Woodwork/technology idea

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  • I'm gonna start my A2 course of woodwork, where i am allowed to make anything i desire (within reason and health and safety allowing)
    so after being told i'm not allowed to make a bike frame, as it is metal and uses welding etc. i've seen this, and quite like the idea.
    Mini Drome through the eyes of Grunt5 on Vimeo

    So it'd obvoiusly be a one off build, and scale wise i think it'd probably be be around 30m for a full circuit, while i'd try to make it in parts, as i cant build it that big, and it could be another feature that it could be more easily transported if it were in 4 parts or so.
    so basically im asking for any engineers/carpentry advice as to whether this would be possible???
    and obviously if i do get this finished then anyone is welcome to come have a go, especially as i'd need pictures for my portfolio.

  • Awesome. Do it!

  • what's wrong with a toast rack or a footstool?

  • there are some really nice looking wooden bikes on the web, this is not one of them!

  • ha. i tried that technique, but there was a massive health and safety issue.
    as for the wall of death, i'm not looking to create something this big, or anything so... wall of deathy

    ideally, i'll use the redbull minidrome as a starting block, and iron out the flaws, and iron out the design (hopefully), for instance the banking doesn't seem to be wide enough. nor are there walls.
    but im just wondering if anyone has any further input as to how to complete i.e. stuctural

  • I need a new kitchen, if you fancy a challenge.

  • I made a box coffe table with dovetail joints for my GCSE woodwork ('resistant materials') project. My friend Liz and I were the only girls in the whole year not to take cooking ('food technology') or sewing ('textiles'). I got an A*. The guy in my class who made a wooden bbq that was held together with sheet metal rivets didn't do quite so well.

    Moral of the story - avoid wooden bbqs and whatever you make will be fine.

  • i got to an all boys school, but i was awesome at textiles. so im balancing it out by doing woodwork

  • Ha! Did he also make a chocolate teapot?

    The guy in my class who made a wooden bbq that was held together with sheet metal rivets didn't do quite so well.

    Moral of the story - avoid wooden bbqs and whatever you make will be fine.

  • How about a recumbent using monocoque sections of like 3mm birch aircraft plywood in box beams, all epoxied and 'glassed together? Or how about a set of handlebars? That'd be a good chance to practise your steam-bending skills, and they'd certainly look very nice. Pick your stock carefully, attending to grain orientation and runout thereof, though.

    Oh... the hell with it. Why not just build a boat?

  • what abut a mini bmx pump track. What would be way more fun. + thats seriously ambitious for an A Level project.

  • It's going to cost you a shit load of ££ to make something that big

  • Where would you put it? Realistically I think it is possible but would cost quite a lot to build and the logistics of building something that large could be an issue. How about a mini half pipe? I built one of these when I was 15 for my local youth club.

    http://www.xtremeskater.com/ramp-plans/mini-halfpipe/

  • yer, i understand, and i htink size would be the main issue really.
    which is why i would make it in four parts, the straights and the curves, and id put it together for testing etc. then store it in parts

  • its probably too ambitious for your A2s, and youd need somewhere to put it and a way of transporting it there. i reckon your school would probably have safety concerns. the wood would also be expensive.

    what is the point in a track this small? its clearly too small to hold any decent speed on. maybe you could build the banks and transition them to flat, so they can be placed any distance apart to create any straight length you wanted.

  • As a boatbuilder (I make large wooden structures with lots of complex curves), I'm going to say; that's a massive undertaking. There's a lot more work in that than you realise. The structure can be pretty crude, but to make it solid enough, and to make the face smooth enough to ride fast on, you'll need a fair bit of joinery know-how, and a lot of time.
    Also: Why can't you make a metal bike frame for your A2 project? I did from fillet brazed 4130 (pics attached). A bike frame made from laminated, steamed timbers is a much more realistic project than the mini 'drome. Look into it.


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  • As a boatbuilder (I make large wooden structures with lots of complex curves), I'm going to say; that's a massive undertaking.
    Yes. Yes it is.

    OTOH, the world might just need a pedal-powered Oughtred Sooty tern. You never can tell.

  • How about a wooden cycle trailer?

    Useful, not as safety critical as a frame, and lots of resources available online. Parts will be affordable too.

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Woodwork/technology idea

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