mini chopper

chimp koose · November 11, 2021, 01:43:24 PM

This is a mini chopper I have been building with my students over the past many years

kb426 · November 11, 2021, 05:47:14 PM

Do they show interest because of the project or is it just more school?

chimp koose · November 12, 2021, 12:43:34 PM

This project is just for kids who want to work on it . When they are finished all of the required projects they can do something of their choosing . If they choose to make a part for the chopper we sit down and design what that part will look like and then they make it . Covid really messed with this bike as I had 2 guys right up until the school was closed who would work on the bike every day at lunch time . At the rate they were going we would have likely had it rideable by the end of that school year .

chimp koose · March 03, 2022, 09:51:22 PM

The fuel tank is 2 headlight buckets welded face to face . Took a little trimming but I like the shape .

Bruce Dorsi · March 04, 2022, 09:32:22 AM

When you get a chance, please post some pics of the school shop.

I spotted the old pedal-powered grindstones.

Is your school considered a high school, or a vo-tech?

chimp koose · March 04, 2022, 10:54:38 AM

we are a high school grades 9 to 12 . The pedal powered grinders belong to the welding teacher . He is into blacksmithing and we restore old equipment . He has had a number of old manual forges that we have restored as well as old vices and those grinders . At one time he was considering running a private blacksmithing program as the one we have locally had about a 4 year waiting list prior to covid .

jaybee · March 04, 2022, 08:45:18 PM

That is too cool. I love it.

chimp koose · March 04, 2022, 10:17:21 PM

The back fender is a portion of a model T front fender that was curled to a smaller radius in our shrinker to match the wheel . Just to up the ante , this bike uses all hidden fasteners except on the motor . It is a kick start , running a "sprag?" from a briigg & stratten at one end of a jack shaft (the " transmission") and a chevette cam belt drive from the other end to the crankshaft for an open primary belt drive . Keyed to the jack shaft is a centrifugal clutch to chain drive the rear wheel . Both ends use DOT rubber , the rear is a trailer tire , the front from a Honda express . The front forks are made from brushed stainless tubing recycled from our cafeteria remodel . The handlebars and exhaust are brushed stainless from the school exit door crashbars . This bike has been left unfinished for years so that people can realize that we actually built EVERY component of the bike in our shop . It is a great way to demonstrate to our visitors and potential new students what we are able to do in our shops here. Most would think we just assembled parts until they see the raw bike . THEN they understand that we MAKE the parts . The Premier of our province toured our school once and asked to have his picture taken with one of our students and the chopper. That student is now a journeyman machinist.