Mutant Vehicle Repair

THE CLIENT: Playa Bike Repair

THE PROBLEM: One-of-a-kind human-powered mutant vehicle needs repair and modification

THE SOLUTION: I was contacted by this client because they had taken this vehicle to several fabrication shops and nobody wanted to touch it. People often come to me because they don't know who to whom to turn. The vehicle was elegantly made but lacked a certain ergonomic element that only my extensive human-power experience could provide. I fabricated a steering system, a shade structure, and added a differential to the axle while improving the driveline. The vehicle was also given a once-over for safety, eliminating places where fingers could get pinched or clothing snagged. The client also asked for a giant, 10-ft shadow sculpture of a bicycle which I provided.

THE RESULT: Success

festival

National Geographic's Mad Scientists: The Clockwork Motorcycle

THE PROBLEM: Design, source, and build a clockwork motorcycle in 48 hours for the National Geographic TV show Mad Scientists

THE SOLUTION: Enlisting my associate "Mudd", we sourced custom springs from a garage-door dealer, dug into my pile of gears and cogs, and built the world's first wind-up motorcycle and rode it 48 hours from the issue of the challenge. You can find details on the bike at Clockworkmotorcycle.org.

THE RESULT: Successful creation of the sport of clockwork motorcycle racing.

Pedal-powered Crane

THE CLIENT: Redmoon Theatre, Chicago

THE PROBLEM: Design and build a pedal-powered crane for the Summer 2006 Spectacle Twilight Orchard

THE SOLUTION: A simple rule for a crane is that the weight on the end times the ratio of the boom to the counterweight's length equals the weight of the counterweight. The original design called for an 800 lb. counterweight which would support 50 lbs at the end of a 16 foot boom. Consequently this vehicle was extremely overbuilt, with ATV wheels, a differential, and a gear ratio that would allow a single person to move that kind of weight.


I had to fabricate my own axle stub brackets.


The vehicle was dressed by other designers and audio techs, and Laura Annis built the boom. The crane was equipped with a speaker on the end for a private party and then used to hang a disco ball for Twilight Orchard- in typical Redmoon style this allows the techs to be seen by the audience and perform their job with whimsical gadgetry. Here's a picture of it loading a mouse into a giant mouse wheel during Looptopia 2007:


This project represents a particular combination of form and function that I always strive for and am quite proud of in this creation.