Here is a picture of my latest creation

[madokie]

Made using motors and controller from a power chair.

What do you all think?

[sinkingfeeling]

1. What's it for?

[madokie]

3. Mostly for yard work

complete with a dump bed

[sinkingfeeling]

6. So do you steer it with your feet? Looks cool and like something I could take my dogs for a spin in.

[madokie]

13. Joystick on right

[madokie]

20. I'm sure Roxy would ride with me if I tried to get her to hop on

she goes with me everywhere anyway and like me she's getting old

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Cool!

[jobycom]

4. Wow, really cool. You should move that little go cart contraption so we can see it better. nt

[madokie]

10. How about here

[jobycom]

41. Oh.

I thought you built the truck behind it. :) I was very impressed, but then I looked closer and it had all kinds of Ford stuff all over it, and I was going to be polite and not let you know that you had pretty much built the same thing Ford did...

Oh never mind. It's a great looking cart. :thumbsup: Forgive my poor attempts at humor. :)

[madokie]

47. No problem

It went right over my head :-)

I'm a little on the dense side

[Lasher]

5. What is it, a truck?

You must be handy in the workshop.

[madokie]

17. Yes and yes

I do all my design work using autocad, all drawn in 3d

[tridim]

7. As a DIY'er I love it

I built my first go-kart at age 8 (with a little help from dad). 100% from scratch, and horribly dangerous.

Every kid within a 4 block radius was jealous. :)

[EFerrari]

8. I think you better have a helmet.

lol

That's cool, madokie. I've always been jealous of people who can do that! My brother in law used to be able to make surface to air missiles with a piece of twine and old tennis shoes. It must be nice to be talented!

[madokie]

18. top speed is a measly 4.8 mph

I'm old and have no need in getting some where fast.
It'll go straight up loaded down if need be and if the traction was there.

[jtuck004]

9. Nice job - is that just rectangular tubing, or stainless? n/t

[madokie]

11. Inch and a half square tubing

[mitchum]

12. Nice work, madokie

[madokie]

15. Thank you

I'm disabled and need something to help me in my yard/garden work and to get around the neighborhood and me being like I am I have to build my own toys.

[MineralMan]

14. How do you raise the forks on your miniature forklift?

:rofl:

[madokie]

16. coming next

[Glorfindel]

19. Just awesome - congratulations!

I love gadgets, but I'm all thumbs when it comes to being a handyman.

[madokie]

23. Thanks,

I've been building my toys all my life

[Warpy]

21. It's a great idea, one I'd envy from time to time

although I'm still (barely) capable of using a garden cart or hand truck.

They do make lawn tractors with trailers that do the same thing, but if you've got the parts to make it for less than they charge, then it's a great deal.

It would also be great for hauling cases of beer home from the packy, if you could get there on back streets.

[madokie]

27. They let us drive anything on the streets here in the big city

err town

[MineralMan]

22. Next project: A drivable recliner.

I made one of those a few years ago. It even had a TV set built in. It was a great parade vehicle. But...my brother-in-law, who had an appliance repair business outdid me, the bastard. He motorized a top-loading washing machine for the same parade. It was most excellent, and shamed my puny effort.

That said, my gasoline-powered recliner could outrun his electric washer, so I just drove in circles around him during the entire parade. Still...his conversion was superior in concept. His battery went dead before the end of the parade, though, while I still had half a tank of gas. I towed him the rest of the way, to his embarrassment.

[madokie]

25. I can go a good 10 or so miles on the batteries

two 75 amp hr deep discharge batteries

[MineralMan]

30. Battery technology has improved dramatically since I was

messing with odd vehicles. Motors, too. You do nice, clean work.

[madokie]

36. Thank you

I take a lot of pride in whatever I do, there is no such thing to me as good enough. If its not perfect it gets redone.
You should see the inside of our house that I've completely remodeled, re-floor planned :-)
I think thats why my wife keeps me around actually

[AnArmyVeteran]

26. Ingenious and hilarious!!! Where's the parade? I'd love to see it!

[madokie]

28. This is my third one

I've posted the pictures of the other two on here in the past.
One I used the front and rear trans and differential from a subaru powered by a golf cart motor for my brother to use in his sawmill business. Like this one the other two are dump beds too.

[AnArmyVeteran]

44. Awesome! I've been making UFOs since 1985.

I tied a lot of helium-filled rubbers together and attached 8 feet of sparklers to it, and at the bottom I put fireworks. It looked like a UFO as it rose up into the sky. I'd watch it as it went miles away and several thousand feet in altitude and when the fireworks ignited it lit up the sky with huge explosions. I only do that on very clear nights when the wind isn't blowing much. I imagine it spooked a lot of people.

