Pics - New Fork Painted

[TheKid]

The fork is finished and painted. I had to put the disc caliper mount on the top instead of the bottom, because I only have a right side caliper to use. Since there will be two rear brakes, there should still be plenty of stopping power. I used lacquer, so the curing time before final sanding and compound is only one day. I'll wait until Monday, then wet sand with 1500 grit paper, compound, and hand glaze. (Hand glaze is basically a very very fine polishing compound.) It looks like a brighter red than it is, and the finish looks a little drab in the pics. The color is actually a maroon metalflake.
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z66/edpol_photos/Hauler%20Fork/000_0295_0001Small.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z66/edpol_photos/Hauler%20Fork/000_0296_0001Small.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z66/edpol_photos/Hauler%20Fork/000_0297_0001Small.jpg

[SirJoey]

Man, that looks like the fork that destroyed NYC, LOL! FORKZILLA!

That's a nice color. That's what I was going for on the Nexus, but unfortunately, mine turned out to be redder than the color on the cap.

http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/7131/sirjoeysigmedij1.gif

[TheKid]

Thanks Joey. Actually, it's a lot darker shade than the pics lead you to believe. Originally, I was using scrap pieces of square tubing to get the right shape of the fork in order to achieve the right amount of trail. Then I was going to bend a fork to that shape. But I liked the massive look of the square tubing, and decided it couldn't be too difficult to build a fork.

[TheKid]

I forgot to mention that the main parts of the trike will be painted silver with maroon and black accents. So before I finish the fork, it will have silver and black accents. The crown and dropouts will be black, the sides of the fork will have silver stripes. The same color scheme will be duplicated on the head tube, stem, and gooseneck. The seat is maroon, and the flatbed will be black, with maroon and silver integrated fenders. I'll probably end up with black 20" wheels with spinners painted silver with maroon accents. There will also eventually be a removable locking trunk, and the color of that is undetermined as yet.

[SirJoey]

Sounds like that jewel's gonna be sharp!

I need to start using that word "eventually" a little more, myself! :D

http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/7131/sirjoeysigmedij1.gif

[TheKid]

I'm still contemplating the ability to make it interchangeable from bike to delta to LWB tadpole to quad. (Although, because my disabilities have worsened, I wouldn't use it as a bike.) I still have the plans I made last summer somewhere. I posted one version in the old forum last August, but I revised the two wheel front end conversion to an easier method. Another idea I had after Brad introduced the USS for the DW was to make another tadpole front end to switch with the delta front end, making a SWB quad. But since I nixed the idea of USS on the hauler, I won't be doing that one. However, a fairing on the hauler would be nice, so going to the linkage steering may have it's benefits, especially for the quad/LWB tadpole conversions. The reason for the conversions is that I'm running out of room, so two full machines may be out of the question, unless I put up a shed.

[Richie Rich]

Kid...I remember seeing your sketches for the interchangeable modules in the old Forum. I only wish I had seen them before building the DW frame back in January of '07 because I was looking for a way to add a sprung suspension to the rear.

Maybe I'll try a mockup as a 'Proof of Concept' piece. But first, I need a few more of those elusive Round Tuits.

......Richie >>

[TheKid]

Actually, I came up with two for the DW when I first downloaded the plans. One was to pivot the entire rear on each side, with two shocks, but the math said I needed a either a very heavy frame, or the "rock and roll" type of third pivot to prevent twisting. I didn't think the third pivot would work, because the chain would also twist. Then I thought of just having the third pivot on the idle side, but it was getting too complicated. I came up with a second idea, described below. Bear in mind, either of these would have been my first build using steel and welding. So I decided instead to start with something easier, which was a tadpole I found before stumbling upon the AZ site. It wasn't long before I decided the steering was too complicated, and went to the DW as per the plans. Then I saw the wheel building part, and back I went to the tadpole, until the Meridian came along, and three days later, it was ridable. Then I fell off it and broke my leg, so a few months later, it was back to the tadpole.
The second idea was to split the rear in two, and basically do the same thing. I got that idea from that trike that climbs stairs. Another was to use two suspension rears using a double boom that went to a single boom in front of the seat. If I ever get around to building the quad I want to build, that's the method I'll use. Or I may just build it as a trike with a suspension fork. That will feature two SA 8 speed hubs on the rear for posi-traction on straight hills or slippery terrain, and the ability to switch to a lower gear on the inside wheel when making turns. It will make turning left onto my block a lot easier. As it is now with a delta or a quad, If I approach from the north, I make an uphill right turn very easily with the inside wheel freewheeling. However, from the south, it's a left uphill turn, with the drive wheel on the inside, making it very difficult, even in a very low gear.

[Richie Rich]

'Kid'....my reply is posted here to avoid further 'Off Topic' comments......

http://forum.atomiczombie.com/showthread.php?p=4370#post4370

See you there.........Richie >>