Sunday, October 31, 2010

#1249 ... Pedal Power

Eight gangly-looking contraptions cooked up by WelTec first-year engineering students get put to the test at the first Krazy Karts Day in downtown Lower Hutt.

The students' workshop was still flashing to the dazzle of arc welders and ringing to mallet blows when Hutt News visited last Thursday, but intriguing three and four-wheel buggies had definitely emerged from the skeletons of dead bicycles and other parts built or scavenged by their makers.

Some featured customised accessories such as "old school" ape-hanger handlebars, a comfortable bucket seat that looked suspiciously like it had come from the WelTec canteen, and one buggie that had genuine three-wheel-steering, with the front turning mechanism pulling the back wheels around so sharply the kart could literally turn on a dime.

Tutor Chris Price says practical lessons have been learned light alloy is not suitable for an axle, for example as well as more general realities such as what looks like being "a five-minute job" in the world of engineering seldom is.

THANKS to Rumi Shivaz for the photos. Ciao

No comments: