The Brass Lion: Steampunk Tadpole Trike
06-01-08, 10:49 PM
#1
Wheelman
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The Brass Lion: Steampunk Tadpole Trike
Greetings All!
My son and I have been homebuilding this trike since February and I've decided to call it done. It's June now and I want to ride darnit!
I'm sure I'll do more in the future like paint the rear rim and maybe add a stick shift. I may also add some pin stripes. You can see any such changes on my blog in my signature. I'll definitely be posting some ride video soon, and maybe light up those stage coach oil lamps.
My son and I have been homebuilding this trike since February and I've decided to call it done. It's June now and I want to ride darnit!
I'm sure I'll do more in the future like paint the rear rim and maybe add a stick shift. I may also add some pin stripes. You can see any such changes on my blog in my signature. I'll definitely be posting some ride video soon, and maybe light up those stage coach oil lamps.
06-01-08, 10:59 PM
#2
n00b
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Wow, all I can say is wow. Amazing work. 
06-02-08, 05:09 AM
#3
Ride because you want to
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Thats kinda neat, but it looks heavy. How is it to ride?
My only concern is in this pic----not alot of weld in the right spots or good penetration---i hope it holds
My only concern is in this pic----not alot of weld in the right spots or good penetration---i hope it holds
06-02-08, 10:08 PM
#4
Wheelman
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Everyone has commented on that messy weld the internet over. 
Your comment is the nicest!
It is welded on all four sides for the record- what you see, in front of what you see on the other side of the crossbar, and underneath on both sides where the crossbar meets the main boom.
Your comment is the nicest!It is welded on all four sides for the record- what you see, in front of what you see on the other side of the crossbar, and underneath on both sides where the crossbar meets the main boom.
06-02-08, 10:27 PM
#5
Uber Goober
Well, properly, you should have riveted it insteadl.
I've thought of making a Locomotive bicycle. Actually a Tricycle. Use a Coker unicycle wheel in back, two bicycle wheels in front (both steering) with connecting rods going from the pedals to the unicycle cranks.
I've thought of making a Locomotive bicycle. Actually a Tricycle. Use a Coker unicycle wheel in back, two bicycle wheels in front (both steering) with connecting rods going from the pedals to the unicycle cranks.
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"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
06-03-08, 08:21 AM
#6
Lanky Lass
Ignoring that messy weld--what a beauty!
How many hours, do you know?
East Hill
How many hours, do you know?
East Hill
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TRY EMPATHY & HAVE LOVE IN YOUR HEART, PERHAPS I'LL SEE YOU ON THE ROAD...
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TRY EMPATHY & HAVE LOVE IN YOUR HEART, PERHAPS I'LL SEE YOU ON THE ROAD...
06-03-08, 08:59 AM
#7
Wheelman
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06-03-08, 05:43 PM
#8
Sister Annie
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Mr File can be a good friend when it comes to tidying up messy welds. Grinders can make a right dog's breakfast and carve away far too much metal IMO.
