Wooden Car Frames

Should put that enfield engine in a bicycle frame!

 

h.i. : That was the exact car that got me thinking about a wooden frame it must be an insane ride . I am going to start later this year with an epoxy laminated wood frame with bends and a rear kick up . The jigging should be quite interesting when I have something I will take pictures and start a thread.

 

Old airplanes also had wooden frames.

 

You could use lignum vitae for your bushings, it is the hardest known wood. Used as shaft bearings on propeller shafts of ships. You have to machine it.

Early Stanleys also used wood chassis.

 

You could use lignum vitae for your bushings, it is one of the hardest known types of wood. Used as shaft bearings on propeller shafts of ships. You have to machine it.

Early Stanleys also used wood chassis.

 

Hey, Ned;

What about Sitka Spruce? Used in kit planes, & IIRC, pre & WWI aircraft. Possibly some WWII aircraft also, at least in part? Strong, light, & resilient. Also, hard to find in decent sizes now. Do believe it'd have to be laminated to get the size you want. Unless I'm missing something, I think it'd be 1st choice for me, just have to consider the application.

& where might we find some (easily ?) useable engineering calcs to figure bending & load situations. I'm not an engineer, nor have the books. Engineering for dummies? .

Would also like to find some info on proper plating/mount calcs. I'm sure I could guess closely, but it'd be nice to know you're close to needed load capacity.

BTW: I do like reading your in depth analysis & explanations. Esp on the slightly weird & offbeat. Always food for thought... .

Marcus...

 

Rear axels too! They were chain drive, also had coil spring suspention on all four corners. Bob

 

I did a little sciencing of wood strengths and have bought 160 board feet of Sapele' from a local supplier that is going out off business .$ 1200.00 of wood for $600.00 it is a good start. Sapele' is in the mahogany family and has the strength of white oak but the grain tend to be tight and straight for the most part . It also comes in long lengths which will help the laminating process.
I also plan on using Sapele for the body of the car combined with philippine mahogany and some white oak as a accent .

Rob

 

Recently posted by SanctaRosa on the thread, Let's Talk Cyclecars:


Henderson-powered miniature car


1903 Packard "Grey Wolf", with Stanley steamer behind it. The Stanley had a curious arrangement of a wooden frame supporting the bodywork etc. suspended over a very light, unsprung steel frame which held the axles.

 

Thanks Ned, A least some people get the ideas I have . Those cars a very interesting especially the Henderson powered one .

Rob

 

Rob, I've got some experience of sapele. Years ago I dated a woman who made furniture, and I got her to make some very special stable doors and shutters I'd designed in sapele for a project on which I was working. The timber is easy-working and durable, with a rich colour and a grain that doesn't dominate the design, but it is inclined to be dimensionally less stable than would be ideal. We had to scale up many of the rebate details etc. to allow for the expansion and slight warpage. This made for chunky woodwork which suited the overall design, though.

Sapele isn't a true mahogany but, as you say, it is related, unlike many timbers sold as mahogany. "Philippine mahogany" is actually a Shorea like meranti or balau, and a lot of what is sold nowadays is low-density crap of mixed provenance.

If you allow for a bit of warpage I'd say sapele is a good choice. Consider if your budget will stretch to afrormosia instead of the "Philippine mahogany": the stuff is beautiful, stable and incredibly durable.

 

The wood frames were really challenged when the vehicle hit an immovable object as this USPS delivery van did.
Normbc9

 

Henry Ford's Sweepstakes and 999 both had ash frames with thin steel C-chanel wrapped around it so the fasteners would not pull through. The metal was there, but the real strength was the wood. I worked on both cars as an intern in the early 2000's for the 100th anniversary of Ford Racing celebration at the Henry Ford Museum.

 

Surely that's a Model T?

 

My research has suggested that the first practical wood-framed car may have been developed by a Mr.Frederick Flintstone, circa 2000 b.c.

 

Ned , Thanks I will take your advice into account . I am glad there area few here ,like you,that both get it and have constructive input. I agree sapele is a most beautiful wood .My other thought was to use white oak in combination with the sapele to add strength as well as feature lines.

 

Small minds discuss people!
Medium sized minds discuss things!
Great minds discuss ideas!
I like this thread!
I think the best North American wood for the job is white oak, hickory is also a good choice.
I think it would be great to think in 3 dimensions and laminate the cross members into the structure, or at least laminate in hollow box sections to keep the structure light.

 

Franklin used ash. 7 ash boards 1/2" thick laminated together to make a 3 1/2" frame rail 7" deep.

 

There is a Franklin in my area that I need to go havea look at . It would give me a good start to my project to see one first hand . Thanks Steve and Rusty for your the positive input.

 

I was asking about this very same thing back in March, I tried posting a link to the thread but won't work. Do a search for wooden cars and it is on page three about half way down.

Robert

 

I was considering using 3/4" Baltic birch laminated together to make a two inch wide frame rails. The ply unfortunately only comes in 5x5 shts which would create just a little extra work. This ply is incredibly strong and is made with 13 plys if I remember correctly.

Robert

 

Robert , You can get that birch in 4x8 sheets at E Roko Distributors , I think there is one in in Vancouver maybe in Richmond. You could long scarf the joints with epoxy then you could have 16 foot long pieces .They use long scarfs in plywood boat building I am sure there would be a Utube to show how its done .

Rob

 

I worked for West Bay SonShip yachts for two years as well in my long construction career and we did a lot of scarf joints. Thanks for the tip on the ply. Good luck on the project.

 

I would explore the technique of bent wood lamination, where the wood is cut into thin flexible strips and laminated together, using epoxies, in forms. Rear kickups could be easily made without cutting along the grain and leaving weak areas. If wide boards were used, then the rails could made to pinch in at the cowl by bandsawing them on the vertical plane

 

Carl , I was planning to something like that but the cutting idea would be a great idea thanks for the input.

Rob

 

From Vincent in France...

 

1922 factory built Wing.Henderson engine AND wooden frame.Used to belong to Von Dutch.Being recommissioned by Anthony.

 

I wonder if laminated would be stronger than just plank..??

 

Reo's Had Them In The 20's

 

This Brush car, a 1908 I believe, was at the Newport Hill Climb this year. Wooden frame, axle beams and damn near everything else! More wood than metal used here, it appears.