First off, there's plenty more projects if you look at my older posts. Also, I've gotten into video recently. Highlight the title of the video to view.
Where to start, hmmmm.
When I was a child my mom noticed I liked to doodle a lot, so on Christmas morning when I was 8 years old I unwrapped my first serious wire bound 100 page sketch pad. This was the beginning of my drawing obsession. I was shy as a lad, so most of my past time was spent drawing. My dad and uncle inspired me with their mechanical talents, with my dad always tinkering on cars and my uncle who would dream up mechanical gadgets and fabricate them with guts and a stick welder.When I was 10 I was fascinated with a recumbent bicycle I'd seen at a car show, so recumbent bicycles of different designs started filling the pages. I was also totally absorbed in the early IHPVA 55mph challenge. Then I read about the 155 mpg California Commuter reverse trike. Motorized teardrop trikes became another obsessions.I would frequent the local magazine racks, wrinkling all the pages of Popular Mechanics, Mother Earth News and the like. Prior to the internet, these and the occational library book were the only resources a young designer could gleen from.As time went by I had found more interests and filled more pages. I now have about 26 sketch books, filled with recumbent bikes, trikes and mini submarines. Back pack helicopters, gas vapor carburetors, pedal boats, human powered skate boards and on and on.It wasn't until I was in my early 40's and had gone through two divorces that I finally met my wife Mary, a woman who tolerates my need to create. We met almost 10 years ago, and most of what you see here was created in our time together. (Big kiss to my hun!)Some of these ideas have miraculously worked out great! and I've spent many hours enjoying them, while others have not. For the ones that did, I have pride in knowing that my mind and hands had a part in their creation and existence. For the ones that didn't, I chalk them up as a lesson.The goal of my blog is to help you see that many possibilities exist, if one applies a little imagination to a problem. I've inserted extra pictures and details on some of the more successful projects for anyone interested.If you have any questions or comments you can reach me at: paulwelkins@yahoo.com
Thanks again for visiting my site, and be sure to check back periodically. I'm always building something.
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Thursday, February 2, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Recumbent Scooter Video (click here)
The following are other projects I've created over the years.
Don't forget to click 'Older Posts' located on the right bottom of each page for more projects.
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Wednesday, March 16, 2011
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Micro car idea.This is actually a 3 wheeled Peel-50 taken into 'Paint' and altered to a 4 wheeler.
The 4 wheels would give it much more stability, unfortunately it would fall into the 'car' rules classification making for unnecessary rules unlike a trike.
The OctatipiThis octagonal tipi is made using 4 sheets of 1-1/2" thick foil faced foam board.
The edges were beveled and taped using 3" Gorilla duct tape. My wife and I used this at the 2011 burningman festival for our sleeping quarters. It worked great. You didn't know it was windy outside until you opened the hatch!
It was going to be our shower/toilet room, so the upper metal frame was made to hold a solar shower bag.
The little tipi is so strong I was able to hang from the upper frame. This would make a great rapid deployment shelter or homeless shelter. It sets up in no time. Check out the video above.
The base board edges actually wedged the structure to the ground. Instead of tying the ropes to the upper metal frame, the 4 tie-downs could have came off a rope lasso positioned a foot down from the top of the structure.
Burningman Quadracycle Art Car Not long ago while searching the internet for ideas on building a tandem pedal powered velomobile for this years Burningman, I came across this picture.
The first Velocycle was invented in 1928 by Mr. Mochet, a french inventor who built it for his young son on his wife's request. He soon went into production. Used primarily by the French during WWII seeing gas was scarce.
After the war, small motors were added and eventually later versions turned into full fledged cars.
I sort of copied the 1945 version in the top picture. Later I will install a top for sun shade.
Being able to access the rear end was not in the original design, (but then again there was no real original design.) Everything was built on the fly. Figuring out dimensions and how things were going to work came about during assembly, fitting the frame to my body.Although sketches did help me stay with the look I wanted.
The Velocar design is clever in that it's basically two recumbents attached to a front beam. No extra sprocket clusters or heavy jack shafts in this design. Cornering is not as great due to the rear wheels being close together, but It's not a high speed vehicle anyway. 
