It begins again - Pirate Squirrel Wheel - 2011!

Today was a big day. We started with lesson on levers & the fulcrum (not pictured). Then we rebuilt our second table. Marshall had his first lesson on the chop saw - very careful guy, also good at cutting - within 1/32 by his 2nd cut.




Marshall's getting pretty good with the impact drill.
On to making the template for the disc segments. Marshall's sanding here.

Cutting out stacks of disc segments - we cut over 80 of them today.

Making faces...















Here's our pile of disc segments - they will become three 4-ply wheels, 7' ID, 9'OD. Marshall successfully cut out the last several with the reciprocating saw.















Just doing some math on a handy surface...


At the end of the day we'd cut out all the pieces for the discs and the steps - the gluing will probably start tomorrow, we need to design a cardboard folder too. They also delivered a logging machine for next door - of all goes well I might get a Mt. St. Helens view for a few years.

Lunch? We only wanted to eat 1/2 pizza with our salads. To avoid eating too much, the frozen pizza went through the chop saw! Now there's another half for tomorrow.

More Wheel Photos

At the engineering club Solidworks BBQ, we first made a model of the 2 washers and a supported tread, then assembled the wheel.  Once people could tell what it was, we went outside. 

The real kids were immediately in the wheel...

Until the adults got a chance to get in there.  Bob, Liz, and Marcus were going for it!



No Armando's going for the loop around...

Of course I still feel before making it all the way around - I think I need leg straps!  Maybe clipless bike pedals?  Definitely a helmet!  I feel too fast go get a snap.



New Rig.

Subaru was giving up the ghost and I finally found a Colorado at the right price.  If anyone wants to buy a 2001 F150, it's on craigslist...

Getting ready for 2011!

Off to a good start - $70 in materials and 1 1/2 days of time and we have a working prototype (dry land).  This one is made from wood for fast construction but we'll learn a lot while we run around then neighborhood.  Plus it's way fun!

Read the photos from the bottom up!

Off to our parking spot (up hill).

Let's rock and roll!

Kids and Armando on road test.  After Jami and I went to see Rob, about 0.4 mi round trip.

2nd Road Test

First road test.

Needed help moving it over onto the bottom disk - Thanks Bob & Lisa.  (We sent Marshall over to stack firewood as payment.)

Might double as a wet-bar!

A quick coat of primer to keep it from getting gooey... 

9-foot diameter discs ready to paint, gotta rock out.

Disc segments cut out and ready to glue up.

Quick break for a soccer game - Marshall scored 2 goals!

Template to cut out the curves for the disks:

Danny's looking good in front of old #2!

Power system was working at one point.


Once we got some ballast in the back we did move ok.


I'm not sure but I think only one ship in our heat actually went around the course.


Sinking still is the easiest thing to do!

Mateys forever!


A local ship build inspects the boat.


Getting ready to board an enemy vessel.