Classroom electric go cart project

[canhamm]

I have an environmental technology class and would like to build an electric go cart as a project. I will be using wood as the main frame as I have a cnc machine to create different designs. I need to keep this project under $300. Do any of you have a simple plan that would allow non mechanical students to get their hands dirty. These are high school kids and this will need to accommodate 150-200lb student. I need everything such as axle, hubs, wheels, motor and throttle control, etc. If you have any ideas on ways to accomplish this with a low budget please share. I have 4 classes and would like to build 2 per class. Goal is to run these carts against each other at the end of year. Thanks in advance
Matt

 

[itsid]

Hi Matt,

please put some structure in your text.. paragraphs line breaksetc.
A wall of text is a huuge PITA on on phone screens.

Now that aside (and only because there IS punctuation and you're not the laziest guy this week )



300 is a tough goal, hardly possible with all new parts...
let's see:
a my1020 PMDC motor (1000W) can be had for less than 100 bucks,
it's matching controller for roughly 30 (sometimes 50...)
[the cheapest kart worthy motor I know of atm]
half of the budget gone, nothing achieved so far.
You'll need batteries -at least four- cheapest are lead acid..
picking small ones and that will add up to 200 bucks (50 a pop is reasonable)

See we already cracked the limit and have NOTHING but the powermodule yet.
PWM throttle ~20 bucks, some wires, chain sprocket another 50 perhaps
and we still have no kart to mount it to no wheels, no steering no axle to drive.

You need a frame; and NO wood is not a good idea, it never was and never will be, especially not for a beginner.
Simple reason is this: to make a sturdy and worthy chassis
you will need to put eight times the labour
and about three times the money in making a chassis,
than you would need to making it from steel.
welds are more reliable and cheaper than bolts
and you don't need to tinker with wood grain direction,
lamination for structural integrity and stuff alike.

So no, simply don't!

get the free plans from KartFab.com and take a very close look at those.
Those are good, and free, the resulting kart is sturdy and relatively cheap to make;

OR which I highly recommend, check the local classifieds for a cheap rolling chassis..
in most areas you can find one for relatively cheap, relatively complete..
no way to make a kart chassis cheaper ..
much less find parts cheaper than already mounted to a kart
(wheels, steering, axle, brakes etc..)

Since you need to make eight karts..
maybe you can get a discount for the motors and controllers (with PWM pedal throttle)
at alibaba.com
(min orders usually start at ten, still reasonable to have two more sets and still pay less total )
oh look:
https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...l?spm=a2700.7724838.2017115.20.7167631eFEVkj5

But even if, you'll need about'ish $100 per set and with batteries the 300 are already gone..
(since that offer doesn't include controller, pedal and stuff)
And shipping will take a while
really I can't see how that's going to work

'sid

 

[canhamm]

Thanks for the feedback. The reason for wood is that we will be scrapping the Fran at end of year and starting over the next year.

The goal is to get a basic understanding of electric motors and repurposing when we can. So I hope the kids will do some salvaging of parts. I’m looking for some redneck engineering to an extent.

Definitely not looking for a perfect cart. I want them to get creative with parts from other things. I agree $300 seems a bit low. Maybe $500?
Thanks again.

 

[itsid]

Sorry, scrapping the what?

But really wood isn't even a decent idea.
It's not about not getting a perfect kart in the end,
it's about not losing some kid's healthpoints during the final races.

500 might be possible, but -this is important-
DO NOT EVEN THINK OF GETTING CHEAP WHEELS!
(no Harbour freight dolly wheels, no set of four "new" ones off ebay for 40 bucks.. nothing alike!)

same reason.. they won't hold up for long (some collapse within hours, some within minutes)
and they do under load of course (i.e. with kid at speed) you can't have that.

Just look around the forums for HF wheels and you know why I mention that

Redneck engineering okay,
but you wouldn't want them to make a spot welder from an old microwave transformer either, would you?
(it's redneck, it's working, it's far from being a save device)
And the reason is again.. if you're responsible you must make sure the kids get out unharmed.

'sid

 

[Functional Artist]

Maybe, get a bunch of water pipe (~$10.00 ea.)(yup, plain old hardware store water pipe), a pipe bender (Harbor Freight ~$80.00), a wire welder (~$100.00) & a couple of welding masks. (~$50.00 ea.)

Your students/classes can "get creative" & make a huge variety of safe/HD frames for years to come.

Then, get a couple of 48V 1,000W motor kits (~$100,00 ea.) & some 12V 12AH SLA batteries (~$25.00 ea.)
(4- for each kart)

It'll probably take (2 to 3) 10" pieces of pipe (for the frame), (~$30.00), a motor kit (~$100.00) & (4) batteries. (~$100.00)

So, yea, with wheels & stuff ~$500.00 per kart is doable

 

[nbaffaro]

Go beg borrow, or dumpster dive for power chair, hoverround, or the like. It will give you the basic components needed for a go kart. Usually they will have bad batteries. You then also need to find a very cheap go kart frame. You can find one that has a bad motor you can get it fairly cheap. This will give you the steering bits and steering wheel. Problem with go karts is that they will nickle and dime you to death.