I like the look of the old fashion larger-than-necessary steering wheel. Ya gotta have fun when making big toys! My dashboard will have multiple usless switches and guages adding to the fun factor.
This and a few other tid bits is all that was recycled from my first Burningman trike.
This was my first Burningman vehicle. It went through three revisions and events, failing me only once. (Service your motor before hitting the Playa!) The first year I went the winds were fierce! Instead of huddling in our trailer, my friend Erik and I grabbed a small tarp and a few boards. Aiming down wind, I stood on the back platform holding this makeshift sail and away we went, possibly 25-30 mph. What a hoot! This and many other fond memories come to mind when I think about this funky little trike, but for 6 years now it has been replaced and left exposed to the elements as yard art and a plant stand. I was threatening to restore it. New front wheels where bought, a motor was had, but in the end I wanted something different, something pedal powered. So instead of having another vehicle to contend with after the burn, I bit the bullet and brought out the saw.
Looking at the pile of remains makes me a little sad. It's not like a pile of bicycle or car parts. Each piece was first thought of, drawn on paper, then meticulously constructed in my shop.
R.I.P. old trike. At least some parts of you will carrying on the fun...
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Emergency Shelter, Homeless Shelter
These are crappy plans but they'll get you going if you're interested in fabricating this shelter.
Feel free to contact me for further questions. paulwelkins@yahoo.com
5 inches of snow with no effect on the structure. Not bad for having no internal frame work.
With the remaining scraps a simple water jug stand was installed, also creating a space underneath for a trash can.
The window was enlarged for a better view. A happy accident was discovered during installation that I could make the window open, unlike the other window.
I managed to stuff in as many essentials that a person might need to get by comfortably except for shower, toilet and laundry facilities, although, with a little ingenuity a person could remedy this problem.
I purchased a 20 yard roll of 2" yellow duct tape to cover the exposed zip tie holes on the roof.
The other day I came up with an idea that would make both the middle and outer seam water tight. I have yet to try the idea out, but this would eliminate the need of taping the seams.
This view shows the two layered entry wall and door, plus the overhang. The flutes on the door were run cris-cross for added strength. On the round window I hinged the bottom so it could be used as a blind or shelf. Later I enlarged the window and did away with the self. The window now also opens.
The door hinge was made by cutting the coroplast on one side of the outer layer, going against the flutes. The inside layer was made smaller to act as a door jam.
The lock hasp, inside latch and fastening bolts and nylon lock nuts are the only metal hardware on the shelter. An insect screen covers the vent holes on the front and rear.
I was planning on using a single thickness entry wall and door but this proved too flimsy. I then tried 1/4" mahogany plywood but did'nt like this either.
Assembly is nearly complete. Now I just need to clip off the zip tie ends.
Dimensions are 40" wide and 38" high and 81" long.
Flexing the roof down was my first choice for entrance, with the potential of sunshade characteristics like the bicycle camper, but the width and length made it too flimsy.
Feel free to contact me for further questions. paulwelkins@yahoo.com
5 inches of snow with no effect on the structure. Not bad for having no internal frame work.
With the remaining scraps a simple water jug stand was installed, also creating a space underneath for a trash can.
The window was enlarged for a better view. A happy accident was discovered during installation that I could make the window open, unlike the other window.Not long ago I ordered two books from Amazon.com. 'Zero Yen Houses' by Kyohei Sakaguchi and 'Fragile Dwelling' by Margaret Morton.
Kyohei's pictorial book shows a striking view of the many homeless older single men living in the cities of Japan, while Margaret spent 10 years documenting and capturing on black and white film telling images of several dozen homeless people in NewYork city.
These books were very moving. After reading them, I couldn't help but to re-visit the bicycle camper and homeless shelter lay-out to see if I could come up with a more practical and useful structure that might be used by a single homeless person or as an emergency shelter, where one or a couple could gain some privacy and sleep. The thousands crouded on the super dome floor during Hurricane Katrina is a good example.
