Chapter 14

I’d like to say ‘most’ but that generalization doesn’t fit the reality of the situation. About 98% of all cyclekarts use 1” x 3” x 1/16” cold-rolled rectangular tubing for chassis formers. It’s plenty strong for the application ... howbeit a little flimsy. The remaining 2% use ‘other’ stuff ... aluminum, wood, square tubing, old extension ladders, I beam, H beam, U channel, flanged U channel, round tubing ... and miscellany.

The Eighty had miles of tubing ... some of it round titanium tubing. Titanium is LIGHT ... but difficult to work. It makes great aircraft brake-lines. Genevieve built her cyclekart chassis from titanium. Round stock. Welded.

Welding titanium is not easy. Genevieve had a whole scrap pile to practice on. But it can be done. Bending into the wanted shapes is almost as hard. We’re talking about an aircraft ready shop with all the accouterments necessary to repair brakes and associated adjuncts. When the government closed the base they made sure it was up to snuff to the exact date of closing... ‘we might have to take it back.’ The watchword ... REOPENING.

Activation might happen. Nobody really owns something ... the government allows the illusion. And then there’s Murphy.

As such ... the base was 11 years after closing. Still operational ... get my drift?

For the side frame rails she bent a long narrow paperclip like object ... leaving off the return loop. She reinforced the loops with diagonals against verticals ... all welded with the most perfect joins any of the machinists had ever seen.

The retired welder complained, “It looks cast ... but it’s hollow ... never seen the like.” He was complaining because he couldn’t do it.

The retired doctor finished weighing his painted frame. His weighed 52 pounds. As for Gen’s? “Damn thing weighed 12 pounds finished.”.

The retired Ford Factory Quality representative said, “She bolted the heavy parts on and it never sagged.” The Wednesdays production Continental always had a honking big hole in the frame and he never caught the guy who did it.

“Heavy parts?” That was from the skinny retired foreman.

Mrl. Quality explained, “Springs, seat, Predator 212, and wheels ... oh ... the damn thing has 4 wheel disc brakes. I think they’re just for show ... never seen her use ‘em.”

The retired accountant said, “Well ... what did it cost?”

“It’s all built from scrap ... she even made her own gears.”

“Scrap? What scrap?”

“From the base junkpile.”

“Wheels?”

“Mountain Bike 26 inch ... from Goodwill, AMVETS, Detroit Area Rescue Ministries. She machined her own hubs out of plate and superglue.”

“Does she race?”

The most recent winner of the weekly weekend race said, “We got her there ... she’s 11 ... and you have to be 18 to race.”

Everybody chuckled.