A really great trike though and the steampunk qualities do shine through very nicely indeed. Trouble is I'm getting tempted to get amongst my bicycle scrap pile and start on something similar myself
A really great trike though and the steampunk qualities do shine through very nicely indeed. Trouble is I'm getting tempted to get amongst my bicycle scrap pile and start on something similar myself
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OMNIPOTENS aeterne Deus, qui nos secundum imaginem Tuam plasmasti, et omnia bona, vera, pulchra, praesertim in divina persona Unigeniti Filii Tui Domini nostri Iesu Christi, quaerere iussisti, praesta quaesumus ut, per intercessionem Sancti Isidori, Episcopi et Doctoris, in peregrinationibus per interrete factis et manus oculosque ad quae Tibi sunt placita intendamus et omnes quos convenimus cum caritate ac patientia accipiamus. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
OMNIPOTENS aeterne Deus, qui nos secundum imaginem Tuam plasmasti, et omnia bona, vera, pulchra, praesertim in divina persona Unigeniti Filii Tui Domini nostri Iesu Christi, quaerere iussisti, praesta quaesumus ut, per intercessionem Sancti Isidori, Episcopi et Doctoris, in peregrinationibus per interrete factis et manus oculosque ad quae Tibi sunt placita intendamus et omnes quos convenimus cum caritate ac patientia accipiamus. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
06-03-08, 06:28 PM
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OMNIPOTENS aeterne Deus, qui nos secundum imaginem Tuam plasmasti, et omnia bona, vera, pulchra, praesertim in divina persona Unigeniti Filii Tui Domini nostri Iesu Christi, quaerere iussisti, praesta quaesumus ut, per intercessionem Sancti Isidori, Episcopi et Doctoris, in peregrinationibus per interrete factis et manus oculosque ad quae Tibi sunt placita intendamus et omnes quos convenimus cum caritate ac patientia accipiamus. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
OMNIPOTENS aeterne Deus, qui nos secundum imaginem Tuam plasmasti, et omnia bona, vera, pulchra, praesertim in divina persona Unigeniti Filii Tui Domini nostri Iesu Christi, quaerere iussisti, praesta quaesumus ut, per intercessionem Sancti Isidori, Episcopi et Doctoris, in peregrinationibus per interrete factis et manus oculosque ad quae Tibi sunt placita intendamus et omnes quos convenimus cum caritate ac patientia accipiamus. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
06-04-08, 11:24 AM
#11
Uber Goober
No, just one big wheel, not a trike...
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"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
06-04-08, 04:02 PM
#12
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OMNIPOTENS aeterne Deus, qui nos secundum imaginem Tuam plasmasti, et omnia bona, vera, pulchra, praesertim in divina persona Unigeniti Filii Tui Domini nostri Iesu Christi, quaerere iussisti, praesta quaesumus ut, per intercessionem Sancti Isidori, Episcopi et Doctoris, in peregrinationibus per interrete factis et manus oculosque ad quae Tibi sunt placita intendamus et omnes quos convenimus cum caritate ac patientia accipiamus. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
OMNIPOTENS aeterne Deus, qui nos secundum imaginem Tuam plasmasti, et omnia bona, vera, pulchra, praesertim in divina persona Unigeniti Filii Tui Domini nostri Iesu Christi, quaerere iussisti, praesta quaesumus ut, per intercessionem Sancti Isidori, Episcopi et Doctoris, in peregrinationibus per interrete factis et manus oculosque ad quae Tibi sunt placita intendamus et omnes quos convenimus cum caritate ac patientia accipiamus. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
Last edited by Sianelle; 06-04-08 at 04:21 PM. Reason: Remembered another picture
06-04-08, 09:16 PM
#13
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More steam tricycle
Don't worry about this being a French webpage the pictures are amazing.
https://www.trombinoscar.com/ancetres/long8001.html
Don't worry about this being a French webpage the pictures are amazing.
https://www.trombinoscar.com/ancetres/long8001.html
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OMNIPOTENS aeterne Deus, qui nos secundum imaginem Tuam plasmasti, et omnia bona, vera, pulchra, praesertim in divina persona Unigeniti Filii Tui Domini nostri Iesu Christi, quaerere iussisti, praesta quaesumus ut, per intercessionem Sancti Isidori, Episcopi et Doctoris, in peregrinationibus per interrete factis et manus oculosque ad quae Tibi sunt placita intendamus et omnes quos convenimus cum caritate ac patientia accipiamus. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
OMNIPOTENS aeterne Deus, qui nos secundum imaginem Tuam plasmasti, et omnia bona, vera, pulchra, praesertim in divina persona Unigeniti Filii Tui Domini nostri Iesu Christi, quaerere iussisti, praesta quaesumus ut, per intercessionem Sancti Isidori, Episcopi et Doctoris, in peregrinationibus per interrete factis et manus oculosque ad quae Tibi sunt placita intendamus et omnes quos convenimus cum caritate ac patientia accipiamus. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
06-05-08, 11:43 AM
#16
Lanky Lass
06-05-08, 01:33 PM
#17
el padre
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Steuben,,,great trike. great color too. I made a long wheel version of what you have 20+ years ago before I knew about short wheel base. that was back before all this info was available on the internet.
