MAKING A MODEL WATER CYCLE

Evening Star, Issue 23834, 14 March 1941, Page 3

MAKING A MODEL WATER CYCLE

The idea of a tricycle that would float upon its wheels, entirely without the support of any kind of hull or boat body, rather appealed to me, and no doubt it will appeal to readers with a practical turn of mind. Sketch 1 will give you an idea of what the water cycle will be like when finished, and sketch 10 gives a bird’seye view of the model. The three Wheels are made of cork, and the motive power is obtained from a one-drive elastic motor. The frame is made of wood, tin (or aluminium), and wore. Do not attempt to build too largo a, model, hut the exact dimensions are oi no great •importance. Kaeh wheel should be made up of two of those cork disks which cover Jib extract of meat jars, or you might he able to obtain three large cork bungs. For the driving wheel (see sketch S) a stout wire axle must be fixed to the discs. Is'ote how this is made to clinch hack into the cork so that it helps to hold the wheel together. It is advisable, however, to insert another wire in the lower part of the wheel, and if the discs still seem inclined to part, pins driven into then slantwise will prove useful. The paddles are cut out of sheet tin or aluminium, as shown_ on sketch 3, the pointed ends being just thrust into the soft cork. The back wheels run “ free ” upon thin screws fixed in the rear block-axle (shown on sketch 6), but a washer

must be threaded upon each screw, as shown on sketch 9.

The mode of making the handlebar and the forks is shown on sketch 2. Really that side of the fork shown by the dotted lines is only “ for show ” ; it is not absolutely needed, for the axle of the front wheel is only what might be termed a half-axle, yet the wheel cannot wobble about, as the wire is inserted in a bearing (see 1 and 2). This bearing should be made of thickish

sheet aluminium. Note on 2 and 4 how it is bent round and riveted together; wire put through the holes and twisted will do as well as rivets if you cannot manage the riveting. Of course, you need not make the handlebars to turn, therefore the thin wooden backbone can be fixed to the forks and also to the rear axle (6) by means of little plates' of tin or aluminium (see T on 4 and also the white plate shown on 10). Tiny brass screws —the smallest you can buy—should be used to fasten these plates to the frame. The cross-bar (sec 3, and A on 10) is fitted with a wire loop fixed as shown on 3, and through this loop the dfiv-

ing rubber (R) is taken. One loop (two strands) of aeroplane strip should drive the model; the rubber is fastened to the hook shown on sketches 7 ami 8, and is then carried out on the arm A through the wire loop and back to the opened screw-eye fixed in the rear axle. All ’bills is clearly shown on sketches 1 and 10. If you want a saddle, make it with a small piece of leather, cut as shown, and glue or screw it to a wooden saddle pillar. The floats or paddles inserted in the rear wheels are not really needed; only if they are omitted the wheels will probably fail to revolve. This is air odd little model, and when you have won ml up the driving wheel hy turning it you will be surprised at the queer way in which it rolls over the water. The cycle is so simple to make that it need cost yon but a shilling or so. The great thing is to keep the frame as light as possible, and it should also be remembered that the wheels must be very buoyant. No doubt some of you would 'be clever enough to build up wooden wheels in two half-sections, hollowing them out, but this would be a rather tricky job. On the whole I am inclined to advise yon to stick to the cork wheels, but see that the cork is light stuff of good quality. Cork varies very much, and when experimenting you will find that some kinds have very little buoyancy.