03-19-2020, 08:48 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-13-2020, 08:45 PM by Terry Bentley.)
Chapter 24
Back outside to the garage. Now working with some confidence that I didnt have just thirty minutes earlier. Originally the front center section of axle was welded flat and square to main frame rails.
Mr Cates had actually built a fixture for welding the short angled outer axle stubs rotated on center line of spindle back to achieve the right amount of caster. This seemed to me a more difficult way of fabricating the front axle than the way I had decided to go with.
After discussing things with Mr Cates, he told me this other way was just as good and not worry about it being different. He also suggested to weld small tabs on bottom of frame and just bolt in a piece of aluminum for floor pan. He said that is one of the improvements that is planned for the next batch of karts that are going to be built.
I went ahead and layed out the axle sections flat on work table and tack welded them together. Then measured from bottom of rail to center line of spindle. Set the spindle tubes in location and also tack welded them in place.
Since the axle was now made flat I had to cut both main frame rails at the caster angle instead of fitting square like before. It was much easier for me to do this way than how the Cates frame was originally made. I didnt ask him why he did it that way. Curious why tho? I need to ask him that next time we talk.
Close to the end of our spring break, there was most of a frame back together. A near major screw up came when building a one time use wood fixture to hold frame sections. At first I thought the wood was warped, since nothing seemed to line up at all. I tried over and over but still couldnt figure it out.
After disassembling everything again, the rear frame section had fallen off the table when I removed a C-clamp. I picked it up and layed it top side down. For some reason it rocked back and forth instead of flat. Wow! That must be the problem. Didnt really look twisted, but it had to be.
Before straightening, I looked down across those four tubes making up main frame rails and motor mounts. By lining up the outer rail on one side of frame to the other, you could definitely see they were not flat at all. Just a little tweak starts out small but that angle just keeps getting bigger farther away from the the beginning of where its bent.
To fix this I ended up clamping a large piece of rectangular tubing across right side motor mount facing forward. Another piece clamped on left mount facing back. Later when Steve was over we both grabbed one end of the long tubing and worked together to straighten the frame section. It took a few tries, but went back really easily.
This fiberglass seat had suffered substantial damage in the wreck. Mr Cates had thrown in a extra seat with some other parts. But it had been patched up all over. I wanted to reuse the existing seat if at all possible. Then I would have an extra if needed at the track.
It was split and splintered down the spine and gaping holes from being yanked out where bolted to frame. Seemed a lost cause at first, but determined to make it good again. Hey those ripped out bolt holes match places on my back where there were bruises.
My first attempts to fiberglass was less than stellar. The resin set up way too fast. It seemed even before I had finished mixing, it was already turning to jelly then rock hard.
I kept mixing in less drops until there was decent work time. Now the seat repairs was making some headway. Even tho I had to grind off most of the repair and lay down more glass each time, it finally got fixed. After sanding the inside, this seat almost looked like normal again.
With all of the grinding I had to do there was a layer of white fiberglass dust covering me. I was starting to itch up a storm. This stuff will make you miserable. I did know that fiberglass is what itching power was actually made of. Maybe sweep it up off the floor and sell it. Naw, not worth the headache. This stuff is terrible. I cant stop scratching my arms right now.
Last year dad built a small hydroplane from 1/4" 4x8 plywood sheets. There were plans in a Popular Mechanics or some boating mag. He thought it would be a fun project. Looked like a lot of effort to me. That was my only time to work with fiberglass. I was mixing small amounts while dad would lay the mat down and apply resin with a brush.
It is very frustrating at first. But now I could see where my deficiencies were in those previous attempts. It made more sense why dad worked in such small spots each time a batch was mixed. Learning curve I guess. The weekend came, me and Steve had managed to nearly assemble the kart on Saturday. I arc welded the seat tabs. Dad looked over the welds and gave me a much needed positive nod.
Sunday was Easter and both of us had our own church duties. Then the big family get togethers for lunch. It wasnt until Monday when I met up with Steve to talk karts again. For some reason, there was a lot of guys giving me odd looks and some laughing. Others slapped me on the back and made some snyde comments.
Most of my road rash had disappeared or was not visible now. The very black eye, even dark as it was finally faded out. So didnt know what they were making a big deal about.
I found Steve at lunch. He asked who I had been talking to? I asked him about what? Seemed everyone that made their mark today had heard about the incident last week at the track. Steve swore he didnt mention it to anyone. Then how?
