Sancho's Horse
1 kW
I suppose that I may be a little different, because when I see problems that really bother me (even the huge ones), I start doing something about it. Why am I this way, who knows? Maybe I watched too much A-Team as a child. (Country falling apart...time to weld something...sounds reasonable).
Anyways, when my son was born I decided to hell with the future this country was cornering his generation into. It is hard, and useless to lay blame (unless it is an exercise in identifying opportunities to improve). However, if I don"t do what I can to correct it, I know I can't avoid blaming myself. I also know that any expectation that the answers will come from Washington would mean that I am participating in a massive exercise in delusional thinking (this delusion even outranks the idea that I could somehow turn the tide).
So, what I am really hoping to accomplish is to demonstrate to my son that even the toughest problems must be faced, and that I will do what I can to create a future he can be proud of. I also believe that we have greater tools now than ever before, and making positive change from the bottom up is more possible now than ever.
So...I decided I am going to see if others want to do something about it...like I do. A big part of the plan is getting young people involved in reclaiming their future. I think this is an important part of maturing, and when it gets denied...oh, the bad things start stacking. I am going to do it by giving them opportunity. Paid opportunity. Resume opportunity. Experience opportunity. Competitive opportunity. And we will be delivering this message on college campuses in the spring semester with this trailer:
View attachment 7
It needs wheels (which will be delayed because I am getting them from Worksman, and the storm takes precedence), brakes (which integrate with my trike braking system, and initiate first), work on the chopped dry erase board, and some finishing touches. It has some...uh...flair already.
View attachment 4
This guy even made it into the slide out table top. A super hornet if I ever met one, just above the flag and the twin towers.
View attachment 3
I even have an electric motor. I know it is technically not correct. I didn't know at the time. I intend to wind some copper on it, and being wrong will help identify who has brains in this dept., and give something to talk about when lost for words.
View attachment 2
Now this trailer is heavy, 97 kg without the wheels and brakes. It has poor wind performance with that sail of a dry-erase board. It will even get heavier because I am using it to distribute three ring binders with our message. The binders come from shuttered factories. There is almost never any incentive to try and save a bunch of lightly used binders, so, unfortunately, it is a seemingly renewable resource. If people want to give great, but if not, even better. They are going back into work instead of a dumpster. These are the real American binders. With protective plastic sheeets, and other organizational doodads... stuff that might provide life altering organizing momentum in the right student.
The binders are only one part of generating funds for sponsoring paid internships. Professors seem to like the idea, they have suggested class competitions in areas we are interested in developing, with selected candidates receiving an intership. We know that when students are allowed to work on things which they are passionate about, that it is likely to result in a win for everybody involved. We have a whole model for creating internships on campuses, and I will lay it out in upcoming threads. Speaking with individuals from other universities, we are pretty confident that our model is easily spread with little risk, and some substantial paybacks.
I hope you like this trailer, or will when it is done. It is made completely from free materials (aside from the wheels which are on order, epoxy, an RFID reader and tabs, and the stainless steel hardware). The RFID came from an instructable, and allows us to show (as yet unmade) videos created for this project when certain parts are moved. The weight and handling disadvantages are built into it by design. I am trying to make a trike which can haul some heavy loads, and achieve decent handling, a tall order, but hey swing for the fences. A terrible handling trailer is perfect for my needs. I have been working on another trailer which will have design accomodations, derived from testing with this trailer. I even built a brake light/(soon to be turn signal) bar which is easily moved between trailers.
Hey, wish me luck!
Anyways, when my son was born I decided to hell with the future this country was cornering his generation into. It is hard, and useless to lay blame (unless it is an exercise in identifying opportunities to improve). However, if I don"t do what I can to correct it, I know I can't avoid blaming myself. I also know that any expectation that the answers will come from Washington would mean that I am participating in a massive exercise in delusional thinking (this delusion even outranks the idea that I could somehow turn the tide).
So, what I am really hoping to accomplish is to demonstrate to my son that even the toughest problems must be faced, and that I will do what I can to create a future he can be proud of. I also believe that we have greater tools now than ever before, and making positive change from the bottom up is more possible now than ever.
So...I decided I am going to see if others want to do something about it...like I do. A big part of the plan is getting young people involved in reclaiming their future. I think this is an important part of maturing, and when it gets denied...oh, the bad things start stacking. I am going to do it by giving them opportunity. Paid opportunity. Resume opportunity. Experience opportunity. Competitive opportunity. And we will be delivering this message on college campuses in the spring semester with this trailer:
View attachment 7
It needs wheels (which will be delayed because I am getting them from Worksman, and the storm takes precedence), brakes (which integrate with my trike braking system, and initiate first), work on the chopped dry erase board, and some finishing touches. It has some...uh...flair already.
View attachment 4
This guy even made it into the slide out table top. A super hornet if I ever met one, just above the flag and the twin towers.
View attachment 3
I even have an electric motor. I know it is technically not correct. I didn't know at the time. I intend to wind some copper on it, and being wrong will help identify who has brains in this dept., and give something to talk about when lost for words.
View attachment 2
Now this trailer is heavy, 97 kg without the wheels and brakes. It has poor wind performance with that sail of a dry-erase board. It will even get heavier because I am using it to distribute three ring binders with our message. The binders come from shuttered factories. There is almost never any incentive to try and save a bunch of lightly used binders, so, unfortunately, it is a seemingly renewable resource. If people want to give great, but if not, even better. They are going back into work instead of a dumpster. These are the real American binders. With protective plastic sheeets, and other organizational doodads... stuff that might provide life altering organizing momentum in the right student.
The binders are only one part of generating funds for sponsoring paid internships. Professors seem to like the idea, they have suggested class competitions in areas we are interested in developing, with selected candidates receiving an intership. We know that when students are allowed to work on things which they are passionate about, that it is likely to result in a win for everybody involved. We have a whole model for creating internships on campuses, and I will lay it out in upcoming threads. Speaking with individuals from other universities, we are pretty confident that our model is easily spread with little risk, and some substantial paybacks.
I hope you like this trailer, or will when it is done. It is made completely from free materials (aside from the wheels which are on order, epoxy, an RFID reader and tabs, and the stainless steel hardware). The RFID came from an instructable, and allows us to show (as yet unmade) videos created for this project when certain parts are moved. The weight and handling disadvantages are built into it by design. I am trying to make a trike which can haul some heavy loads, and achieve decent handling, a tall order, but hey swing for the fences. A terrible handling trailer is perfect for my needs. I have been working on another trailer which will have design accomodations, derived from testing with this trailer. I even built a brake light/(soon to be turn signal) bar which is easily moved between trailers.
Hey, wish me luck!