5/31/2007: Marianne Has Completed "Homemade Auto"

Today I started out shopping for my supplies and calling friends and family for the things on the list that couldn’t be bought. Not one of my friends had a shrunken voodoo head though. So I was stuck not knowing what I was going to hang from the rearview mirror. I needed to get into MacGyver mode if I wanted to finish this task so I started rummaging around my house and garage and surprisingly came up with a good bit of things from the list.

Here’s what I used:

An action figure (1)
A Frisbee (4)
A shoe (2)
A banana peel (1)
A kitchen chair (1)
A rug (1)
A used syringe (10)
An umbrella (1)
A vase (1)
A potted plant (1)
A roll of electrical tape (6)
A length of rope (1 foot)
A printed copy of this task (1)
An 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper (2)
A leprechaun (1)
A box of Lucky Charms (1)
A pack of firecrackers (1)
A wagon (1)
A cardboard box (1)
A package of markers (1)


Here I am eating the banana so I can use the peel:




























I was pretty naive when I started this task. Did you know that the axles aren’t directly fastened to the base of an auto? I wish I would have known this before I wasted the 2x4’s. I decided that I would ask my father, who’s a mechanic, for some tips. I felt as though I was more than prepared to do this task.



Here are some things I learned today:
The planning and construction of an auto may be approached in many ways. The experienced wood craftsman will find the experience a great project and people who know nothing about autos (like me), may find it just a little challenging.

When I started out I had a good plan, however, cutting the pieces was a pain and just plain wrong for anyone to ever have to do. Had I thought of using a pencil to draw an outline, I might have had this one.

It’s been discovered over the years that autos with a longer wheelbase can be faster than shorter wheelbase autos. Had people not kept this a secret from me my auto would be faster.
Here’s a picture of me putting the tailpipe on:

It’s a delicate balance to keep your auto upright and through trial and error I have discovered that a helmet is an important element when test driving your auto.

The wheels are an important element in the auto. The biggest problem is that you must insure that the wheels roll smoothly, in a straight line and roll very easily. There isn’t much you can do to correct a bad wheel when there’s a time constraint. I have given up all hope and settled for roundish.
It is necessary to have a way to stop your auto something I did not think about until I was rolling.
Having used all newly acquired auto-making skills, this is what I came up with in this video clip:

Homemade Auto (Very High: 105.6 MB)

5/30/2007: Marianne Accepts "Homemade Auto"

Plywood and I don't get along too well but there's something to be said about Tim Duncan's rookie card. I will do my best to get this rolling and hopefully not lose any kids while I'm at it.

5/30/2007: Stephen Assigns "Homemade Auto" To Marianne

Your task is to build a homemade automobile, using items from a list that I will supply you.
Requirements: You must build an automobile out of the list of items that I am going to supply you. It needs to be as life-sized as you can get it. You must try to make it really function as much as possible, though I think we'll all be happy if you can just make it look halfway decent and maybe roll. You need to fully describe the process of building the auto and what you used. You also need to provide plenty of pictures of the construction process and the final product and, if possible, a video of you trying to drive it. Here are the items you can use. The number in parentheses to the right indicates how many of that item that you can use. You can use any tools to alter these materials.

A bed mattress (1)
A sheet of plywood (2)
A (up to) 10 foot 2x4 (8)
A lawn chair (2)
A 5 gallon bucket (4)
A broomstick (2)
A metal bar (up to) 10 foot long (2)
An old tire (4)
An action figure (1)
A frisbee (4)
A shoe (2)
A backpack (1)
A banana peel (2)
A sofa (1)
A kitchen chair (2)
A rug (1)
A taxidermied animal (17)
A used syringe (48)
A venetian blind (2)
A piece of plexiglass (2)
An umbrella (6)
A microphone stand (2)
A screw (50)
A nail (50)
A shrunken voodoo head (50)
A painting (1)
A vase (4)
A potted plant (2)
A garden hose (1)
A length of rope (up to) 100 feet long (1)
A box of dental floss (2)
A roll of electrical tape (10)
A tube of caulk (10)
A Tim Duncan rookie card (1)
A printed copy of this task (1)
An 8.5x11 sheet of paper (500)
An old telephone (1)
An empty medicine bottle (40)
A bottle of glue of any kind (2)
A coupon for Shake And Bake (1)
A packet of mild sauce from Taco Bell (7500)
A leprechaun (1)
A box of lucky charms (2)
A four leaf clover (4)
A pot of gold (1)
A rainbow (1)
A trophy (4)
A door (2)
A window (4)
A titmouse (9)
A small length of white string (9)
A pack of firecrackers (9)

In addition, you may use 3 items not listed, but you can only use one of each of these items.