Group Project: Horseless carriage build

One of our members is organizing a group project building a full-size, working replica of an early-1900s horseless carriage, specifically a 1901 Curved Dash Oldsmobile (CDO), as seen in this photo. We have complete building plans and drawings!

The vehicle will be full-size and fully-operational, made almost the same way as the originals:

The body will be made from plywood (as was the original).
The undercarriage will be made from steel angle- and flat-stock (as was the original).
The steering mechanism will be a hand-operated tiller (as was the original).
The wheels will be, essentially, bicycle wheels, strengthened somewhat to better handle the weight (as was the original).
The drivetrain will be a standard bicycle chain connected to the solid rear axle (as was the original).
It will be powered by either a small gasoline engine, or an electric motor(s). (The original used a “hit-and-miss” engine.) If we go with the nearly silent electric motor option, we will devise a way to simulate the very distinctive, recognizable “hit-and-miss” sound!

This project will many of the functional areas of the makerspace:

Woodworking for the body
Welding and Metalworking/CNC for the undercarriage
Electronics for the control systems for the electric motor and other electrical components.
Laser Cutting/Engraving and 3d Printing for some of the internal components and external details.
Paint Shop for making the finished product look nice.
Vinyl Cutting, Screen Printing and Arts & Crafts for the graphics and some little “extras.”

We are beginning the project by collecting the required raw materials — wood, steel, fasteners, etc. We will publish a list of materials needed in a future post, so please check back later. We’ll begin the actual construction when the weather is more cooperative (i.e., late winter or early spring).

If you would like to donate any of the raw materials, we would be very appreciative. Just contact us via email at cdodonate@statelinemakerspace.com.

And if you’d like to join us in the construction process, contact us via email at cdoproject@statelinemakerspace.com.