Atomic Zombie had a great idea.
I was musing one afternoon, and a thought crossed my mind.
In the somewhat distant past, I had purchased six sets of plans from Atomic Zombie, because I wanted to see if I could build a custom two or three wheeled conveyance that didn't require a license for getting around town. It would have an electric hub motor and some batteries for either pedal assist or twist-and-go throttling.
One plan was called the Silent Speedster, which was a two-wheeler with sealed lead acid batteries on board. There were no pedals; just an electric hub motor and a hand-operated throttle control.
With a few tweaks, it would have been perfect for my needs...
If I could have built it.
Enter my lack of welding knowledge.
Hi! I've never welded metals before. I also saw caution that aluminium is difficult for new welders, too. I wouldn't know if I got it right, and I would be trusting what I've welded with my body weight, the weight of the batteries, and everything else that makes it go.
Hello, fear and worry, my old friends.
I would look every four to seven months or so for a local welding class that I could get to and was reasonably priced, but either my Bing-jitsu was bad, my less favored Google-fu was missing, or these classes just did not exist in my area.
Because I lacked the knowledge for welding, I rejected any opportunity to buy welding equipment. I didn't understand it enough to know what to buy. Sadly, for a topic like welding, I could not learn it from just watching a video like some people might: something about learning certain types of skills, videos just... do not connect, at least when I watch them.
Really: I can learn crazy kitchen hacks by video (like making aquafaba meringues, or a pancake in a rice cooker), but demystifying all the welding machines like FCAW, MIG, and TIG? All I can tell you is don't look at the bright light, and FCAW is supposed to be easiest.
Because I lacked welding equipment, I had no reason to go hunt down donor frames for my future Silent Speedster. Since there was no future frame, I had no reason to search out and buy some lithium batteries (LiFePO4, LiNMC, or LTO chemistries), figure out the charging circuitry, find a wheel that fits the frame so that I could have a hub motor laced into it, and a list of other things needed to build this project.
Convenient, that one roadblock blocks everything else. Nothing to see here, move along!
But like a zbmeio, it doesn't die.
Shuffling behind the wires here, the ideas revisit me once more, but this time, the zobmie brought friends!
- What if a prison welding class existed alongside a prison electric wiring class, and the students were tasked with building and wiring up something akin to the Silent Speedster, with updated components to take advantage of lithium-based battery chemistries?
- What if we also taught a business management class that allowed the students to actually sell their products legally, putting money toward future supplies for building, and paid the students a reasonable wage for their work?
- What if all of this culminates in teaching a justice-impacted individual a legal hustle for their return to society, allowing them to make clean cash (possibly for the first time in their lives)?
... but coordinating something like that would take teamwork, dedication, compassion, and drive.
...
And brains.
:')
(Florida: Where Zombies Go to Starve.)