Hey LeChat, What Are You Working On?

[Box Burner]

Very, Very Cool!

[LeChatNoir]

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you have my vote,,

CONTRAPTIONEER OF THE YEER!!!!

Or better yet..

YEER OF THE CONTRAPTIONS!!

[karine]

Michael (BWB's Xmas Santa in Mississippi) from nearby in Kentucky (the guy in the back, sporting a ponytail) left already for the playa. He should be pulling in or there already, actually! This pic was from Sunday - but he had to go shortly for the Solar Panel Pavillion Team work...
Can't wait to see you all there.

[gyre]

There are formula one grade amish buggies made of honeycomb and graphite and unobtainium.
But they look like the regular buggies, just safer.

How's that for contraptioneering?


During rumspringa, amish teenagers have parties with battery powered music, so the chance of an amish party playing 'Party Like It's 1899' is very real.

I wonder if any amish find their way to burning man?

[karine]

We ~may have~ invited a few Mennonites when we were all doing relief work in Mississippi.... but I'm not sure if we gave them any comp tickets or anything.

;)

[Box Burner]

Some of the Mennonites are actually quite progressive. But I suppose that if they came to Burning Man they would either become burners or revert to orthodox Mennonites.

[unjonharley]

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here is my first contraption for burning man.. it was called The Passage Beyond (have a seat).. dmv turned it down.. said it looked like an electric chair..


http://community.webtv.net/unjonharley/doc2

[gyre]

That sounds more like a reason to pass it in.
If it's structurally sound, I would have registered it.

Do you still have that thing?
Can you bring it this year?

[MozyBonz]

Well…














I think I’d classify it as a success.

The lower gearing made it easier and the new, improved clutch is spot on. Even in a lumpy grassy yard with a slight ups and downs, we were able to keep it moving. It performed admirably and reliably. With numerous test runs, it still started easily and never skipped a cog. Running at a whopping 2.5 MPH (estimated) I think it did very well for a vehicle fueled by pizza and beer.

It can’t exactly turn on a dime, but the smokestack puffed just like it was supposed to. And at night the lights look mighty fine.

So without further delay, here’s the pics form test day:





A couple of side shots:













And one for Mozy:










And nothing looks finer after a night on the town than your old barn in the headlamps' glow:

Hey if this is just a plan to make me feel stupid for not going to Burning man this year…





























































































It’s working!

[unjonharley]

That sounds more like a reason to pass it in.
If it's structurally sound, I would have registered it.

Do you still have that thing?
Can you bring it this year?

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the dumb f could not get past the handle bars and front fork.. it had a gass engine.. he said it looked like an electric chair and i said yes thta s what it is.. then he said i had not work hard enough to hide the electric chair.. i made refference to his intellect, that his mother was a four legged domestic creature and if he did not tag it i would remove his berries with my hands..

it passed.. this was the same year Dr Pyro s necktie covered flame spawing truck was turned down.. he was told he had not altered it enough.. needles to say he had afew unkind thing on his mind.

now you know why i go peddle power.. if it s not a party barge, it s not a mv..

[gyre]

Are you bringing the chair this year?

If you have a disabled tag, you could permit a camry, Unjon.
It's great that you can bring stuff so interesting.

If you can bring the chair, I'd be happy to drive it.

[unjonharley]

Are you bringing the chair this year?

If you have a disabled tag, you could permit a camry, Unjon.
It's great that you can bring stuff so interesting.

If you can bring the chair, I'd be happy to drive it.

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No, the chair was parted out and converted into a bicycle pushed ric-shaw.. with a BM stick man riding the bike.. i sat in the ric-shaw and steered with my feet.. the go switch was behind my back.. so as i lean back it would roll down the playa.. It blew it s controler first 5min. on the playa.. The next year it was a scooter with a horse head and shoulders on the front and his back and bottom plus tail on the back.. it s stereo played America's, Horse with No Name.. blew it s main drive chain the second day..

from now on it s peddle all the way.. unless that steam engine comes along.. I better get one out there soon.. I don t have that many years left in me..

[JediDale]

I really love creative mechanical engineering such as yours LeChat!
My question is this: What is the personnel setup of "The Contraption"? Will 2 people sit and one operate the hand pump or 2 people pump and one sit in the front steering?
My father and grandfather were railroaders so I have some understanding of the physical effort it will takes to run a handcar, and keep it moving. We are looking forward to seing it on the playa!

