MrInitialMan

May I rant a bit here? It's a frame-building rant, so I think this is the right forum, but, well... It's a rant.

I'm getting really frustrated with my frame-building. It's not that my father isn't the welder he used to be (he isn't, but he's still good; I can't weld at all), or that some of the components are as much as a 1/4 inch out of alignment.

It's more that the more I work on this quadricycle, the more idiotic it looks. Some of the frame components look like a waste of space after I've put them on. It's hideously overbuilt, since I have no idea how light I can go. And more and more I'm beginning to realize--I have no clue what I'm doing.

Dunno if I'll get banned for this, but I just needed to get it off my chest.

FBinNY 

You've just taken the first step to recovery. Admitting that your beyond your level of expertise.

Short of some engineering courses, the hardest part of frame building are the structural issues like how strong is strong enough, and how much material and bracing is needed. Most builders don't need to know this, since they rely on established designs and buy materials from vendors who know.

With a bit of knowledge, one can safely venture off the beaten track, but shouldn't stray so far that they get lost.

Don't get frustrated or give up. Get some help from those who've built similar vehicles, or look at and dissect similar vehicles for some insights.

MrInitialMan

My current problem is: my frame is more than half-built. And having to cut up that much square tubing and start over would irk my father to no end--it's his steel I've been using (with his permission)

FBinNY 

So, you're at a logical break point. This the time to stop making scrap, and go back and reconsider the overall design. Then decide what of what you've done so far can be used, and what - exactly - has to go.

MrInitialMan

I'll talk to my dad about taking about a foot of material out of some pieces already welded in place (the section they're a part of is not yet welded into place, though)

MrInitialMan

I had no clue where the beaten track was when I started, so I've been completely lost from day one.

fietsbob

don't have a metal cutting blade in an electric powered chop saw ? your hack saw arm must be tired by now..

MrInitialMan

Yeah, I'll take a cutoff wheel to some of it tomorrow. Right now, I'm tempted to use a sledgehammer.

squirtdad

When I am this frustrated with a project, I have learned that I have to step back and be really analytical. More often than not if I just keep going I will just throw more time,materials and money at something and then just have to scrap more than if I had stopped totally or restarted with I was at the frustration point

I am an inveterate DIY guy and often want to try my own thing and have paid the price

being direct, you have a super ambitious project, that right now seems like it will result in a vehicle that is super heavy and maybe not at all functional.

I suggest that you state your design goals and question ever decision about them

i.e
Goal build a velomobile that can be easily pedaled by one person of a 100kg and carry another 100 KG
in cargo or people for a cost of $1000

then start thinking thinks like
why 4 wheels vs 3? what is benefit, advantage of either

side by side seating or front and back?

what type of enclosure? fabric, fiberglass, clear vinal, corugated plastic or ????

look for prior art...search google and youtube for velomobile and see what people have done and leverage that

look at other areas for materials...ie clear sail material could make a good covering

question everything.......... don't see anything at all like you envision.....are you brilliant or is it non practical idea?


KISS Keep it simple silly, especially for first version

good luck

MrInitialMan

My dad often reminds me of the loads my grandpa took in his cargo bike, (You know those old-timey milk cans? Grandpa actually used them), so I didn't think of weight all that much.

4 because I didn't want to build a pedal-powered Reliant Robin.


Single; cargo space in the back.

Plywood. Dad's got a bunch of that stuff lying around.

As for other design choices, it's designed to be 30 inches wide because, well, I'm rather wide of frame and I wanted some room. It's length was to give me some space in the back.

And I'm using steel because I don't have the equipment to weld aluminum or the $$$ to buy the stuff.