Bike-Drop a micro-foamy

[lthomas987]

Since it is still too cold to start building here and I can't hold back any longer I started an indoor project. I've talked about this over in the Foamies section so sorry for those of you for whom the concept is a bit of a repeat.

I am building a wee tiny teardrop on a reclaimed Burley kid transporter frame for my bike. I rebuilt the Burley into a cargo platform a few years back.

Last year it saw some service hauling my dog in a wire kennel , and a plastic one, and a bigger wire one. Also while the flatbed is super versitle for carrying cargo it stinks for groceries and other small items. I had been using a plastic dog kennel for that. It's sort of a pain to load and unload.

So as an early spring (we're still expecting snow here ) indoor get familiar with the techniques project I am going to build a canvas covered foam teardrop with an open top. I've been noodling on sizes..

I finally decided on a total of 20" tall with the roof. It's going to be partly roofless. And the top will be covered with either some sunbrella mesh, if I have the dog inside, or a waterproof cordura top if it's cargo that doesn't need to breathe. The method of securing it is yet up in the air. Conveniently the dog isn't much interested in escape, so it doesn't actually have to do anything more than notationally secure him.

I started cutting foam and wood this afternoon. More pictures, and some drawings from sketchup later tonight. I am hoping to do some experimentation with hot wire cutting, and kerfing foam, as well as assembly techniques so that when I start on my big trailer I won't have so much to learn.

[pchast]

Something neat to practice on.

[lthomas987]

So I have added more drawings

This is the profile. The wood bits are the existing trailer bed.


Here's the 3/4 view so you can see the topless section.

I decided sadly on the course of wisdom and am NOT cutting foam after my bed time. I did however get the profile drawn on the foam I cut down to rough size earlier today.

I also cut the 1/4" OSB I am using for a floor. I figure it doesn't have to be very sturdy if it is sitting solidly on another solid wooden platform. It's out in the garage trying to dry after painting GSW's waterproofing mix on it. Nothing much wants to dry in a 40degreeF garage.

Tomorrow I hope to experiment with hot wire foam cutting to cut out the sides and kerf the front wall.

[jbyrd]

Interesting project. A good way to get some practice I might have to try this for a cooler trailer just for kicks.

[lthomas987]

to cut both layers at once I pinned them together with sharpened bamboo skewers.


It's traditional right you cut the sides then you stand them up?

[lthomas987]

There we go. I don't normally post from my phone. I have undone whatever horrible thing it was doing to my photos.



So I got home from work and cut out my sides. Since they were only one inch thick I pinned the foam together with bamboo skewers. And cut them at the same time. I then roughed up both sides lightly with 80 sandpaper. I have rinsed off the fluff and after dinner I will put on scruffy clothes and coat the inner walls with canvas or maybe flannel. Need to do math and see if I have enough canvas to do the inside and the outside.

I have tomorrow off work. So I kind of want to make big tracks on this project.

[lthomas987]

On my day off I did manage to get a lot done. I got the sides glued to the floor before bed. Then in the morning I went out and kerfed a bunch of foam. I managed to kerf the back wall the wrong direction. So I just did it the right way and it's now got a grid of grooves... but whatever.. the span is only 21" wide. I then installed the rear wall.

I also made a scrap variant of the front wall/roof thing. Wherein I learned how much gorilla glue is too much. I was really really glad to have screwed up on some scrap pieces. I am however now sitting here wondering if I didn't use enough when I glued up the real one tonight. So far there's no oozing out anywhere.

I would trim the stupid canvas corners off since I don't need them and in fact sort of want them gone before I canvas the top, but my pinking sheers, and my other good scissors all went in for sharpening and I can't manage to get to the place to pick them up during hours they're open.

