Thinkin' scooters again

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Joined
Sep 8, 2008
Messages
151
Location
Bartlesville Ok
I was piddling around looking for an excuse not to tackle a particularly unpleasant problem on my car build and I started thinking about how to get what I wanted for a drive wheel if I was to build a scoot using 4X10 hand truck type wheels. I had previously picked up a cast iron 4" caster wheel at Wholesale Tool ($6.90) so tonight I cut the radius off it on the lathe so I have a flat cylinder for an external band brake like my 1st scooter when I was 11. It was an American Moto Scoot frame from the 30's. The wheel I have is one with all the bearings on one side and the valve stem on the other.
I selected an old coaster brake peddle sprocket of 46 teeth because it is thicker than a 10-speed and would get along well with either bike chain or 415. I need to pick up a small #41 sprocket. I can thin it if necessary. It will mount on a bearing shaft on the end of a rod with a pivot bushing for the axle at the other end. A pulley will be on the other end of the jackshaft. I think the rod will be in 2 pieces that screws together with a keyway milled in the threads so I can change the length to adjust chain slack and screw a setscrew into the slot to keep it straight. A healthy spring will pull the jackshaft back and a peddle forward for clutching. A hook will hold the clutch when it is wiggled sideways for starting, waiting for traffic, etc That is something Dad rigged on my first one. I found my old 1927 Briggs FH with the 2 flywheels (millstones) would either raise the front wheel a foot and/or break the belt if I fanned it. I have a nice chunk of ally I can bolt to the wheel on the stem side and cut away all I need to access the stem to air it. That's where the brake drum will mount. Another piece to slip over the wheel hub will mount the sprocket. That's pretty much the system my Motoscoot used. If I am lucky I will find an innertube with a bent stem. I know they are out there. I was short 2" on the 0.040 ally for my car hood so I can make a box cushman looking bod if I want to. I needed 0.060 for the hood anyhow and the piece of 8" sewer PVC I used forming the hood would be perfect to form the body around. The brake will be an old leather belt glued and riveted to a metal strip. If I want to I can actuate it wih a bellcrank such that it will pivot in the middle and take up more than it lets out for a differential force multiplier although it doesn't take much to brake a 10" wheel. I have a bunch of 16 ga. steel sheet that I can fashion a Cushman-style front steering mount and floorboard from. I might use the 20" BMX bike spring fork I got recently. I wonder if it would look strange if I used the 20" wheel in front. Then I could use the caliper brake. It's an ally 48 spoke one at that.
 
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