Karla Mullins sat down next to me at the lunch table. She asked if I was interested in the schools acrobatics team. She was at the track with her cousin Jessica last week. I really didnt know her other than being in Science class. But guess now that explains a few things.
She told us her other cousin had raced that night. He is only a year older, so would still be in the junior class. Knowing her, it would not surprise me if he was the kid that caused all of the commotion that night after the races.
She said if I was able to achieve that much air in gymnastics would be very competitive. Then started laughing very loud. Several others around our table joined in. With nothing else to do, I just joined in on the laughs shaking my head up and down.
I do know she is usually the person everyone relies on for the latest gossip going around. Up until now that never included me. I had preferred it this way too. But now I just went along.
In the past it seemed to take the wind out of her sail if she didnt ruffle the rumored persons feathers somewhat. I was hoping for that reaction from her now. Then might be less likely next time to spread gossip on me. I never cared to be the center of attention for whatever reason. This time would be no exception.
For the next few weeks, very little work got done on the new but not necessarily improved Cates kart frame. I had a lot of school work to keep grades up at an expected and acceptable level. Unfortunately that meant all good numbers and no excuses.
This is my last year in elementary. I had never thought about or questioned the grade scale. Didnt really know any different. I know my brothers in high school now were graded with letters. But in elementary they used numbers. Number 1 was an A. Then go down to a 4 which would be D. Really made no sense, why one or the other. In high school an F was failure. I guess you cant actually fail with just a D in elementary.
Well the school work wasnt hard at all. Just got to be so boring. If I could apply some of it to anything I liked to actually do, then maybe stay focused a little better. But my focus was way better on a lot of other things. Just never seemed to be necessarily school work.
Weeks went by, then the scholastic placement tests finally came and went. These are so boring and could put me to sleep way to easily. But made the best of it by just thinking of botching them. You always hear about everything going on your permanent record. Didnt want a bunch of bad scores there. Thats one thing for sure. This at least got me thru the week. Blah!
It took the whole school year but summer was finally closing in. I was hoping to get the kart finished soon as summer started. Friday was it. The last day. The one and only thing left was a school party for all of the 7th grade graduating class. Next year was Jr High at a different school.
Even tho I attended a normal public elementary school this event was coordinated with a private Christian Church school. Nothing fancy, just cake, cookies, ice cream, cokes and being dressed up a little more than school. Finally about 9pm, party was over and summer was here. Yeahaa!
Back outside to the garage. Now working with some confidence that I didnt have just thirty minutes earlier. Originally the front center section of axle was welded flat and square to main frame rails.
Mr Cates had actually built a fixture for welding the short angled outer axle stubs rotated on center line of spindle back to achieve the right amount of caster. This seemed to me a more difficult way of fabricating the front axle than the way I had decided to go with.
After discussing things with Mr Cates, he told me this other way was just as good and not worry about it being different. He also suggested to weld small tabs on bottom of frame and just bolt in a piece of aluminum for floor pan. He said that is one of the improvements that is planned for the next batch of karts that are going to be built.
I went ahead and layed out the axle sections flat on work table and tack welded them together. Then measured from bottom of rail to center line of spindle. Set the spindle tubes in location and also tack welded them in place.
Since the axle was now made flat I had to cut both main frame rails at the caster angle instead of fitting square like before. It was much easier for me to do this way than how the Cates frame was originally made. I didnt ask him why he did it that way. Curious why tho? I need to ask him that next time we talk.
Close to the end of our spring break, there was most of a frame back together. A near major screw up came when building a one time use wood fixture to hold frame sections. At first I thought the wood was warped, since nothing seemed to line up at all. I tried over and over but still couldnt figure it out.
After disassembling everything again, the rear frame section had fallen off the table when I removed a C-clamp. I picked it up and layed it top side down. For some reason it rocked back and forth instead of flat. Wow! That must be the problem. Didnt really look twisted, but it had to be.
Before straightening, I looked down across those four tubes making up main frame rails and motor mounts. By lining up the outer rail on one side of frame to the other, you could definitely see they were not flat at all. Just a little tweak starts out small but that angle just keeps getting bigger farther away from the the beginning of where its bent.
To fix this I ended up clamping a large piece of rectangular tubing across right side motor mount facing forward. Another piece clamped on left mount facing back. Later when Steve was over we both grabbed one end of the long tubing and worked together to straighten the frame section. It took a few tries, but went back really easily.
This fiberglass seat had suffered substantial damage in the wreck. Mr Cates had thrown in a extra seat with some other parts. But it had been patched up all over. I wanted to reuse the existing seat if at all possible. Then I would have an extra if needed at the track.