[Hardryder56]

Looking good. You can use a razor blade to trim off the extra canvas, if you paint the part you want to trim off with a thin glue/water mix along the cut line then the canvas will not unravel on you. Learned that reading the "Big Thread" at the Foamie section
Tom

[lthomas987]

Last night I heard we had another blizzard coming into town. I also had some time to work on the micro-foamy that is occupying my formal living room. I have quite possibly the most tolerant partner ever.

So last night I trimmed all the excess fabric from the outside. I also canvassed three of the four interior walls. Both sides and the back. Tonight I hope to do the front wall. I ended up using some sewing pins(mostly dull or broken needles actually) to tack the edges of the fabric in place a bit because they wanted to curl up. I don't know how other people are preventing this. Off to the giant foamy thread again to find out I guess. I just poked them through glue soaked fabric into the foam. I figure the tiny tiny holes can get filled with a later coat of glue or paint. This morning parts of the TB2 were still damp. Maybe I'm just trying too much glue at once? Maybe it's the humid 60 degree house?

No pictures because that room is impossible to take any acceptable pictures in due to the poor lighting.

I am learning why people say to round over the edges of the foam a bit to make the fabric stick better though. I'll get it right on the big trailer.

With any luck I'll get primer on it by the end of the weekend. Maybe even paint. If it is warm enough to dry anything. I do however have a little electric oil radiator and a drop cloth so maybe I can warm up one corner of the garage enough.

[Hardryder56]

Laura
Lots of the foamies are using oversized pins or wooden skewers to hold the fabric in place. Did you water down the glue and then spread it kinda thin? Humid and cold does tend to slow down the drying of glue. You can tell your partner at least you are not building a motorcycle in the middle of the living room. I know several people that are doing that due to the weather outside.
Tom

[lthomas987]

I spread the glue thin, but maybe not thin enough. I also cut it with water so it would penetrate the fabric and spread a bit better. Tonight I used linen for the inside of the front curve. I had run out of canvas and my partner said "I have a bunch of linen." She had some offcuts that were the perfect size. It was amazing. SO much nicer to work with than the canvas I had. I will be doing the outside in canvas anyhow, because there are no sufficently large linen scraps. I do think however I will consider linen for my full sized foamy when I get there.

[lthomas987]

Well I've been quiet but busy.


I got it all canvassed.

Then I took it out in the garage, sanded off some of the worst bumps. (I'm hoping people mostly notice the dog not the mediocre finish work) and primed it.

I learned a lot about making my canvas go nicely over curves. Sadly I got it figured out at the very end. Also that front curve is a 9.5" radius half circle. There will be nothing anywhere near that tight when I build a big trailer.





If I was motivated I could fill with some high build primer and sand it all smoother.
I haven't really even filled the canvas weave.
I'm not going to on this I don't think.

[rowerwet]

[Hardryder56]

Looking good, the final test will be how your furry friend enjoys it.
Tom

[lthomas987]

Well I am pretty much done! Two coats of primer, and a coat of deck/porch paint. Plus double coats of paint on the front, floor (inside and out) and the back.

I am waiting on some custom reflective decals because, small enough for this they're really cheap.

Also I need to get some padding for the bottom. But even without padding we went for a quick run around the block and after the initial bump at the end of the driveway there was about half a block of looking around. Then he laid down and settled in for a ride. Worked about perfect.

As far as weather proof cargo goes it's complete.

I do have some things left I'd like to do. I need to put in an eyebolt for a leash/dog retainer. He's really unlikely to try and escape, but a pheasant would get him up and out of there in a hurry.

Also I have a bunch of small super strong magnets I am thinking about gluing along the outside edge of the opening and making a cover also full of magnets that will make for a roof/cargo cover. That will make grocery shopping better. I might also consider making a roof out of sunbrella for the dog.




Four bolts holding the teardrop to the flatbed. It's removable by taking them off. The big washers are because the floor is 1/4" OSB. It's sitting directly on 3/4" pine so I didn't worry about it's strength but I didn't want the OSB to tear out around a small bolt head.



If I can get somebody else to tow the trailer I'll get some pictures of it on the road.