couple of questions. Is it direct steer with only tie rod between front wheels. and Is there a specific reason that you slanted the front axle instead of straight across?
peace, Floyd
couple of questions. Is it direct steer with only tie rod between front wheels. and Is there a specific reason that you slanted the front axle instead of straight across?
peace, Floyd
06-05-08, 09:29 PM
#18
Wheelman
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It's direct steer, and the headtubes point a little forward so the front wheels have a natural tendency to self correct and stay facing forward. The wheels are also aligned so that they pivot on a single point and don't scrub on the walls. The tie rod can adjust this. If you look up Ackerman steering you can find out all the details.
06-06-08, 01:39 AM
#19
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I fecking love it! Beautiful! If I may offer a suggestion, road tires (or freestyle street) in the front would look even sexier, but only if you can find them in white. As a welder, I'm going to have to call that booger-weld out too, sorry. If it holds, power to ya. Just keep it in the back of your mind so it doesn't surprise you later in case it fails.
Again, nice job.
Again, nice job.
06-06-08, 07:00 AM
#20
el padre
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Thanks Steuben, Yea I have loooked at all the Ackerman sites. Great looking trike. peace
06-06-08, 08:27 AM
#21
Rat Patrol Chicago
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So does that make a shaft-drive bike a "Shay Locomotive Bike"??? Or am I getting too nerdy and esoteric for even this board?
06-06-08, 09:26 AM
#22
Lanky Lass
I have ridden trains pulled by Shay Locomotives many times! That's what they have at Roaring Camp and Big Trees Railroad, in Felton, California.
JP, no, not too nerdy or esoteric at all .
East Hill
JP, no, not too nerdy or esoteric at all
.East Hill
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TRY EMPATHY & HAVE LOVE IN YOUR HEART, PERHAPS I'LL SEE YOU ON THE ROAD...
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06-06-08, 10:27 AM
#23
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Shay style? You'd have a crown & bevel gearset, with the rim being the bevel gear. Hard to get an exceptable ratio without the crown gear being the size of a sombrero. I'd prefer a sexto-cycle, with 4 driven wheels in back, rod-connected and two steerers up front. In locomotive parlance, it would be a 2-4-0. Heavy as hell.
But it would look cool.
But it would look cool.
06-06-08, 11:30 AM
#24
Uber Goober
For a proper Shay, you'd need to run a shaft up to the front wheel as well, with a couple of universal joints in it.
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"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
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06-06-08, 04:24 PM
#25
Sister Annie
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I absolutely love the Hi-wheel pentacycle....
https://www.google.com/patents?id=aL9...Edward+Burstow
EH, - lucky you to ride a Shay. All the ones here in NZ are too far away from where I live to go and see.
https://www.google.com/patents?id=aL9...Edward+Burstow
EH, - lucky you to ride a Shay. All the ones here in NZ are too far away from where I live to go and see.
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OMNIPOTENS aeterne Deus, qui nos secundum imaginem Tuam plasmasti, et omnia bona, vera, pulchra, praesertim in divina persona Unigeniti Filii Tui Domini nostri Iesu Christi, quaerere iussisti, praesta quaesumus ut, per intercessionem Sancti Isidori, Episcopi et Doctoris, in peregrinationibus per interrete factis et manus oculosque ad quae Tibi sunt placita intendamus et omnes quos convenimus cum caritate ac patientia accipiamus. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
OMNIPOTENS aeterne Deus, qui nos secundum imaginem Tuam plasmasti, et omnia bona, vera, pulchra, praesertim in divina persona Unigeniti Filii Tui Domini nostri Iesu Christi, quaerere iussisti, praesta quaesumus ut, per intercessionem Sancti Isidori, Episcopi et Doctoris, in peregrinationibus per interrete factis et manus oculosque ad quae Tibi sunt placita intendamus et omnes quos convenimus cum caritate ac patientia accipiamus. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
Last edited by Sianelle; 06-06-08 at 04:48 PM. Reason: forgot something