Wooden Push Scooter

Wooden Push Scooter

Wooden push scooter rendering

Most boys, growing up, have spent a lot of their time outside, playing in the dirt, riding bicycles, general ‘boy-stuff’. In recent years one of the ‘toys’ which they have spent a lot of time with are push scooters, but these scooters generally sell for a realatively large amount of money.I was required to design a toy/transport item for children. It was to be able to be used as a transport means, as well as a toy. This was to be constructed mainly out of wood.

Children standing with wooden scooter prototype

My design was to be suitable for mass production, as well as simple enough to be fabricated, constructed by members of a poor community, rural community, or village persons. This may give them the opportunity to enjoy the fun of a push scooter, as well as learning how to use tools, methods, etc.

Material costs were to be kept to an absolute minimum (recycling) making it suitable for the people mentioned above.

Clever use of materials, as well as clever construction methods were required to make the item able to withstand the use/abuse thrown at it by a child.

Material Cost Breakdown:

Part	Material	Cost
Deck	19mm Pine Ply-wood	R20
Wheels	Building timber off-cut.	-
Axles	Turned building timber off-cut.	-
Stem	Building timber off-cut	-
Handlebar	27mm Dowel (broom handle)	R2.25
“Bearing”	Re-used small Pilchards can.	R3.00 including pilchards
Steering Hinge	Door Hinge.	R3.98
Wheel Brackets	Recycled pallet wood.	-
Steering Plank	Recycled pallet wood.	-
Screws		R10.00
Total		R36.23* = roughly US$3.50

*These prices are that at which the prototype was constructed. Bulk buying would decrease the material cost considerably.

Prototype:

Scooter deck construction. Pilchard can axle standing on underside of deck.

Front wheel assembly

Front wheel made from solid pine, pilchard tin axle with internal pine strenghtening shaft.

first test of completed scooter developmental prototype

first test of completed scooter developmental prototype

Initial scooter testing upon completion of developmental prototype

Kids test driving the scooter

Test prototype taken to the nearby aftercare and given to the kids to use, test, abuse.

Test driving scooter

Test drive session.

evidence that pilchard tin operates successfully as a bearing

After testing conducted with many different children at the nearest kids aftercare, the internal low cost pilchard tin bearing operated successfully. For lubrication, candle wax was used.

detail

This is a detail image of the front wheel assembly of the final prototype.

Rear wheel assembly

This is a detail image of the rear wheel assembly of the final prototype.

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