After bowing an 8' flexable strip of wood I settled on a mini quanset hut design. I liked the potenial for inside space and it would be very wind resistance. So with a budget of $100 for materials I went shopping.
Kyohei's pictorial book shows a striking view of the many homeless older single men living in the cities of Japan, while Margaret spent 10 years documenting and capturing on black and white film telling images of several dozen homeless people in NewYork city.
These books were very moving. After reading them, I couldn't help but to re-visit the bicycle camper and homeless shelter lay-out to see if I could come up with a more practical and useful structure that might be used by a single homeless person or as an emergency shelter, where one or a couple could gain some privacy and sleep. The thousands crouded on the super dome floor during Hurricane Katrina is a good example.
After bowing an 8' flexable strip of wood I settled on a mini quanset hut design. I liked the potenial for inside space and it would be very wind resistance. So with a budget of $100 for materials I went shopping.
I bought 4 sheets of 4mm coroplast from Llard plastics in Seattle. I chose coroplast for its unique qualities of flexability, versatility, water resistance, strength, light weight and insulating properties, plus coroplast is cheap.
I used 8" plastic zip ties for assembly and 2"wide colored duct tape to seal out any moisture.
I used 8" plastic zip ties for assembly and 2"wide colored duct tape to seal out any moisture.
I used lexan plastic for the door window and installed 6 grometed hole in the floor for spiking the structure to the ground.
Except for the hardware, once the shelter is no longer needed it can be recycled.
The shelter is 40" wide by 81" long, making 22.5 square feet. The height is 38". It weighs 23 pounds.
For emergency deployment I'm envisioning a pre-cut ready to assemble shelter wrapped in a 4' x 8' x 1" package. Included would be universal pictorial assembly instructions, zip ties, snips and tape. The door wall and its nut and bolt hardware could be pre-assembled. Assembly time should be roughly an hour. A stack 50" high on one pallet would yeild 50 shelters.
Using plastic materials obviously would not keep a person with a knife from entering, but the lock would keep an honest person honest.
For emergency deployment I'm envisioning a pre-cut ready to assemble shelter wrapped in a 4' x 8' x 1" package. Included would be universal pictorial assembly instructions, zip ties, snips and tape. The door wall and its nut and bolt hardware could be pre-assembled. Assembly time should be roughly an hour. A stack 50" high on one pallet would yeild 50 shelters.
Using plastic materials obviously would not keep a person with a knife from entering, but the lock would keep an honest person honest.
Coroplast can be ordered with UV inhibitors and comes in a variety of colors and patterns, even camouflage for discrete homeless shelters, or bright colors for Emergency victims. Coroplast can also be screen printed. This is the same material used for outdoor campaign signs.
I managed to stuff in as many essentials that a person might need to get by comfortably except for shower, toilet and laundry facilities, although, with a little ingenuity a person could remedy this problem.
I purchased a 20 yard roll of 2" yellow duct tape to cover the exposed zip tie holes on the roof.The other day I came up with an idea that would make both the middle and outer seam water tight. I have yet to try the idea out, but this would eliminate the need of taping the seams.
This view shows the two layered entry wall and door, plus the overhang. The flutes on the door were run cris-cross for added strength. On the round window I hinged the bottom so it could be used as a blind or shelf. Later I enlarged the window and did away with the self. The window now also opens.The door hinge was made by cutting the coroplast on one side of the outer layer, going against the flutes. The inside layer was made smaller to act as a door jam.
The lock hasp, inside latch and fastening bolts and nylon lock nuts are the only metal hardware on the shelter. An insect screen covers the vent holes on the front and rear.
I was planning on using a single thickness entry wall and door but this proved too flimsy. I then tried 1/4" mahogany plywood but did'nt like this either.
Assembly is nearly complete. Now I just need to clip off the zip tie ends..JPG)
Dimensions are 40" wide and 38" high and 81" long.
Flexing the roof down was my first choice for entrance, with the potential of sunshade characteristics like the bicycle camper, but the width and length made it too flimsy.
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A final word.
