Anyone ever do a car with a wooden frame? Wooden rails, anyway. Perhaps on a Doodlebug, Speedster or ??????
I've seen that one before but I don't know anything about it other than it has some sort of aircraft engine. The frame appears to be oak. The way all of the attachments are clamped around the frame, it probably works quite well.
Stanley Steamers and Franklins has wood frames, and they worked will in their day, what you plan to run for power is the big factor.
Could this be a cheaper way to build hot rods? I hope so. I'm just not sure if I'm ready to trust 2x4s at over 20 mph.
Pound for pound, wood is typically stronger than steel. But you have to use the right wood, select pieces with straight grain, and it will need larger sections, compared to steel tube. Also not as easy to join pieces together, compared to welding. My guess, is that steel tube is less expensive than proper hardwood.
I agree completely. But 'wood' does not necessarily mean 'cheap'. You could make a frame cheap out of PVC pipe. Or make one for $$$$$ out of carbon fiber. Both 'plastic', kinda sorta. I don't think that the builder of the car pictured at the top of this thread could be accused of being 'cheap'. I am curious if anyone has built a wooden frame 'right' and if so how they did it. I certainly agree that a car with a wooden frame could be expected to have a performance envelope more limited than with conventional construction. Kind of like a hot rod with a stock T frame would have more limitations than a similar car with a boxed '32 frame.
didn't they use spruce like they use for building airplanes? back then it was probably a lot eaisier to find large spruce beams, I don't think they used pine like they make 2x4's from. everything would have been hardwood, only problem is frame rot would take on an entire new meaning.
Wood is stronger than steel on a weight basis. Your points are all valid - and it might not be cheaper - but how would you do it, if you were going to do it?
Priced Oak lately??? Seriously though...I've seen a very early truck with a wood frame that was under restoration...well, sorta wood framed. Each rail was 2 pieces of 90* bent steel (like angle iron but formed on a press) laid out as as the outside + top...inside + bottom. Between the two halfs of each rail unit was a full length wooden beam allowing the rail sections to be thru bolted together and adding greatly to the stiffness of each rail. This truck was chain drive/ hard rubber tired and BIG. No idea on the manufacturers name but it was impressive! Personally I'd have no problem with a car having a wooden frame as long as its built well. There have been many vehicles made of wood...boats, ships, aircraft right into the Second World War and beyond. What about Ferris wheels, Rollercoasters etc???? The material is up to the task as long as the builder understands its requirements and limitations.
There you go! That's the kind of information I am looking for! This kind of composite construction, while not light, can be very strong and by 'capping' the wooden girders you also have something to weld to if needed. It might be fun to design something like this. Certainly a change of pace, and a way to build something using traditional (as in blacksmithing and coopering) skills.
Don't they still make Morgans? And use the same style wood frames? Or did the newer ones just get too sophisticated / fast? Gary
Morgans, yes - the new ones look like they've hit a telephone pole square in the nose. But AFAIK they have not used wooden frames for quite some time (except perhaps for a gratuitous piece here or there).
Ash or Hickory, would be my first choices. Around here, Ash is very hard to find in any size. Never seen Hickory at any of the local suppliers.
I thought about making some '32-style frame rails out of lam-beams. Fortunately I don't have a chain saw. Doe anyone think it could work though?
Given that you would not need very much, it would probably not be too hard to find. I am still sitting on a bunch of board feet of ancient Brazilian rosewood. Found it in the back corner of a very old lumberyard, covered with an inch of dust. Bought the lot for a song. Not right for a frame, though!
Depends on the design. Look at some of the engineered beams, used in home construction. Very strong. Curved Lamination would be one option. Modern composite technology would help, vacuum bags etc. There was a guy recently that made a wooden supercar, almost everything on the whole car was wood. LOTS of work, and some interesting methods. If the cost of time and materials are ANY consideration, steel is a better choice.
Start calling hardwood suppliers, looking for Select or Better 8/4 or larger Ash or Hickory. Depending on exactly what and how much you have, I bet you could sell that, and pay for a new car.
I also have wondered whether laminated beams would work. I don't think you would want the beams exposed to moisture for any length of time - it could be challenging to keep the 'grain' sealed. They might also be too stiff, heavy and I could see how through bolts, even if sleeved, could pound and elongate their holes. Standard dimensional lumber might work better. But the architecture of the frame would probably have to be straight, fore and aft. There are implications to this, for example maybe that would encourage use of quarter-elliptic springs.
Maybe. But as soon as it was gone I would find a need for it. Probably need to commission some furniture (someday, not in this economy) and save a piece or two for a future dashboard.
Certainly for a car that gets the treatment an original wood frame vehicle gets it would work, I don't think I'd want to drive it in modern traffic though. And when someone calls it a "rat rod" you can correct them and say "no, termites" - The car in the photos at the beginning of the thread I don't think would be too difficult to copy the shapes to build something in that same style, at least the body, and use some other existing motor.
As far as I understood...Morgans used a wooden frame for the BODY structure...in other words "Coach built". The chassis itself was steel right back to the original 3 wheeler trials car.
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