Hand cart ("Bollerwagen") 1:5 scale

Revell-Fan

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Hello fans!

The model I give you here is somewhat unusual and I suppose many of you (especially the ones who know me a bit better) will be surprised to know that I have chosen this subject. However I did it for a very good reason.

Recently at work, a dear colleague of mine asked me if I knew a good model of a hand cart (aka "Bollerwagen" in German) which was supposed to be a present for a good friend of hers. I believed that there was already a hand cart paper model available in the www. To my surprise my search was unsuccessful. It seemed that a hand cart papercraft had not been made yet. I promised her to come up with a good model in a few days after I had completed the Atlantia base. She liked the idea and so I swang into action.

There were a lot of pictures and plans available in the web, however, these were for the real thing and not for a model. Nevertheless, they showed me that every Bollerwagen obeyed a specific design scheme: four wheels, a long yoke-like handle and a tub-like body made of wooden boards. Ironically the one I liked best was the one we used at work. I took some pictures for reference, wrote down the dimensions and drew some sketches.

When I looked closely at the parts I had to make I realized that the main components were simple boards which were screwed and / or nailed together. Once disassemled these components were flat and would remind me of - pieces of laminated paper! That led to another challenge: I decided this model would be the first I would design without the aid of a 3D program. Only brains, maths and a sketch book.

I started working on the model on Friday and began translating the dimensions into a new CorelDRAW document. That took about 45 minutes. The alpha test began on Sunday and lasted from 11 AM to 11 PM (with pauses; I took my time ;) ). A few minor corrections were made on Monday during my lunch break and the final pieces were attached three hours ago. All in all it took me about 16 hours to make it.

OK, enough words, here come the pics! :)

I began with the tub:

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Revell-Fan

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This is the handle:

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The bottom end has two holes. A rod is pushed through them:

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The rod is held in place by two mandibles which are attached to the front axle box:

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The mandibles are inserted into two holes in the box and glued to the back side:

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A stopper is attached.

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Revell-Fan

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Before the box is closed a rod attached to a stopper is pushed through the hole in the top.

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The rod is pushed through two holes in another box and glued to it.

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The front axle box is closed...

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... and rotates freely.

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Revell-Fan

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The front box is glued to the bottom of the tub together with the aft axle box.

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Each wheel gets a tube inside:

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The perimeter is glued together from behind with a paper strip.

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The wheel is closed.

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Two rods are pushed through the axle boxes. Paper strips are rolled around and glued to the rods in order to hold the axles in position.

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The wheels are attached.

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Rhaven Blaack

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This is COOL!!!
You did an OUTSTANDING JOB on this project!
I like how you were able to make it fully functional!
I hope that the friend of your colleague likes this!!!
 

Revell-Fan

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Thank you! :)

What impresses me most is that the front axle and handle move EXACTLY like the real ones; the fork even sags a bit like the original. In addition, the cart is REALLY fast! You must not put it on an inclined plane..! ;)

I'll add the kit to the Resource section as soon as the instructions are ready.
 

Revell-Fan

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It's pun time:

"A cart made of card is not only a card model but also a cart model."
(Revell-Fan, Dec 2014)


:D:D:D
 

gilgamesch

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Coool. I got a similar one in my garage and my kids love it to be moved around with it…
Awsome that the model is functional like the real one!
 

Revell-Fan

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My colleague would have been pleased even if the model had been static. I thought, IF you do it then do it RIGHT! ;)
 

Revell-Fan

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She was E-L-A-T-E-D, to say the least. Everyone who saw it could not believe what they were looking at (for the record: I am the only (paper) modeler there). Even my boss was overwhelmed. Actually she hoped my colleague would forget picking it up and leave it in the office. ;) Well, I told her that would not be a big problem since I had the original plans and could make more of them anytime. :)
 

Rhaven Blaack

!!!THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!!
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I am glad to hear that your colleague liked the cart.
As for your boss liking it and not wanting it to go, you should make another one for her as well (as a christmas present).
 
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