Doggy Bike Wagon

This is the modern way to use bikes! LOL!

I wanted to make a wagon because my mom had said that pulling something would giver our dog good back and rear muscles. Then, I saw some bikes, and the idea for this wagon struck me. I found some junk parts and got a friend to weld them together for me (I do not have a welder), and voila! a fancy wagon ready to go.

Now, our dog can get some exercise, and I am planning to earn some pocket money by helping people move their things around. My mom had better make lots of doggy treats, for we are in for some work!

Materials

1. Three 16'' kids bikes

2. Some lengths of 2'' steel pipe (3pc 15'' long, 2 pc 17'' long, 1pc 24'' long, 1pc 31'' long)

3. Some lengths of 7/8'' steel pipe (2pc 39'' long)

4. Some lengths of 1/2'' rebar (2pc 29'' long)

5. Some lengths of 3/8'' rebar (2pc 4'' long, 2pc 7'' long, 2pc 8 3/4'' long, 3pc 12'' long, 1pc 17'' long, 2 pc 18'' long, 2pc 21'' long, 1pc 46'' long)

6. Some lengths of 1'' angle bar (2pc 5 1/2'')

7. Some 3/4'' plywood (1pc 20''x17'', 1pc 23''x8'', 1pc 25''x17'')

8. Seven small metal strips with holes in the ends

9. Fourteen 1/2'' wood screws

10. Spray paint

Tools

1. Oxy acetylene torch (not strictly necessary but makes the job easier)

2. Angle grinder

3. Stick welder

4. Wood saw

5. Screw driver

First of all, start by cutting off the handlebars (save 1 for later), saddle, pedals, and chain (save 1 for later) from two of the bikes.

On the third bike, cut out the bottom bracket shell (the part that holds the pedals) from the frame; leave the crankarms on but not the pedals themselves. Also, cut out the head tube (the part that holds the front wheel onto the frame); cut off the fork and the handlebars, leaving a little piece of extra internal tube at each end of the head tube.

Refer to the drawing (note that the drawing is viewed from the bottom of the wagon). All of the pieces used are 2'' steel pipes. The rear 24'' piece is welded between the chain stay and the seat stay on each bike. The 31'' piece is welded to the bottom of the down tube in front of the bottom bracket shell on each bike. Use a 12'' piece of rebar to strengthen the joint as shown in photo 4. How to make the front part can be seen in the drawing (weld all pieces together).

Weld one end of each of the two 21'' rebar pieces to each of the free corners of the rectangle part of the bottom frame and the other end to the each of the respective top tubes of the bikes. This is to support the front part of the bottom frame. (Refer to photos 5 and 6.)

To make the rear of the wagon, take the 46'' piece of rebar and bend it 90 degrees at 9'' from each end and weld it onto the top of the seat tube on each bike (one of my bikes had a short seat tube, so I had to extend one end of the rebar 5'' so it could reach to the top tube).

Then, take the two 18'' pieces of rebar and bend them sharply 90 degrees at 3'' and 6'', measuring from one end. You will get something that looks roughly like a J (see photos 7 and 8). Weld these pieces onto the corners of the rebar curve put on earlier. The long part of the "J"s are attached to the rear steel pipe of the frame. This gives support to the curve forming the back of the wagon and also makes some handy handles.

Photos 9, 10, 11, and 12 show the simple hand brake: a piece of angle bar inserted in the rear frame tube through the wheel.

The steering setup forms something that looks like an upside-down square pyramid under the rectangle of the frame. The steering setup is based on one of the handlebars from the bikes, which forms the back side of the pyramid. At the center of the pyramid is the top tube from the third bike, the fork end of which is welded onto the handlebars (this makes a spire on top of the pyramid). This top tube must be in line with the hubs of the front wheels. The two 7'' pieces of rebar form the other two corners of the pyramid for support.

Weld a 15'' piece of 2'' steel pipe to the rests of the cut-off fork in the center of the pyramid. The pyramid needs to be tall enough for the steel pipe to extend horizontally under the front of the wagon.

For support, weld one end of the 17'' piece of rebar to the handlebar-end of the fork going through the top tube (at the center of the pyramid). Weld the other end to the end of the 15'' piece of steel pipe attached earlier. Weld a 12'' piece of rebar to the handlebar end of the top tube going backwards to the rear end of the rectangle of the frame.

Weld the bottom bracket shell from the third bike horizontally to the free end of the 15'' piece of steel pipe. Turn one of the crankarms so they both point in the same direction. On the crankarms, weld another piece of 15'' (2'' diam.) steel pipe at a right angle to the first steel pipe. At either end of the latter pipe, also at right angles, weld the two 39'' pieces of 7/8'' steel pipe so that they are parallel. Use the two 4'' pieces of rebar to reinforce the angles. (See photos 9 and 10.) This makes a giant two-prong fork. Flatten the ends of the two prongs vertically and drill two holes to use in the final step. To extend the two "prongs", bend the two 29'' pieces of 1/2'' rebar into a U-shape and weld them to the ends of the prongs. (See photos 11 and 12.)

To the insides of the forks of the frame bikes, weld the two pieces of angle bar, pointing forward horizontally and parallel to the wheel. This should be at the same level as the "handle" of the pulling fork (imagine you are pulling at the prongs). Weld the two 8 3/4'' pieces of rebar parallel to the bicycle chain you saved, so there is a little bit of free chain at the ends and in the middle. This is to make the chain rigid along the 8 3/4'' at either end. (See the second drawing.) Attach the ends of the chain to the ends of the angle bars, leaving only one link that can turn in between the rigid part and the angle bar. Weld the middle part of the free chain to the "handle" of the pulling fork, also leaving only one link free to turn at either side. The single free links work as hinges, which is the only reason for the chain being used. (Refer to photos 5 and 6.)

Take the 25''x17'' piece of plywood and make one 25'' side 1'' shorter at each end, making a trapezoid (see drawing). Connect the 17'' side of the 20''x17'' piece of plywood to the middle of the 25'' side of the larger piece with two metal strips and four screws. This is the bottom of the wagon. The last piece of plywood is for the back. Connect it to the bottom with one metal strip in the middle. To attach the whole thing to the frame of the wagon, use two metal strips across the J-supports in the back and one around each end of the supports for the front.

If you want, spray paint the frame before attaching the wood or paint the whole wagon afterwards.

For the final step, find yourself one of these things. They are called dogs and are really awesome.

Next, hook it up to the front of the wagon. You will need a suitable dog harness for this. The two prongs are attached to the harness through the holes drilled in step 4.

Fuel it up with lots of treats and praise.

PRESTO! You have just made yourself a 1 dogpower wagon!