Chris, rather than the Hoyer, what about a block and tackle chain hoist, easily found at any Harbor Freight, or Home Depot, or Lowes.
Okay, now I see the problem with my suggestion.... getting the block and tackle up to the garage rafters.... which is too heavy to lift... with limitations.
Dang it 🤕
Two Million Mile Rider
Exploring the World in Comfort
Chris, rather than the Hoyer, what about a block and tackle chain hoist, easily found at any Harbor Freight, or Home Depot, or Lowes.
Okay, now I see the problem with my suggestion.... getting the block and tackle up to the garage rafters.... which is too heavy to lift... with limitations.
Dang it 🤕
You are on the same track. The roof is 2x4 trusses, so can't bear any additional weight without reinforcement. Thought of the HF gantry, but with my 8 foot ceiling I'd have to give it a haircut. I have a 30 year old HF engine hoist out in a shed, but that's kind of overkill. I have a huge amount of medical type mobility items that I tried to donate, but because of covid, nobody wanted it. They took the bed and hoyer back though. My IV stand is a mobile garage light now though!
I have some ideas to change the upper front strut for foot clearance. So I modified, my modified brake pedal a bit today.
Clean work! 😎
Hold my keyboard and watch this! 🙃
Ok then. Got the threaded tube ends welded up today, (go easy on the weld quality please, total amateur here). As you can see in the mock up pic, these round tubes go through both frame rails, and are the bottom mounts to the bike also, so everything locks together when it's all welded. I try to make these welds fat and chunky, because they need to be sanded down flush so I can actually assemble the thing.
Nice heat signature, no undercut. Looks good to me. 👍 One more step completed.
Hold my keyboard and watch this! 🙃
One down, needs a bit more, but good for now. #blacksnot
And the other one. I'll probably touch them up a little tomorrow. But for now I'll get out and enjoy fake spring 2.0. 71 degrees at 4 pm.
One last mockup, before playing garage tetris, and moving the chassis back to the table. All those holes are to provide three different lead positions for the axle block.
Chris, what do you find is the result of moving that axle block fore or aft ?
Two Million Mile Rider
Exploring the World in Comfort
Chris, what do you find is the result of moving that axle block fore or aft ?
I really won't know until I ride it. I built the first one somewhat void of technical sidecar knowledge, although it was adjustable in all the right places. But after finding this forum, and reading many threads, I felt my nonadjustable lead was a bit excessive. So making this one adjustable expands the tuneability.
Being this isn't a true sidecar, most of the info I've seen here I just use for guidelines. Too little lead may make the front end light, too much may cause the side wheel to work against the bike. Won't know until I deploy the denim dyno.
Well, I am making progress. But, when I built the first chassis, I MIG welded everything but the threaded tube ends. My right hand has since developed a bad tremor when I even lightly grip something, so after some test welds, I decided I will have to TIG weld most of this chassis. I can prop my hands much better, and I switched to left hand torch, right hand feed, which I can make work. However, only my thumb, and first two fingers of my right hand function, and that is minimal, so I can't feed the rod. So my welds are pretty short before I have to stop and re position, What should take four welds to complete, will take 8-10 welds for me. This will take awhile.
Got the underside complete and sanded flat, and started the top side today. Adapt and overcome.
Chris, according to your last picture above, your work is dawg approved.
Take your time. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
Adapt and overcome.
Drink green tea, rather than coffee .
Not green tea enemas.....drink the green tea.
Two Million Mile Rider
Exploring the World in Comfort
Sorry to hear about the tremors. Will keep paws crossed it is only a temporary thing.
Your TIG welds looks great. 👍 All things in due time. Thankfully the best part of the riding season is still to come.
Hold my keyboard and watch this! 🙃
Top side welded and sanded flat. With my short beads, the top side and under side took 50+ separate welds to get this far. With the heat from the TIG, I knew things would move. After finishing the underside and flipping it over, the chassis had a nice bow to it, about .040 off the table in the middle. But using the same weld sequence for the top, I pulled 95% of the bow out of it.
Now another mock up, and some test welds to find the best way to execute the vertical welds. Still learning, but never dipped the tungsten once through all those welds.
FM, I actually only drink coffee occasionally, very strong black tea has been my daily choice for decades. Pretty sure that comes from my Irish half and not my French Canadian half. I do know my Gr. Grandfather probably wouldn't approve though. He was a bronc rider in Buffalo Bill's wild west shows, and I don't think he was getting a hot cup of tea off the chuck wagon every morning.
