The Contraption 2.0

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 8:13 am

Isn't it a factor whether you have single gear chain or derailleur chain?

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 9:35 am

Just now desided to abandon the project for this year..

All is not lost.. I will bring it so you all can point laugh and tell me what went wrong..

Just not enough time..

Will have it ready for 09..

Cap."Goddammit!" where is that damn boat and will you please wear a sack over your head when approching me..

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 3:43 pm

gyre wrote:Isn't it a factor whether you have single gear chain or derailleur chain?

Gyre: Do you mean for twisting the chain 90 degrees, or what?

Derailer chain is the narrowest bicycle chain at 3/32", and can not use a master link because the clip could be knocked off when the chain scrapes against an adjacent sprocket -- as a normal part of operation.

Single gear chain (also used with hub gears, like the old Sturmey Archer three speed hubs) is 1/8" wide, and can use a master link.

Both can be run in a 90 degree twist, if the span is at least a couple of feet. How flexible a chain is for twisting, depends more on the brand and the quality and how worn it is, than whether it is 1/8 or 3/32.

Next up the ladder, some of the BMX kids use extra heavy duty 1/8 chains, and when they get really serious, there are 3/16" chains that look almost like motorcycle chain. These heavy duty BMX chains do not twist much.

After that, there are motorcycle and industrial chains.

Back to my "funnels". I can not use master links with these, because the clip is wider than the rest of the chain. But any chain can be reassembled without a master link.

Now, about Jon's miniature T-bucket. I feel it is a great idea to bring Works-In-Progress to the Playa. Where else can so many Gear-Heads, Steam-Punks, and other Shade-Tree Spark-Throwers brain-storm on one project!

Gravity Mike · Post by **Gravity Mike** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 5:48 pm

Man, I'm so impressed with what you guys have all been doing!! I've not been checking into eplaya much this year, just been catching up:

Nice work Le Chat, I'm thoroghly impressed with your engine and dual-drive machine. I hope to see you again this year (more later).

Tiahaar!! I had no idea you were working on a piece of playa art in secret! I look forward to seeing it.

Elliot, you're up to the same old tricks I see! Capt and Unjon, I haven't met you characters yet, but...

What am I up to? Well, I've put a nice tiki torch flame thrower on my pedal-powered 6 ATV wheeled machine - which also now sports a tiki bar (for those of you who haven't seen it at a kinetic sculpture race)!! I don't currently have a place to stick photos so that they can be posted here, not something I've done in a while, so instead here's a the link to my Tribe page, which has photos and a youtube video.
http://people.tribe.net/gravity_mike

Also, I'm promoting a Kinetic Sculpture Rally at the Silicon Village Plaza (Dart and 6:30) Wed afternoon, 2-5. I encourage ALL of you guys to come meet and greet, and have drinks and enjoy LIVE music at the Hair of the Dog stage/bar, right on the Silicon Village Plaza.

See you all out there,

Gravity Mike

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 7:57 pm

Well unjon, without your gizmachi there'll be less stuff I have to lift into the back of the boat!
Definitely do bring it anyway, if you can. There will be enough gearhead people, parts, welders and tools that we just might all get bent on making the damn thing work! I know I'll be up for some wrenching to bring life to a new mutant rig. Even if it's just 'cuz I hope you get on it and ride far away...

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 7:59 pm

I'm in..

fciron · Post by **fciron** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 8:49 pm

If we get it working we're all gonna wet your tires.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 8:55 pm

Baad frame choise..To flexable, it pulls everthing out of line.. At this point it is zip tied togeather before bolting it down..

i,m not into wasting good playa time on it.. it will just sit in camp to show my shitty work..

over the winter i will rebuild the whole thing.. starting with a bend and rivit frame..

Goddammit Cap., you will do anything to get rid someone that knows you secret.. i telling that nice lady.. there is no prince under your toad self.. no matter how much she kisses on you you still a toad..

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 9:12 pm

Elliot, you're up to the same old tricks I see!

Hey, now I am offended! I'm going for some new tricks this year! One of them is a human-powered Tiki-Bar-looking thing! Yes, I stole your idea. It is simply too good not to use. At some point on the Playa, you will see yourself coming the other way.

The umbrella is on the bar and offset to one side.

Jon.... Uh, oh. Flexible frames do not play well with chain drives. But DO bring it, so we can brainstorm for 2009. How large is this thing? How large is the faux V-8 engine? I can bring some of that "effin'" foam for the engine, if that is not done yet.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 9:36 pm

Jon.... Uh, oh. Flexible frames do not play well with chain drives. But DO bring it, so we can brainstorm for 2009. How large is this thing? How large is the faux V-8 engine? I can bring some of that "effin'" foam for the engine, if that is not done yet.

[/quote]

I spoted the flex before bolting it.. The whole thing is on 30+inch wide and 8 foot long.. Just sits on a utility trailer.. So I will bolster it up high enough to load a trike and two Zappys "electric scoots" under..

The engine was to be a battery and sterio case.. The whole thing is also a power station with inverter to run camp stuff.. So I'm throwing the batteries and inverter in the kindeling box and seting it where the engine would go..

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 10:43 pm

OK, got my blue "sea glow" fluorescents figured out. After buying a shitload of new magnetic ballasts and untold screwing around, I figured out the existing electronic-ballast fluorescent fixtures work fine on the inverter if I simply turn them on one at a time! (There's six of them.)

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri Aug 15, 2008 12:42 pm

That's a little strange.