Genuinely,

JediDale And Purple Cricket

[LeChatNoir]

Unjon... I'd say anybody who said that chair of yours had not been modified enough is full of it and should be chased off with sticks.

Jedi Dale,

The Contraption can be pumped by 2-4 people and one driver up front. A couple of people sitting. Obviously, the more people, the more weight. So the more people adding to the power the better. But with the gearing as it is, I think short runs with a couple of people sitting won't be too bad.

It does take effort but the fun seems to outweigh it, even in a grassy, lumpy yard. We'll see how it goes on a hard packed dry lake bed.

[gyre]

That sounds more like a reason to pass it in.
If it's structurally sound, I would have registered it.

Do you still have that thing?
Can you bring it this year?

\/
the dumb f could not get past the handle bars and front fork.. it had a gass engine.. he said it looked like an electric chair and i said yes thta s what it is.. then he said i had not work hard enough to hide the electric chair.. i made refference to his intellect, that his mother was a four legged domestic creature and if he did not tag it i would remove his berries with my hands..

it passed.. this was the same year Dr Pyro s necktie covered flame spawing truck was turned down.. he was told he had not altered it enough.. needles to say he had afew unkind thing on his mind.

now you know why i go peddle power.. if it s not a party barge, it s not a mv..

Unjon- Mr Diplomacy!

[LeChatNoir]

The Original Idea and The Contraption:




Tonight, Karine was driving and I was pumping and we took it across the yard without much problem at all. Should be a lot of fun on that nice flat playa.

[unjonharley]

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That's one hell of a corn binder you got there..

[LeChatNoir]

Hell yeah it is... a big ol' pile indeed. (Thank you, unjon...)





As far as progress updates, I guess this thread will be pretty much done until after The Burn. I want to thank each person who has helped with this. Each of you should keep an eye out on the playa and flag this hayrake down. I’ve got something for you. And I’ll be actively looking for you too.

If this thing never leaves more than 100 feet of tracks in the white dust, I’ve had an enormous amount of fun building it. It’s been hard work and of course a little more costly than I’d thought (I‘ve said before that the estimate is the lie you tell yourself to get started), but I think it’s been worth it to me as a source of both fun and personal growth. And this thread has been an unexpected gem that has really touched me in numerous ways. I swear I don’t want the stories to stop and I’m very much looking forward to sitting down and talking with each of you face to face.

We’re leaving for the playa in little more than a week and I’m so flippin’ happy about that. This is gonna be a fun year. And if this thing will hold together, look for us at the Space Docking party Monday night!!

[karine]

I would've LOVED a ride in that electric chair!

And with all the finishing details worked out, the contraption's running GREAT. I am glad LCN did some last minute gear switching - the thing goes sooo easy now!

Ah.... and a week to finish other work and costumes.
Think we'll get it all done in time?!

[unjonharley]

just picked up some yardage for a coupl of shirts..

[gyre]

The Contraption

Chapter Two

Next year, hotrodding the beast.

[robotland]

The Original Idea and The Contraption:

Oh SHIT....It's BACKWARDS!!!!! How're you gonna fix THAT in a freakin' week?

[robotland]

The Contraption

Chapter Two

Next year, hotrodding the beast.

Look for it on "Pimp My Contraption" next season.

[ibdave]

The Contraption

Chapter Two

Next year, hotrodding the beast.

Look for it on "Pimp My Contraption" next season.

HA......

[unjonharley]

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please weigh in on the Where The Hell Are You camped thread.. I'm going to print it out before taking off for the playa..

[Zulegoona]

[BAS]

Aw, man! I WANT one! (The reality is even cooler than the drawing!)


Good work!


B.

[LeChatNoir]

AHAA HAA HAAA!!!

You're all nuts. I must confess, I'm looking forward to seeing this pic for real in a little more than a week.

[LeChatNoir]

Well, we're sitting in Denver on the way back. I'd say The Contraption was very much a success. There will be pics and stories to follow soon, but for now I'm resting up for the rest of the drive.

I'm missing the dust already and...




I'm thinking on steam power.

[AntiM]

Here's one of the pics I took: