New Trike Part 7: All done for now.

Photo 1: 2mm plywood sidepanels, the small tabs on top are "bridge" structures

 which make a gap underneath as per photo 5

Photo 2: Making the tailbox, the top cable ties have stayed there, and the lower ones have been replaced by epoxy glue.

Photo 3:Almost there!  This is the trike with one side panel off.

Photo 4: There.  For the time being at least.

Photo 5: Inside the tailbox.  One of the bridges for the sidepanel can be seen lower right.  It is used to accommodate a bulldog clip.

Photo 6: This compares the 2 curvy seats I have made.  Finishing it off with glue makes a mess, the cable ties are much neater.

Photo 7: For future development.  The design works with 4mm hoop pine ply because 6 layers fit securely into the frame for the front and back frame plugs.  But this is what was sent me!  Hopefully, I will get some credit from the suppliers for this mistake.

Hi, for now, I have finished this trike and this post shows some of the final steps in its construction, making the tailbox and the sidepanels which go on it.  These panels are timber but could be corflute or cloth covered frames.

There is a bit of more work I could do on this machine, like trying to make the tailbox in 3.2mm ply instead of 4mm, and  using the hoop pine material for the frame plugs.

Weight is about 19.5kg at the moment, and the luggage capacity which is built-in is about 50 litres.  Things like shopping bags, shoes and helmets can be hurled in the back and I can't help contrasting this storage with the storage on Brian Ball's bike which is based on panniers mounted on racks.

Regards

Steve Nurse

Dec 25

Here are some photos of the bike in the wild, I have ridden it from Airey's Inlet to Spout Creek and back a few times.

Sometimes the camera self-timer works....

and sometimes it doesn't.