The Contemporary Tip Cart
(Page 2 of 3)
March/April 1987
By Dennis Burkholder
And if you've ever maneuvered a jam packed barrow downhill, you'll surely appreciate this cart's caliper brakes. They control momentum and help in turning, too.
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Making the Most of It
Willing to give this weekend project a try? Start by locating a set of bike wheels and cable-operated caliper brakes. Use both wheels from one bike or find a pair with the same diameter and tire size. Wire spoke types are OK, but may not support as much weight as would nylon or plastic designs.
Then buy or scavenge the hardware and the various metal parts of the cart specified in the illustration. The conduit will have to be shaped with a bender; if you can't borrow one, you might talk an electrical contractor into making the bends for you. As an alternative, you could use hardwood shafts like those on a wheelbarrow to replace the tubular handle and leg.
One full sheet of plywood will yield the cart's structural parts if you plan the cuts as indicated on our diagram. The fender outlines are the most difficult to lay out; it's best to make a cardboard template of these, and trace it onto the wood before cutting.
The hardboard parts include the side flares, the nose gates, and the fender backs. If you can do without the extra capacity offered by the flareboards, you'll need only a 23" X 39" piece of board to complete the cart.
Notice that we've strengthened the thin hardboard with stiffeners cut from 2 X 4s. When fastening them to the edge of a panel, you'll need to cut a dado, or groove, about halfway into the wood so the pieces make a good joint. Use a reliable construction adhesive to secure all the stiffeners, whether they're groove- or flush-mounted.
Each fender assembly should be match-cut so its back fits smoothly against the contours. To do this, clamp two fender sections together, side by side, and retrim the arcs so both are symmetrical. Then fasten the back section to the matched pair's curved edges with construction adhesive and 4d nails placed every 2 inches. To make things easier later, mark and drill the holes for the axle supports, the fender bolts, and the brake brackets before buttoning up the fender wells.
