Building a mini from scratch

Jim Barndawg

Jim Barndawg

New Member
#41
#41
I love to see home fabrication. The inventiveness is what makes it special and different from ANYTHING you can buy. AWESOME work. Very creative.
I get a kick when I design and build something fuctional like your brake system. And most every time it works better and is built stronger than a factory store bought piece.
KUDOS BB
 
jeep2003

jeep2003

#42
#42
Very cool! Your alot like me recycling parts. Most of the minis iv built the only $ i had to spend for parts was the 25$ for the cluch. And youve got that solved with the belt drive although im not sure how well it will work. You do have a nice big sprocket on the back though so im sure that will help. I forsee it grabing hard as you try to release it slow. unless you use a mower belt im not sure what there made of but there not rubber they slip better and dont get sticky when hot. Anyway nice brake caliper system that must have took some time to figure out and build. Have fun :)
 
Backyard Builder

Backyard Builder

New Member
#43
#43
Hello guys! It's been a little while since I last posted about this project. Sorry about that, I was busy playing with my new drum kit :biggrin:

The belt tensioner is now done, minus the welding. The next step is to build a belt guard with something to hold the belt on the pulley when it is disengaged. A "C" shaped piece of metal around the pulley should work just fine.

And look at that fine seat!!! :lol: Don't worry, it's not done yet :wink:





 
Backyard Builder

Backyard Builder

New Member
#48
#48
A little bit of progress today, I now have a belt guard and a kick stand. The rivets you can see on the guard are holding a "C" shaped piece of metal that wraps around the pulley to keep the belt from falling off when I release the tension.

The kick stand is from a bicycle. I found it while looking for some pieces for the throttle in my bicycle parts box. 30 minutes, some 1/8 thick steel and a washer later, I had a kick stand!

Next: the throttle setup :hammer:



 
Qucifer

Qucifer

Member
#53
#53
Hey BYB, how about you give us a list of tools you are using to make this bike. If you are as limited in tools as it appears, then you are pretty damn innovative.
 
Backyard Builder

Backyard Builder

New Member
#54
#54
Qucifer said:
Hey BYB, how about you give us a list of tools you are using to make this bike. If you are as limited in tools as it appears, then you are pretty damn innovative.
Click to expand...
Well, the "big" tools I have in my garage are:

- chop saw
- stick welder
- 2 angle grinders (one for cutting and one for grinding so I'm not swapping discs all the time)
- 8 in 3-speed drill press
- a few regular drills and a right angle drill
- reciprocating saw
- jig saw
- dremel

That's about all the big power tools I have right now. I also have a steel workbench with a 1hp bench grinder and a vise on it

The way I build things is very primitive, in fact. I cut square tubing, clamp it to the workbench and weld! I have a LOT of vise grips and C-clamps :smile: I do not have a tubing bender so all the angles are made by cutting and welding.
 
deezildennis

deezildennis

Active Member
#56
#56
I Really Dig they way you are building it as well!
In fact......My Atv is going to be made with sqaure tubing as well with no bends. And I hope to make a Folding front wheel drive mini with the tubing as well. That is if I can get one of the Junk Pocket bike engines to actually work.
 
Qucifer

Qucifer

Member
#57
#57
Very cool BYB. I built my first go kart the same way. I had a flux core welder, an angle grinder, hand drill, and a hack saw. It took a couple of months dedicated time to finish, and sadly enough I was not satisfied. For the next 10 years, I spent most of my free money on tools, and now I have quite the arsenal. My advice to you if you plan on welding stuff like this regularly is to buy a mig welder. Not a flux welder, but a mig welder and a tank of shielding gas. I went from grinding welds, to showing them off. You definitely have the knack.
 
deezildennis

deezildennis

Active Member
#58
#58
I Got tired of paying for gas or running out in the middle of the project and went back to Flux core for my Hobby welding.
The weld is just as good as it is with gas, I just have to wire wheel after Im done. I Sandblast everything before Powder-coating so it doesn't really matter anyway. But to each his own.

Im Anxious to hear how the V-belt set-up goes.
Again... Bad-ass bike man.
 
delray

delray

Well-Known Member
#59
#59
hey Backyard Builder,you think the 2hp briggs will have enough power to pull you from a dead stop at a small incline or even in some lite terrain from a dead stop. i have couple minibikes with small horse power engines. one with a 2.5hp and 3hp and if i have to start at a small incline it will takeoff very poor or not at all. my weight about #170 plus the round tube frame. i dont know what your weight is and plus all that heavy square tubing you are using. i would think it would take off very poor with only a 2hp motor. maybe with you having full control of the throttle and not having anything holding rpm's back. for example a cent-clutch unit. you can rev the engine high enough to make everthing ingage correct without the engine working very hard and the belt burning or the engine die. i know we talk about a 2speed belt system. that could be set up at the motor and jackshaft area. giving you that lower gear for take off.

i like to see some video of this working when you fire it up:thumbsup:

still have that red big block briggs with the kick start?
that would fix any problems(lots of torque):thumbsup:
 
Backyard Builder

Backyard Builder

New Member
#60
#60
I weigh about 115-120#, so I think the engine will do just fine. But I guess I'll only know for sure when I fire it up.

I promise I will make a video :thumbsup:

No, I don't have that 8hp flathead anymore. I put an enourmous amount of work on it and it still never ran right, so I got sick of it and threw it in the thrash. Now it doesn't annoy me anymore!
 
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