reading more on the stitch and glue technique, it seems feasible. The technique doesn't require any molds or special techniques. It is very reproducible by anyone, as long as the panels are cut correctly. A simple epoxy filler and fiberglass work is needed to cover all the joints for strength.

No new progress.

Velomobile Stitch and Glue

I am trying to make time to work on the seat. Haven't been able to get to my dad's house where the material is. I am guessing I might take a few times to get the seat profile down.

I am thinking about how to apply stitch and glue boat building techniques into velomobile building. For my first project I figure I want to make the body as inexpensive as possible, since I can always reuse the mechanical parts for another velomobile later. I have been thinking of simple but decent shapes for the shell.

I read that the angle on the rear end should be 12 degrees or less. The idea I have drawn up has a 13 degree angle. Pretend there is an imaginary line that extends along the edge of the velomobile and you measure at the point the rear begins to narrow. The angle from the imaginary line to the point the body curves to the rear should be less than 12 degrees, which makes for a long body if it has any width to it.

I drew two lines to represent the angle that is being measured for a visual. Like the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.

I decided to play with different roof lines to see what kind of effect it gave. A lower roof line in the front gave a pretty neat effect. Will need to verify measurement to see how low the top can comfortably be. I think my ideas are within being able to use the stitch and glue technique. My drawing has a width of 38 inches and a length of over 9 feet. I am hoping to make room for a back seat.

Seat Design/ Building Process

Well, I have been doing some research to make a seat. I want to have a seat that might be used to do some mock ups. I want to do some mock ups to help me better determine space requirements. This is something that could probably be done on the computer, but I have a hands on personality. Besides, building the seat at this stage just means one less thing to build later.

I think I have found a pretty good method for using plywood as the seat material. The process is pretty straight forward. You shape three pieces of plywood to the given contour of the seat and fasten 2x4 in between the three shaped pieces of plywood as a form. The 2x4 run the length and up the sides of the plywood with the 4" sides perpendicular to the plywood/ horizontal. Once the form is built you can make your seat.

You use two or more sheets of plywood to make the seat. Sound like 1/4" plywood was the choice of many builders. You glue the two or more sheets of plywood together and fasten them to the mold with clamps/ straps. Use spare material to place in between the seat and the fastening method of your choice to not scar the seat surface. Make sure the plywood being formed is larger then your desired seat; you will later trim the seat to size.

Let the seat sit an appropriate amount of time for the glue to harden, usually twenty-four hours. You wouldn't want to remove the seat to early and waist all your work.

I am thinking I might make a fiberglass or Kevlar seat later on, Kevlar is just laying around. I might try and put a backseat for my wife or one son to ride with me. I might have to get creative on how to work that out. I am figuring a few extra pounds for a seat wouldn't break me. Besides, the seat can always be made removable.

Forum: http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/showthread.php?t=35802&highlight=plywood+seat

Seat-Fiberglass?

Well, I last spoke about possible methods for making the fairing. I am trying to throw out any ideas that come to mind. Nothing is dumb, some ideas are just better.

Fore instance, far north, might have been Canada, head people for an electric company were trying to find ways to remove ice from the overhead power lines in the middle of the wilderness. Everyone threw out ideas from adding heater to melt the ice, to having bears scratch their back on the poles, which would shake the ice from the wires. They played with the idea of bears scratching their backs on the poles and said what would make a bear itch their backs on power poles. They figured they could hang meat or find something that attracted the bears. Once they thought of how to get the bears to scratch their backs on the poles they tried to figure how do we get the stuff to the poles?

The first thought was to use dog sled, then snow mobiles, then finally someone says we could use helicopters. How would we get the helicopters close enough to the wires to fasten the item to the poles. They discovered the turbulence from flying helicopters over the power lines would shake the ice from the power lines. This was an exercise we used in a management class I took at the local community college and apologize for any inaccuracies.

Now to the point, I think a fiberglass seat could be built similar to this persons: http://buckybikes.blogspot.com/2008/04/seat-building-finished.html
He made a plaster shape of his own back and use that as a mold for the seat. Very cool! I think that building a wooden seat out of thin sheets of plywood and gluing them together could make a decent seat as well, if the shape is right. I think I will post on bent riders to see what a lot of the builders on their forum are doing.