Wood Tandem Advice?

"mowestusa" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello,

Any ideas to keep the length down? (I don't want to get too long because
then it will have a huge turning radius. I'm looking at the captain
being almost over the front wheel like on a swb recumbent, then mounting
the pedals of the stoker almost under the seat of the captain.)

Take a look at the Barcroft site. Bill Cook sells a very short tandem and
that might give you some ideas about seat placement.

http://www.barcroftcycles.com/

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I have built a SWB lowracer of 2 x 4's and it is awsome! I have also done
piles of research on this topic, feel free to contact me on this (remove
'SPAMBALLS' from the reply address) Here is a list of places to look at
wooden bike links though. Pay special attention to GOTA bikes as this is
similar to what you are describing.

My 2x4 is here in the archives of my blog
http://mountain-wave.blogspot.com/2004_09_01_mountain-wave_archive.html
My current additions to my blog
http://mountain-wave.blogspot.com

Here is a sampling of links to research,
http://www.claudius.fr.fm/

http://www.planenco.com.br/gota/indexe.htm

http://www.manytracks.com/Recumbent/jrobin.htm

http://www.manytracks.com/Recumbent/Riks.htm

http://www.woodenbicycle.freeservers.com/trike.htm

http://www.woodenbicycle.freeservers.com/index.htm

http://www.homestead.com/bikerodnkustom/woodeye.html

http://www.peterhans.nu/main.htm

http://xntrick.co.uk/ (go to the recumbent section and scroll down to the
2x4 lowracer

If you have any links please share them with me.

Cheers and Happy holidays

Ben

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"mowestusa" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello,

I'm hoping some of the home builders on this group would be willing to
offer some advice. My brother and I are seriously thinking of building a
wood recumbent tandem over the winter months. We would like to try wood
because we have the tools and no welding skills.

I've looked at a number of websites that talk about building wood
recumbents, and it sounds like it would be a task we can handle. I've
already built one recumbent, a swb oss, the welding was done by someone
else. It got heavy because of the materials used by the welder, and has
5 speeds because of a welder mistake instead of 10.

Questions:
I'm considering using layers of plywood with the cannibalized bike parts
sandwiched in between the layers. It seems like this would be strong and
also lighter, because I would leave the areas without bike parts hollow.
This also seems to be a way to avoid warping problems. Is this a good
idea, or is there a better method?

I'm considering making the plywood box 4" because it would fit around
the head tube that I would bury inside of it, but is that thick enough
and strong enough for a tandem?

Any ideas to keep the length down? (I don't want to get too long because
then it will have a huge turning radius. I'm looking at the captain
being almost over the front wheel like on a swb recumbent, then mounting
the pedals of the stoker almost under the seat of the captain.)

Any easy ways to mount a rear triangle to a wood frame that are strong?

Any ideas on how to keep the front wheel and the rear wheel aligned so
they have the same track? (I'm sure this is a problem with any
homebuilt, even one that is welded together.)

Any other advice would be appreciated. Thanks for your help.

Thanks Ben! Very impressive, enjoyable, and informative. It is nice
to know that I am not the only one enjoying Bike Rod & Kustom!
Chris Jordan
Santa Cruz, CA.

Here's 28 pound beauty. Lightweight warren truss frame w/bolt-on
suspension. http://www.angelfire.com/id/BEEP/

Quoted message said:

Thanks Ben! Very impressive, enjoyable, and informative. It is nice
to know that I am not the only one enjoying Bike Rod & Kustom!
Chris Jordan
Santa Cruz, CA.

I would be interested in your cd if you can email me.

--
Knight-Toolworks & Custom Planes
Custom made wooden planes at reasonable prices
See http://www.knight-toolworks.com For prices and ordering instructions.

"harv" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"mowestusa" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello,

Any ideas to keep the length down? (I don't want to get too long
because then it will have a huge turning radius. I'm looking at the
captain being almost over the front wheel like on a swb recumbent,
then mounting the pedals of the stoker almost under the seat of the
captain.)

Take a look at the Barcroft site. Bill Cook sells a very short tandem
and that might give you some ideas about seat placement.

http://www.barcroftcycles.com/

Thanks Harv,
That was something similar to what I was thinking. It looks like a
good idea. It is nice to see pictures of a tandem using those angles. I
do wonder how comfortable the stoker would be. I also wonder how rough
the chain path will be with keeping the chain above the front wheel and
then it having to go down to the stoker pedals. I haven't worked out yet
what I'm going to do for an idiler. I was thinking a derailer pulley,
but there must be a reason why so many use roller skate wheels.
On my current homebuilt I use an old derailer bolted to the frame.

Thank you Ben Eadie,

I had looked at most of those links already, but I did enjoy reading your
blog. It is nice that you have so many pictures in your blog so that we can
see what you are talking about. Well done.

It looks like you have abandoned wood and gone to welding. You talked early
about building a 2x4 trike. Did that ever happen or have you turned to
welding one instead?

I appreciate your offer to help through the process. I may email you after
Christmas. I'm hoping to do some drawing and planning in the next 4 days.
I'm also hoping to go out and start collecting the "donor" bikes.

How did you avoid warping and twisting of the wood using 2x4? That is the
big reason I'm considering using plywood. I'm still wondering if 4 inches
of plywood will be enough to build the main beam.

[email hidden said:

"]Here's 28 pound beauty. Lightweight warren truss frame w/bolt-on
suspension. http://www.angelfire.com/id/BEEP/

Quoted message said:

Thanks Ben! Very impressive, enjoyable, and informative. It is nice
to know that I am not the only one enjoying Bike Rod & Kustom!
Chris Jordan
Santa Cruz, CA.

28 lbs for the Termite Taxi. That's impressive considering my chromo Vision R32 with similar dimensions weighs about 35 lbs.

I always thought wood bents tipped the scales on the heavy side.
Anyone got more weights on wooden bents?

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I still have plans on the wooden tadpole but currently I have been working
on welding some desings of mine together. I have been really busy working
with a friend on a world record attempt have a look at the site below, and
have not had much time for the wooden bikes lately. If you get the right cut
of wood you will have little or no problems with warping as you state. Good
choice of wood in this case is a tight grained quarter sawn edge grain of
less than 45 degrees. I will see about a link to wood selection but for the
most part a edge grain will have little or no warp.

http://www.adventuresofgreg.com/HPVMain.html

"mowestusa" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Thank you Ben Eadie,

I had looked at most of those links already, but I did enjoy reading your
blog. It is nice that you have so many pictures in your blog so that we

can

Quoted message said:

see what you are talking about. Well done.

It looks like you have abandoned wood and gone to welding. You talked

early

Quoted message said:

about building a 2x4 trike. Did that ever happen or have you turned to
welding one instead?

I appreciate your offer to help through the process. I may email you after
Christmas. I'm hoping to do some drawing and planning in the next 4 days.
I'm also hoping to go out and start collecting the "donor" bikes.

How did you avoid warping and twisting of the wood using 2x4? That is the
big reason I'm considering using plywood. I'm still wondering if 4 inches
of plywood will be enough to build the main beam.