[Kartbuilding] Home made kart (fwd)

Stephen Burke sburke at burkesys.com
Thu Jan 4 23:05:16 GMT 2007


Date: Thu, 04 Jan 2007 22:29:09 +0000
Subject: Re: Home made kart

On Thu, 2007-01-04 at 09:40 +0000, Stephen Burke wrote:
Stephen I have answered some points within the text

> Hi Adrian,
>
> Thanks for the link to your Kart Project page. It has some nice photos on
> it. You take into consideration a lot of points I neglect to cover, i.e.
> tilt-over mercury switch, chain guard etc. I should include these at some
> stage on my kart building website. I also never added any roll bars/cage to
> my karts - I felt that if the kart did tip over at speed - that without a
> safety harness and a really really solid cage - It wouldn't be much use.
> Also - the roll cage would take up too much room in the garage at home!!
>
The roll cage does take up a lot of space and stops the kart ever being
mounted on the wall as some do when not using them.  I have a 5 year old
son and 13 year old daughter that I hope will enjoy the kart.  If just
for myself it would not have the cage or other considerations at all.
The pedals, as both are using cables can be moved back to accommodate
the lad.  I have managed to source a 4 point harness new from eBay which
including Post and package is around £35 so not to bad.

> Your kart does look very well. I see you got a new engine towards the end!
No this is the same engine just had a lick of paint on it!

> Its also nice to have a decent workshop to build the kart in. I could have
> really done with a pipe-bender and a lathe. I read on your page that you
> made your own pipe-bender! If you had a photo of it and a few details -
> that would be nice seeing.
>
No problem,
The main inspiration for my bender came from a the satelite TV programme
American Choppers when I saw a motorised tube bender doing handlebars.
When I did more searching on the web I found several further designs all
relying on hydraulic rams etc.  Then I found a site such as
http://www.shopoutfitters.com/TubeBender.html  This seemed to say i
could do what I wanted by hand so I built one.  I use it two ways, for
the 19 mm tube of 16 and 14 gauge I clamp the bar and pull round a small
following die it forces the tube around the main 3 in radius former.
For the 1 inch tube of 10 gauge or 3 mm thick, I do not clamp the tube
but allow it to bend around the main former directly.  I have attached a
few pictures, sorry if large.  I will try to make up an avi file and
send that to you sometime showing some bending done.

I liked doing the front bumper that was all in one piece.


> Another thing I see is that you put the chassis on top of the rear axle. I
> tend to put the chassis hanging off the rear axle. I.E. the pillow
> bearings on the top. This gives lower ground clearance - but that's about
> all. I suppose its a case of whatever works.
>

I guess that haing the bearings on top lowers the kart at the back end
and is better for racing as the whole profile will be lower, less drag,
lower centre of gravity etc,  So may be a better idea.  I did not
consider it at the time, I just considered that with the frame sat on
top of the bearings there would be less stress on the bolts and
fastenings as they are there to really hold it together .  If the frame
is under the bearings the fastenings have to hold it in place and
support the weight of the kart back end and driver.

There is no difference in ground clearance as that is down to the
clearance of the rear sprocket to the floor and would be the same in
both instances.

The bolts I used can probably stand a few ton in weight so I guess a
lower C of G would have been better.

> Anyways, thanks for the photos. If you have details on your home-made pipe
> bender - that would be great. Also if you had info on whether you hot/cold
> bend the tubing, and what wall thickness tubing (and how significant is
> the wall thickness and diameter when bending tubing).
>
Photos attached, bent cold, but with 17 stone pulling on the bar at this
end not that big a problem, but I think that the 1 inch at 3 mm thick is
getting to the limit before one would have to use an hydraulic ram.

> Best Regards and Happy New Year,
>
> Stephen
>

Keep up the good work with the web site, I am sure someone is selling
your plans on a CD via eBay so watch out for that if you do not know
already.  It may even be you doing it!  If not start to include a
copyright notice within the pdf's and images.  You could stipulate copy
and redistribution as not for profit and that references must be made to
the originator, i.e. yourself so others at least know the are down to
your efforts.

I am struggling to find areas to run the kart at present, but works car
park is being used Friday as the boss wants to have a go.


best regards

Adrian


-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pipebend3.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 28075 bytes
Desc: 
URL: <http://lists.burkesys.com/pipermail/kartbuilding/attachments/20070104/a445b123/attachment.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pipebend2.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 74761 bytes
Desc: 
URL: <http://lists.burkesys.com/pipermail/kartbuilding/attachments/20070104/a445b123/attachment-0001.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pipebend1.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 48824 bytes
Desc: 
URL: <http://lists.burkesys.com/pipermail/kartbuilding/attachments/20070104/a445b123/attachment-0002.jpg>


More information about the Kartbuilding mailing list