Having Fun in my shop.

What do you use your shop for besides work? Got any hobbies? What do you do for fun?

Now that I am retired, for the past 2 years I have been building a lot of different types of recumbent bikes in my shop. I make a lot of parts on the Bridgepoet Mill and Churchill Lathe without this equipment I could not build these bikes. The back wheel mounting brackets take the most time to cut out on the mill, about 2 hours work. Wish I had a lazer it could cut this part is about 20 seconds. I have built welding fixtures for all these bikes so I can build more if I want. The best part is riding the bikes expecially in nice weather. I still need a tubing roller I may order one from Harbor Freight. My favorite bike is the Lowracer it is the most fun to ride and it is very aerodynamic so that makes it very fast. I can cruise along at 24 mph fairly easy. If I pedal hard I can get it up to 27 mph. Not bad for someone my age.



This is the Low Racer that I built. I put about 1200 miles on this bike during the summer. This bike weighs 27 lbs. I took the picture without the seat pad.



This is my Tour Easy bike it is a very confertable ride. I did a 300 mile bike ride through the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia last summer. I camped in a tent every night it was a lot of fun. This is not a fast ride I cruise along at about 12 to 14 mph most of the time. If I pedal hard I can do 18 to 20 mph. I put about 1500 miles on this bike during the summer. This bike is a little on the heavy side 37 lbs. I have a bike trailer for this bike I can haul 125 lbs of stuff, tent, sleeping bag, food, water, etc.



This is my P-38 bike it is very manoverable like a sports car. Lots of fun to ride and it is reasonable fast. I can cruise along at 16 to 18 mph. If I pedal hard I can do 22 mph. This bike weighs 21 lbs.



I sure wish I could find a faster way to make these metal parts and a faster way to cut these angles in the tubing using my mill. First bike is always the slowest to build I have to figure out all the angles, lengths, then do a test ride and work out the bugs. I have 18 different bikes I won't list them all.

I also build and fly Control Line Model Airplanes. I have to build the motor mounts, landing gears, bell crank, and several other metal parts in my shop. I have several airplane the Twister is my favoriate.



Here is a jet engine that I built.



Ok.......one more. Here is 1 of many hot air engines that I have built. Check out my 4 video on You Tube. I also have steam engines. A 6 cylinder model radial engine and several more model engines.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57GFrxz_mnw

Here is what may be the worlds faster go cart with a 4 cylinder 65 HP mercury outboard engine power head. The go cart will do 87 mph the way I have it geared. It will do 87 mph in 3 seconds. Lots of machine work here, it took me a month to build this.



Here is a pic of my largest Tesla Coil it makes 12 foot long sparks. It is fun to play around with. I have several Tesla coils each one is a different size. Smallest is a desk top model. I wind all my coils in the lathe.

OK guys what do you use your mill, lathe, welder, and other shop equipment for FUN and Hobby?

Whats with the yellow for recumbents anyway?I added suspension to mine for that
soft on the butt type of ride.I molded the seat from frp using an old school desk seat as a mold.Bike has many miles on it.

Are those recumbent bikes you lay flat on your back comfortable to ride???

Carl Darnell said:

Are those recumbent bikes you lay flat on your back comfortable to ride???

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Yes it is very comfortable to ride, I have a 2" thick foam pad made especially for recumbent bikes. I love this bike. It takes about 10 minutes of practice to learn to ride a lowracer bike. If you can ride a normal upright bike then you can ride a lowracer too. Wind resistance is about 70% less than a upright bike so that makes it easy to go fast. It takes a couple of weeks to feel relaxed riding a low racer bike. A nice soft head rest is a must have and a good mirror on the helmet.

"Bent" Bikes and Trikes

After an injury, I lost my sense of balance. I missed riding, and I knew a trike was what I needed, so I decided to build a "bent" trike. Mine is long and low. It's rather heavy, but it's fun to ride. Once on a trip to my Sister's in Florida, I rode across the world's longest over-water bike trail: an abandoned bridge across Tampa Bay. It has a high arch in the center to let boats pass under. Lemme tell ya: riding up the arch was a bitch, but coming back down the other side, sitting with my butt about 6" off the pavement, I made almost 60MPH! THAT was travelling FAST for an ole country boy on a touring machine!

Ennyway, your 'bents are a lot better looking prouct than mine, which is welded up from miscelllanious old bicycles. Those pictured are very nice! Keep up the good work!