It was split and splintered down the spine and gaping holes from being yanked out where bolted to frame. Seemed a lost cause at first, but determined to make it good again. Hey those ripped out bolt holes match places on my back where there were bruises.
My first attempts to fiberglass was less than stellar. The resin set up way too fast. It seemed even before I had finished mixing, it was already turning to jelly then rock hard.
I kept mixing in less drops until there was decent work time. Now the seat repairs was making some headway. Even tho I had to grind off most of the repair and lay down more glass each time, it finally got fixed. After sanding the inside, this seat almost looked like normal again.
With all of the grinding I had to do there was a layer of white fiberglass dust covering me. I was starting to itch up a storm. This stuff will make you miserable. I did know that fiberglass is what itching power was actually made of. Maybe sweep it up off the floor and sell it. Naw, not worth the headache. This stuff is terrible. I cant stop scratching my arms right now.
Last year dad built a small hydroplane from 1/4" 4x8 plywood sheets. There were plans in a Popular Mechanics or some boating mag. He thought it would be a fun project. Looked like a lot of effort to me. That was my only time to work with fiberglass. I was mixing small amounts while dad would lay the mat down and apply resin with a brush.
It is very frustrating at first. But now I could see where my deficiencies were in those previous attempts. It made more sense why dad worked in such small spots each time a batch was mixed. Learning curve I guess. The weekend came, me and Steve had managed to nearly assemble the kart on Saturday. I arc welded the seat tabs. Dad looked over the welds and gave me a much needed positive nod.
Sunday was Easter and both of us had our own church duties. Then the big family get togethers for lunch. It wasnt until Monday when I met up with Steve to talk karts again. For some reason, there was a lot of guys giving me odd looks and some laughing. Others slapped me on the back and made some snyde comments.
Most of my road rash had disappeared or was not visible now. The very black eye, even dark as it was finally faded out. So didnt know what they were making a big deal about.
I found Steve at lunch. He asked who I had been talking to? I asked him about what? Seemed everyone that made their mark today had heard about the incident last week at the track. Steve swore he didnt mention it to anyone. Then how?
Karla Mullins sat down next to me at the lunch table. She asked if I was interested in the schools acrobatics team. She was at the track with her cousin Jessica last week. I really didnt know her other than being in Science class. But guess now that explains a few things.
She told us her other cousin had raced that night. He is only a year older, so would still be in the junior class. Knowing her, it would not surprise me if he was the kid that caused all of the commotion that night after the races.
She said if I was able to achieve that much air in gymnastics would be very competitive. Then started laughing very loud. Several others around our table joined in. With nothing else to do, I just joined in on the laughs shaking my head up and down.
I do know she is usually the person everyone relies on for the latest gossip going around. Up until now that never included me. I had preferred it this way too. But now I just went along.
In the past it seemed to take the wind out of her sail if she didnt ruffle the rumored persons feathers somewhat. I was hoping for that reaction from her now. Then might be less likely next time to spread gossip on me. I never cared to be the center of attention for whatever reason. This time would be no exception.
For the next few weeks, very little work got done on the new but not necessarily improved Cates kart frame. I had a lot of school work to keep grades up at an expected and acceptable level. Unfortunately that meant all good numbers and no excuses.
This is my last year in elementary. I had never thought about or questioned the grade scale. Didnt really know any different. I know my brothers in high school now were graded with letters. But in elementary they used numbers. Number 1 was an A. Then go down to a 4 which would be D. Really made no sense, why one or the other. In high school an F was failure. I guess you cant actually fail with just a D in elementary.
Well the school work wasnt hard at all. Just got to be so boring. If I could apply some of it to anything I liked to actually do, then maybe stay focused a little better. But my focus was way better on a lot of other things. Just never seemed to be necessarily school work.
Weeks went by, then the scholastic placement tests finally came and went. These are so boring and could put me to sleep way to easily. But made the best of it by just thinking of botching them. You always hear about everything going on your permanent record. Didnt want a bunch of bad scores there. Thats one thing for sure. This at least got me thru the week. Blah!
It took the whole school year but summer was finally closing in. I was hoping to get the kart finished soon as summer started. Friday was it. The last day. The one and only thing left was a school party for all of the 7th grade graduating class. Next year was Jr High at a different school.
Even tho I attended a normal public elementary school this event was coordinated with a private Christian Church school. Nothing fancy, just cake, cookies, ice cream, cokes and being dressed up a little more than school. Finally about 9pm, party was over and summer was here. Yeahaa!