(crafted spring 2017)
Every once in a while I get a crazy idea. Who am I kidding I got lots of crazy ideas. But sometimes I get a pretty crazy idea...and I run with it.
Hubby said the lawnmower was no good. It ran ok but the whole mower deck was shot and a new one would cost more than just getting another mower.
"Wouldn't it be funny if you just took off the deck and made it into a little putt-putt car?" I laughed. Then I stopped laughing and pondered.
Most of Hubby's mechanic work and carpentry has little to do with me. And my crafting usually has little to do with me. It could be fun to work on something together. Plus I always wanted to try fiberglass. Hmmmm.
The frame got split and lengthened. The seat got dropped down all the way to the frame. Some mechanical stuff got done to make that all work. Then it was time to sculpt a body.
Did you know you can sculpt something from foam insulation boards, sand it, and then apply fiberglass to it? Make sure you have the right type of epoxy. It's NOT the car patching stuff from NAPA that's for sure! My first test piece bubbled and oozed and melted halfway down into a puddle of blue goo. Gross! But, more research and self-education prevailed. Soon the correct epoxy was procured!
The shaping of the foam wasn't too hard. I am not great at getting curves out of flat materials (that's why I am not a better clothing designer). But by taking baby steps, removing small bits at a time, I was able to get a fairly satisfactory shape. I did require plywood for the cab for strength. After all, I gotta crawl in through the window to get in!
Turns out I am not gonna be a pro at fiberglass anytime soon. Again, straight materials over roundy edges. For a first try though, I think I laid it on pretty well. But it's also much harder to sand than I had thought it would be. Especially after the all too easy foamboard. It was difficult to get the surface smooth and with a parade deadline looming I am afraid I gave up and called it good enough. Not as good as I wanted it but good enough for just goofing around.
The shape was also not exactly what I wanted because I needed to use the original hood which was really wider in the front than at all necessary. Sometimes you just have to work with what you have.
I went with red paint. The color I would choose for an old pick-up if I really had one. In this case though, it was a few rattle cans from the hardware store.
All in all, it went ok and I did make it to the parade which was fun. Fortunately parades only go at lawn-mowing speeds so I didn't get run over by the real vehicles or anything.
Part of me would like to do this again except 1.) Fiberglass and epoxy for this size project are fairly expensive. 2.) None of it is environmentally sound which makes me sad. 3.) What would I do with them all?
I do hope to hit another parade or two if we ever have those again...