We did this for a local Tulsa middle school Latin class who hosted chariot races between all their language classes. The chariot is made of 1 sheet of plywood 4 feet x 8 feet x 23/32 inch. It also requires 3 large dowel rods, one for the axle (2 inch diameter) and two for the hand rails (1.5 inch diameter (see note below about dowels).
Here are some pictures...
The design files are located in the Chariot Google Doc Library
*.AD_* (3D CAD Alibre Design 12.0 files)
*.PDF (advanced pdf with 3D rotation and viewing capabilities, double click on the pdf image.)
*.PNG (2D image of part layout on 4x8x3/4 plywood)
*.DXF (2D drawing file of part layout)
*.CRV (Part Works file, works with Shopbot, used to program cutting paths)
*.SBP (compiled machine file for the Shopbot)
MATERIALS
1 sheet - 4 foot x 8 foot x 23/32 inch plywood (should be a sanded surface, not rough finish)
1 dowel - 2" diameter x 36 inch long
2 dowel - 1.5" diameter x 36 inch long
NOTE: The .crv and .sbp files are slightly different than the other files because they require not only the 2 inch diameter dowel rod, but also two dowel rods which are 1.25 inches diameter instead of 1.5 inches diameter. If you use the .crv and .sbp files as is then use these dowels. If you do any redesign using the CAD or other files then you can specify any dowel size you want.
It should take about 2 hours to cut the plywood and maybe 1 hour to assemble. Wood screws which are about 1.5 inches long are necessary.
[stay tuned for the next project]