OhioTom

Wow dude.....you rock.
The Low Racer is really cool.
Ever consider selling plans for it??

I think EVERY kid should be required to build and fly model airplanes.
After model trains from age 5 to around 7....model airplanes are what got me interested in machining (along with live steam models).
The hobby (model airplanes) teaches SO much about engineering, physics, aerodynamics, project management, planning, follow thru, etc, etc.

Here is what may be the worlds faster go cart with a 4 cylinder 65 HP mercury outboard engine power head. The go cart will do 87 mph the way I have it geared. It will do 87 mph in 3 seconds. Lots of machine work here, it took me a month to build this.

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Jeesh.....COOL
A WHOLE month to build it huh?
Well, if you'd quit building and riding those damn cool bikes thousands of miles you might have gotten it done in a day or two.....

COOL STUFF!

I am in no way belittling your kart, I figure you can appreciate one of my favorite videos --- mostly because the guy driving can REALLY drive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddhrD3a2I1M

Awesome work, I admire your projects!

ya.....Gixxer.......

I got this 1982 Kart .......and this Kaw/H2 750 3cyl
(from the scrap yard 20 years ago)

maybe some day.......

But.
someday never comes.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwNuQulK6N0

What do you use your shop for besides work? Got any hobbies? What do you do for fun?

Click to expand...

Repairing 2 strokes count? I Shirley don't find it fun, but it is part of keeping toys running. I just need to pony up for 4 strokes eventually...

Wife wants me to sell the ATV's as I don't use them enymore...


------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

great stuff Gary.

my shop fun is staid in comparison; model engines...steam, gas, atmostpheric

Mcgyver,

Did you cast the parts for that triple yourself? It is a triple expansion correct, I'm not a steam nut, just interested. Great work to everyone that has posted. Love that Tesla coil FUN!

My hobby work

When not manufacturing machinery, I keep busy making my replica car. Here is my version of a 1906 Oldsmobile Model B. It is powered by a 12 hp Briggs electric start engine and a hydrostatic transmission from a Sears riding lawn mower. Its top speed is 9 mph. Which is more than enough when steering with a tiller arm. It took 2-1/2 years to get it to this point. I am now working on a fringed surrey top for it. I have had it in 3 parades so far.

jkilroy said:

Mcgyver,

Did you cast the parts for that triple yourself?

Click to expand...

not in this lifetime lol, its a stuart turner. their iron castings are very well done, die cast perhaps? not sure if that is possible with cast iron but the finish is very smooth, dimensional accurate and never a chill spot

Mcgyver said:

not in this lifetime lol, its a stuart turner. their iron castings are very well done, die cast perhaps? not sure if that is possible with cast iron but the finish is very smooth, dimensional accurate and never a chill spot

Click to expand...

Definately the best castings ever, lovely to work with.

Man, there's some cool stuff in this thread

Dave

Endoro carts go over 200 mph and are extremely fast on acceleration.

Mcgyver said:

great stuff Gary.

my shop fun is staid in comparison; model engines...steam, gas, atmostpheric

Click to expand...

That is a really cool steam engine. I have built a few steam engine but nothing as nice as yours.

I build a Rider Ericsson from a kit once about 10 years ago.

I build that exact same atmostpheric engine also known as a fire eater or vaccuum engine from the plans in a book. I bought Steam and Steriling book #1 and #2. I also have the book, Elmers Engines. I had some trouble building that valve on the fire water engine my flame gets to hot the spring is lost in the metal that holds the valve shut so my engine doesn't very well any more.

Carl Darnell said:

Endoro carts go over 200 mph and are extremely fast on acceleration.

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I use to race go carts years ago but I did oval track racing. Did you every run that 20 mile Endoro cart race near Atlanta GA. They block off 20 miles of the highway to get a loop through the mountains, they do a 500 mile race once a year. Pit stops to refuel and change tires. Fuel tanks are between the wheels on each side. The driver is laying on his back for low wind resistance the go carts are doing 140 mph. That is really a cool race it has been 25 years since I was there, not sure they still have that race near Atlanta I have been out of racing for years.

No, I never did the Endoro's. I raced sprint carts at an outlaw track at Metropolis Ill. I raced for about 3 years and then sold everything. We were living in Charleston Mo at the time and I had a lawn mower shop.