Build (almost)anything out of an automobile

reply to post by pellian

Seems some of these things are beyond most to build.
What I did notice was no one mentioned the Radio (12volt) or the Lights
tights and radio when there is no power!!!
Not to mention dry place to sleep and also charge your phone(like storm aftermath )

Well, no one is doing a thing if there isn't some proper tools in the trunk.
I remember in the last thread the author of the OP mentioned something about a lathe being used. Who carries a lathe wherever they go and how would you use this item in an emergency?

I didn't realize op was talking about over all mechanics of cannibalizing a car for construction of subsidiary equipment.
For me a survival situation is being far away from civilization, probably alone, and ruthlessly unprepared. Oh GOD I love the challenge!

Now this is a thread worth reading and contributing to. (in contrast to the OPs first one, not the whole ATS!)
S & F
You are right about the generator part, the rpm problem can be overcome by simply using suitable sized pulleys and a belt. With a bit of thinking a microcontroller controlled system can be made, which will keep the rpm more or less constant with different loads, within reason of course.

Originally posted by pellian

Originally posted by snowen20
Okay pellian Seriously i am going to test your skills.

I want you to tell me how to build the following: A fluidized bed gasifier.

The principle should stay with in the realm of reason. That is to say it is a survival situation because you are on a survival thread, therefor we will assume you are bugging out and are now in a remote location with a car that no longer has fuel. You will build a gasifier to attempt to charge your battery and other electronics in order to communicate with distant contacts possibly for meet up.

What the Gasifier seems to be nothing more than a STILL. plent of parts are probably used today in stills ( radiators) .Make SHINE run your hibred ..I remember a sequill to the song Hot Rod Lincoln When he bought some corn sqeezings to run his hot rod.!
What you dont use as fuel ..Drink !
I dont know if white lightening wil run a car ..but it is a hoot to make the boot scoot

A gasifer takes solid fuel such as coal and heats it up in an enclosed environment which the volatile gasses are created and driven off. I would make a barrel out of the sheetmetal, weld the thing together with the engine alternator, using a big coil as a magnetic ballast. and coathanger rods with flux made from pennies and HCL from my vomit,

The hard part is metering the watergas with air for proper combustion. This is a toughie. thanks

Originally posted by snowen20
Well, no one is doing a thing if there isn't some proper tools in the trunk.
I remember in the last thread the author of the OP mentioned something about a lathe being used. Who carries a lathe wherever they go and how would you use this item in an emergency?

I didn't realize op was talking about over all mechanics of cannibalizing a car for construction of subsidiary equipment.
For me a survival situation is being far away from civilization, probably alone, and ruthlessly unprepared. Oh GOD I love the challenge!

becuase you turn the car into a lathe. Learn how to make a furnace from bricks charcoal and a soup can.
You could burn the gasoline for water content you know.

reply to post by pellian


Im not good at visualizing mental engineering scenarios like this. Get me on the round where I have something to work with and things will change.

Do you have tools? I know you can improvise but the initial dissection of the vehicle, would it not be necessary to have at least a wrench or socket set? If not, please enlighten me.

Chairs ..use the seats my son in law has a game area that he has furnished with car parts
sofa - made from leather back seats
chairs-leather bucket seats on stands
tables=old drag slicks on polished wheels with glass tops(way cool !!
art -custom painted hood hanging from wall
rugs=floor mats

The furnishings he has arent junk..High dollar luxury car and hot rod parts way cool set-up
I liked his signed Don Garlits burned raceing piston..they make money even selling broken parts ..

reply to post by snowen20


Yea I forgot about that part. good luck engineering a tool out of your keys. if you don't have tools your SOL. unless you have help.