I just saw a downhill bike go 107 at Snowmass.
It had roller guides at the top of the crank sprocket and one at the bottom with extra wrap.
http://www.karpiel.com/

capjbadger · Post by **capjbadger** » Fri Aug 15, 2008 4:29 pm

Captain Goddammit wrote:OK, got my blue "sea glow" fluorescents figured out. After buying a shitload of new magnetic ballasts and untold screwing around, I figured out the existing electronic-ballast fluorescent fixtures work fine on the inverter if I simply turn them on one at a time! (There's six of them.)

So I was right? It was the power surge of all of them coming on at once that was overloading thre inverter?

Badger

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Fri Aug 15, 2008 4:42 pm

It had roller guides at the top of the crank sprocket and one at the bottom with extra wrap.

I'm not surprised. At high speeds, chains can "whip" and "fly" and "run in standing waves" and generally behave quite obnoxiously. How chain driven motorcycles go 200 with relatively little chain trouble, is a black art bleeping mystery to me.

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Fri Aug 15, 2008 6:40 pm

capjbadger wrote:
Captain Goddammit wrote:OK, got my blue "sea glow" fluorescents figured out. After buying a shitload of new magnetic ballasts and untold screwing around, I figured out the existing electronic-ballast fluorescent fixtures work fine on the inverter if I simply turn them on one at a time! (There's six of them.)
So I was right? It was the power surge of all of them coming on at once that was overloading thre inverter?

Badger

Yeah... but don't start thinking you're right more than once in a while.

karine · Post by **karine** » Fri Aug 15, 2008 9:59 pm

So now you just have extra crap.
Be careful, Cap'n!
THAT's how a lot of these projects get started in the first place!

;)

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri Aug 15, 2008 11:28 pm

capjbadger wrote:
Captain Goddammit wrote:OK, got my blue "sea glow" fluorescents figured out. After buying a shitload of new magnetic ballasts and untold screwing around, I figured out the existing electronic-ballast fluorescent fixtures work fine on the inverter if I simply turn them on one at a time! (There's six of them.)
So I was right? It was the power surge of all of them coming on at once that was overloading thre inverter?

Badger

I've heard of inverters reacting to electronic ballasts.
I thought it might be something like that.
Feedback maybe?
How big are the ballasts?

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Fri Aug 15, 2008 11:55 pm

Dudn't matta. I'm good with turning them on one at a time until they're all on... works fine, and costs nothing more. At this point, with only a few days until we leave, there's no time or sense in changing things that are working fine.
I just got the new radiator in the RV tonight (it's beautiful... this thing is gonna swallow antifreeze at one end and shit out frozen margaritas at the other!), gotta put in the trailer-brake controller tomorrow, swap the wheels and tires for better ones off one of my trucks, and generally thrash and panic.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 12:02 am

I'm glad you haven't been putting off anything important, like brakes.

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 7:16 am

Captain Goddammit wrote:...and generally thrash and panic.

That's pretty much where I am right now.

karine · Post by **karine** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 7:45 am

bigger projects = bigger loads to haul !

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 8:59 am

Go nuts!
I'll loan you my 48 foot trailer.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 1:17 pm

Look what I found

http://community.webtv.net/unjonharley/doc2

Gravity Mike · Post by **Gravity Mike** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 4:44 pm

Elliot wrote::D
Elliot, you're up to the same old tricks I see!
Hey, now I am offended! I'm going for some new tricks this year! One of them is a human-powered Tiki-Bar-looking thing! Yes, I stole your idea. It is simply too good not to use. At some point on the Playa, you will see yourself coming the other way. :lol: The umbrella is on the bar and offset to one side.

You mean you're copying this:

Does your's have a flame thrower? :)
[youtube][/youtube]

as you know, Elliot, after Ventura I'm dismantling the 'ATB' and building something new. And I saw that there has been a kinetic racer tiki bar previously at one of the races in Oregon, so I'm not the first anyway.

Thanks for the posting tips, Captn.

Gravity Mike

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 5:05 pm

unjonharley wrote:Look what I found

http://community.webtv.net/unjonharley/doc2

Little 'uns, big 'uns, and real big 'uns!!

karine · Post by **karine** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 8:12 pm

The little one is soooo cute!

And look at the tires on that tiki bar! It's pedal powered ?! Awesome.

capjbadger · Post by **capjbadger** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 9:54 pm

Captain Goddammit wrote:
capjbadger wrote:So I was right? It was the power surge of all of them coming on at once that was overloading the inverter?

Badger
Yeah... but don't start thinking you're right more than once in a while.

*chuckle* Stopped clock and all that...

Glad to hear it's all working now.

Badger

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Sun Aug 17, 2008 8:15 pm

Mike:

I cannot claim I'm in your league, but I had the basic three-bicycles-pushing-a-platform from two years ago, so I added the bar and parasoll.

And before anybody asks... yes, it is tricky to steer, but this improves with practice.

This thing will be operated by Camp Herring in Terminal City, near 3 and A.

Gravity Mike · Post by **Gravity Mike** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 9:56 pm

I remember that platform! Those Camp Herring guys had a chair on it and would ride up behind the water trucks and get showers!!

And yup, the 'ATB' is 100% pedal powered.

Gravity Mike

karine · Post by **karine** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 7:10 am

'ATB'.. he he he
Well, there is definitely something to "over doing" things! LOVE IT !

The two bars have totally different vibes! Hopefully we'll catch them both.
A race might be in order...
A "beer run" of sorts...

But then again - they might just meet up at Camp Arctica all on their own some lonely morning.
Who knows. I love the playa for that stuff.