BTW: Rubbers make the best 'balloons'. They can be inflated up to 6 feet long and over a foot in diameter. I guess they have to be made strong :).

A couple of years ago I heard a story of a couple of guys in the east doing a similar thing, but they launched theirs in a flight path. I believe they used weather balloons. I came up with the idea 25 years ago. It's a lot of fun if you do it responsibly. But if you're using rubbers I suppose you could say you are being responsible :).

[madokie]

49. They're great for floats for jug fishing for catfish

[AnArmyVeteran]

54. What's jug fishing? Rubbers sure have a lot of uses!

[madokie]

57. Thats where you take a jug or rubber or whatever that'll float

and tie a line to it with a hook and bait it and put it out in the river or lake and set back in the boat and drink beer or beverage of choice, and let the catfish catch themselves. very relaxing way to catch an evening meal of good eating catfish. If you use live bait you'll catch a lot of flatheads and they are the best of the bunch because they only eat live critters. Take your throw net and catch a shitpot full of shad to use for bait and your fixed up. Son and I were planning to do that this morning but the forecast is saying it's going to be too damn hot to be out on the water.

[MineralMan]

29. Oh, long ago, in the 70s. My brother-in-law and I had a running

war over self-powered things that made no sense. The steering control on the recliner was a beer can. The washer was gutted, so only my brother-in-laws head could be seen coming out of the washer.

We motorized a lot of stuff, and had a family competition to see who could build the smallest mini-bike. I won with one that used two skateboard wheels and was little more than a single piece of pipe with very elongated handlebars. That one used a model airplane engine and three jackshafts to gear it down enough. It worked though.

Then I moved away.

[madokie]

32. That must have been fun

I've got the parts gathered up to build another one as I plan to sell this one. It took all of a week to build from start to finish. I never build two of anything just alike so I have drawn my next one yet. I haven't had the vision of what I want it to be like yet.

[MineralMan]

34. Keep on doing it. It looks like fun. I no longer have a shop where

I can do such things. More's the pity.

[AnArmyVeteran]

38. That is just too cool! It must have been a lot of fun!

That's so creative. I really appreciate people who think outside the box!

[AnArmyVeteran]

40. Did the cool recliner have a toilet built in? You'd never have to get up :) LOL

[proteus_lives]

24. Sweet.

That's really cool.

[JuniperLea]

31. You're a genius!

This is really awesome... your body may be givng out, but your brain is running on all eight!

:applause:

Something tells me you'll keep finding improvements on your design... I expect to see this all decked out with extras in six months:)

[madokie]

33. Yes I'm building the bed out of knotty pine

and putting side boards on it. My brother has a sawmill business so I can get the prettiest boards I want for cheap.

[mdmc]

35. yesyes

Madokie - could you make me an arm? My knees are still kinda working, but the right arm feels like I should cut it off.

[madokie]

37. coming right up

opposing thumb and all, I would if you were closer to me.
I almost had to have my left foot removed a few years ago and I was going to make my own foot but they were able to save it so maybe later I'll get too.

[mdmc]

39. thanks

someday I will make it out there.. peace bro..

[madokie]

45. I'd love that

I hope you're having a better afternoon

[spanone]

42. fantastic!!! lovely work..

[snot]

43. Could be comfy-er:

http://c-cyte.blogspot.com/2010/07/those-crazy-mormons.html

[Cetacea]

46. I'd buy it.

Thanks for posting it.

[flvegan]

48. What's her 1/4 mile time and trap speed?

Pretty cool no matter the answer.

[pinboy3niner]

50. Great work, madokie!

Reminds me of what we used to call a 'mule' in the Army. They were simple haulers for use around small camps and firebases, especially useful for hauling supplies from the landing pad up to the FB. Yours is better, though--mules didn't have dump beds. Can't wait to see your next one.

[guitar man]

51. "Hold my beer and watch this shit!!"

:rofl:

Actually that looks pretty cool, I want one! :) :hi:

[Libby2]

52. Very nice, great job.

[guardian]

53. Only missing one thing

Mud flaps!

http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-97102109552530_2118_6212254

[petronius]

55. I'm confused - is that the Leaf, or the Volt?

;)

Very impressive! :toast:

[ThomCat]

56. Very nice! I certainly can't get my chair out into a garden.

:)

I hope this helps you with whatever outdoor work you're doing.

I wish I had your skills so I could do the same. I can't say there's much call for one of those here in NYC though. I'd love to be able to build something that could get me up stairs.