Half Pint - Z22 swapped 510 goon

[Lockleaf]

Things remain slow on the 510, but I did get all the pics fixed again. They should all be functional now. Again. Until something else breaks...

[Lockleaf]

I spent a ton of time getting the wagons for my kids finished up over the last while. We do a fair amount outside during the summer, so I wanted these to be ready as we came in to the season of outsideness.

 

First up, build a handle for the tiny wagon. Multiple goals:

1) Needs a wheel

2) must break down for storage

3) must be long enough to be useful

 

I bought a 3 inch caster at the store. I bought a cheap old wagon locally. I cut the handle off the old wagon and welded it to my caster. Then I cut the handle and added some length. Then cut it in to three pieces, and made it so it pins together.

 

Finished handle installed

 

 

Broken down

 

 

 

The caster - I reshaped the handle base to curve around the caster, and cut a notch out of it that the caster sits inside of.

The broken down handle needs a place to ride when not in use, and I don't want it inside the wagon. So I designed a bracket.

 

From paper to the first steps of reality.

 

 

Tacked together for testing purposes. The bracket rides on the back of the wagon.

 

 

 

Obviously, the bracket is made to hold some other stuff too.

Namely, this, my tiny keg. Ratrod gas tank style.

 

 

Its useless to me whole, so I split it in half. I ran a line of tape all the way around it and then cut it carefully with a 4.5 inch grinder. Binky style.

 

 

Mockup installation

 

 

Wanted bare metal, so I used a torch to remove the printed label and then put a brush in my drill press and cleaned it all back down.

 

 

 

Finished and installed, with hinges and clasps

 

 

 

Next up, Sun shades need to be built and installed for both wagons.

[Lockleaf]

Last summer when we used the wagon for my son, it didn’t have a shade and he got pretty hot some days. So this year I wanted to be sure that would not happen again. I decided early on that I wanted to use a cool flag as a canopy of some kind. I ended up selecting the Assassins Creed Pirate Flag. Great game, I own a ton of various AC merch, and its cool looking without being cheesey looking.

After looking in to a bunch of different ways to build a canopy, I decided simple was better. I welded some tube under the corners of the wagon, welded shut the bottoms of the tubes, drilled through the wagon lip and used some rod I had laying around.

 

I made 4 posts, and ground the tips of them down to a smaller diameter. I left a lip, not a taper on them, so the flag would sit on top of that lip. I put new grommets in to the flag, positioned so it kind of stretches in to place.

 

 

I also built a bracket on the side of the wagon to hold the rods when they are not being used. I didn’t want them to sit in the wagon and be in my kids way.

 

 

 

 

My wife didn’t want another flag on the little wagon. We discussed a number of options and then she had me try a nice parasol she has. We both really like that touch, as the little wagon is for use by our little daughter. The parasol gave it a cool look, but a feminine touch.

 

 

After testing hers, we found one online for not too much and ordered it in. I will be painting some stencils on to it later on. I modified the handle on the parasol, then welded a pocket in to the back of the little wagon. Now she too has a sun shade.

 

 

 

The keg will open about 40 degrees with the umbrella there, enough to get in and out without hurting myself. The pins that lock the handle together are in there, and that is where the pirate flag stays when not in use.

 

The old wagon I bought to get a handle for the little wagon came with larger tires than my original wagon had. My son has been dragging his butt over bumps since I built his wagon, so I decided to try a lift. I put new rims on his wagon, then moved his old wheels to her wagon so they got about equal amounts of life. Visually they still look pretty slammed, but now they are JUST tall enough to not really drag or scrape on anything. Plus the wheels are now all rusted white metal, not the odd yellow plastic wheels that came on the tiny wagon. Here’s the parts wagon I bought sitting next to the slam wagon.

 

 

 

On testing the tiny wagon with my daughter, I found she would just sit there rubbing her hands on the wheels. Just a trip around the culdesac would have have her hands super black. I was also very concerned about pinching her little fingers between wheel and wagon. So after looking at various ways to build fenders, I decided to try the old school technique of framing in my own and putting on sheet.

 

 

 

I mounted the fenders to some fender washers (hehe) so they are removeable.

 

 

I used some masking tape cut to shape to create a template.

 

 

 

I also put a plate inside the fender so she couldn’t get her fingers in there.

 

Finished and mounted.

 

 

 

I failed miserably. When I took her on a small walk with the fenders on, she immediately leaned over to wrap her little fingers under the fender and rub the tire. Risk of pinch was now worse than before. The fenders did nothing…

 

Moving on!

 

I hemmed and hawed for a while about how to resolve the problem without throwing away all the hours of work I had invested in these fenders. After considering a number of options, I decided to try leather fender covers to keep her little fingers safe. With added bonus of keeping her from getting burned by hot metal….

 

 

It worked. The leather is thick enough she can’t get her fingers in to the danger zone, the leather won’t be dangerously hot, and while slightly odd, it doesn’t ruin the aesthetic I was going for either. While I was there I also wrapped both handles in leather strap as well.

 

 

Minus the stenciling on the parasol, these bad rides are ready to rock and roll. Really this is pre-fenders though.

 

 

(Sorry, I have issues about posting pics of my kids online ? )

[Lockleaf]

I've also been trying to do some good work on the engine rebuild for my 240sx. I think I'm going to start a thread on that vehicle soon, but here's the engine I built. It's totally stock, nothing cool. Just clean and pretty. I just got the oil pan bolted on last night. Just need a few more random things before I get the car ready to drop it in.

 

 

This is where a great deal of my free time is getting invested. It's closer to running than the 510.