Why do you have to be in the middle of nowhere?
I'm thinking a homebased improvised scenario.

reply to post by tired


I suggested being in the middle of nowhere to the OP in order to get the individual out side of their comfort zone and take away even more control than what they previously had. If you are at home you not only have a car to utilize for parts but a house full of appliances and other items that can be used as well. It would be ideal of course, but survival situations rarely if ever favor ideal situations.

reply to post by snowen20


A true survival situation would have several cars since you are not likely be alone. You can raid the local harborfreight store or sears. It would be many years before society breaks down to the point of just having old used junk around,

reply to post by pellian


I don't think people are getting what I am saying.
I am well aware that city people may find themselves scavenging around for what they can find at their local tool stores and wal marts. I am also not suggesting society is so broke down as to resemble a Cormac McCarthy novel.

What I am suggesting is "real" survival. Every year people drive to remote locations many miles from the nearest main road and have their vehicle break down. Often times this happens in winter when people misjudge and get stuck in the snow. Then you have places like Australia , where the majority of civilization skirts the continent leaving the inner parts all but devoid of modern convenience much less another person. Another place is Africa, any one of several deserts in the US including the Badlands in Wyoming. and much much more.

It may be easy for someone to say, well sit and wait for help, that is not always the most prudent of concepts under less than ideal conditions. It's easy for people to say lets walk to the nearest road, when actually you may be a hundred miles away from it. Anyone who has spent more than 3 hours in even the LATE afternoon sun of a desert knows, the likelihood of getting anywhere is slim much less a 24 to 72 hour walk.

So lets walk at night, we will use the stars as navigation.. That doesn't work with cloud cover, and people tend to naturally walk in a circle toward their dominant hand covering miles. Also you have the greatest risk of hurting yourself when traveling at night especially if you have to tackle a high angle environment.
Many predators are also more active at night.

So my point in having only one car and a crap load of hope and mechanical advantage should be clear to anyone attempting to build a box they can't get out of. Which is something a survivalist should do in order to face the potential worse case scenario. Anyone who says they have all the answers is a victim in the making.

That would be a tough situation,
I think one would need to be prepared in advance.

reply to post by snowen20


That is not what the OP is on about, he's referencing using a car or cars in a post apocalyptic environment where the present services and power-on-demand is much scarcer.

Originally posted by WatchRider
reply to post by snowen20

 

using a car or cars in a post apocalyptic environment where the present services and power-on-demand is much scarcer.

How is this different than what I am saying? Other than it may not necessarily be post apocalyptic?

I am well aware of what the op suggests, If I were not I would not have been the only one to first suggest something on the same premiss you described.
A method in which you can use your vehicle or vehicles to build a generator. The OP built me one, and we exchanged ideas on it. So I don't know why I have suddenly become the "bad guy" of the thread, when I apparently was the first and only person to take him up on his challenge in a serious way and enjoyed it thoroughly. Not to mention I was impressed. If not I would not have flagged the thread.

reply to post by snowen20


I don't think he was trying to view you as 'the bad guy', just merely pointing out what you already stated you were "well aware of". Obviously this thread isn't intended for the broken down off road motorist whom decided to go unprepared hundreds of miles away from the nearest signs of civilization. With that in mind, we don't really need to discuss the implications of this threads main premise in that regard at all. I personally took the point of this thread as not only a seriously viable possibility of getting one on his/her own feet with basic technology and electrical generation, but also as a viable means of rebuilding larger communities. These skills he mentioned in the previous thread do indeed make him valuable, but only valuable if it supports a community. If I have guns... Sure I'll offer to trade some resources for him to build me a generator, but then when he's done I'll point my gun and tell him to pick only one of two options. Yet, if this were to rebuild society to a point where fighting for survival and obtaining resources by any means, then I would join his community and throw in whatever skill set I might have. We either work together or we fight for our own.

Anywho... I also think it's plainly obvious that this concept is devoid of any real use to a broken down motorist with only one vehicle. Not sure why such a scenario even needs to be brought up at all in the first place. Great, dismantled my car and built a lathe. Now what?

flagged, kissed, stared, loved, copied... hard copied and processed keep up the good worked op