Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1912-12-10
HOW TO BUILD A PusHMoBILE

The pushmobile Is unique form
of homemade wagon, patterned as
nearly after an automobile as it is
possible to make it with the materials
that a boy can lind about the house.
1t is steered by the driver" who
rides, and pushed by the mocha
nician," who runs behind.
After several pushmobiles have
been built by the boys of your neigh
borhood. great fun may be had
through the organization of a push
mobile club and the promotion of
pE1hmobile races.
There are almost as many schemes
for building these machines" as there
are forms of automobiles, and by US
ing a little ingenuity every boy of
club can have a car of his own de-
sign. The pushmobile shown in Fig.
l is one of the simplest forms to
make. After have described its con-
struction, you can make such addi-
lions and alterations to the design as
you wish.
If you haven't any wheels at hand,
there are a number of sources from
which you can get them. Oftentimes
a pair can be picked up at a second
hand store, or at junk shop; and
often you will come across boy with
whom you can make trade for some.
! Get the iron rods, nuts and washers
that belong to the wheels, If possible
so that you will not have to get new
ones. In case an axle is missing, or
one that you have is too long or too
Sd art, you can get blacksmith, ma
chinist or plumber to thread a piece
of rod of the right length for you.
! Fig. shows the completed frame
work of the pushmobile and Fig. the
construction of the wagon-bed. The
rails A and the connecting crosspieces
! B and G are made out of pieces of 2
by 4. The length of the former will
| be determined by whatever length
you wish to have the car, while that
of the latter will be fixed by the
| length of the wheel aXles. The boards
| D are nailed to the side of rails A to
support the hood framework, and the
crosspiece E is fastened to the under
side of the rails for footrest.
If the front and rear pair OF wheels
are of equal diameter, the wooden
axles F and G may both be pieces of
2 by Gig. y; but if the rear pair
are larger than the front pair, axle F
should be omitted and axle G made of
the right depth to make the top Of
the wagon-bed level. The iron axles
may be fastened to the wooden axes
either with staples or bent-over nails.
Procure a carriage bolt long enough
/ to extend through axle G and cross
piece c. for king-bolt. and with this
/ pivot the front pair of wheels in place
The framework of the hood is made
/ of barrel-hoops, the ends of which are
/ fastened to boards d. Be careful to
/ fasten them so their tops will all be
on a line.
Figs. 2 and show the details for
the steering gear. A sewing-machine
wheel or a wagon wheel may be used
| for the steering wheel, and a piece Of
| a broom-handle will do for the shaft
| hole should be bored in the inner
| edge of wooden axle G for a pocket
| for the end of the shaft to set In Gig
! g.. and the board H (Fig. p must be
/ fitted in the end of the hood frame
! work, aid be notched in it's top edge,
/ 10 support the upper end of the shaft
! The method of connecting the front
wheels with the shaft is simple, as
| you will see by examining Fig. 5. The
! crosspiece l is a trifie shorter than
/ the distance between the bars A, so 1T
will turn with the shaft, and a hole
! large enough for the shaft to run
1 through is bored through it's center
/ A screw IA the edge of the strip is
useu for a set-screw to fasten it to
/ the shaft. and to Ike the fastening
/ doubly secure, the block ] is fastened
I to strip | and another set-screw driven
I through IT'S edge. Screw a Screw-eye
: into one end Of crosspiece /. and an
} other into the under side of each Of
I The two bars A (Fig. 81. and after at
/ taching two pieces OF rope to the
i screw-eye in the end Of crosspiece l..
run one through each of the screw
eyes in bars A and tie TO screw-eye
near the end OF the wooden axle G
/ Gigs. . and ~. The lengths Of these
/ steering lines must be so adjusted
I that when the Steering-wheel cross
piece is turned in ths position shown
4 lH Fig. the left fore Wheel will turn