The care for the timber, and his antique-
minded professionalism, really shines
through here, allowing the barrel racer
to stand up as a beautiful project with
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In its disassembled state, Russell was
able to assess and plan for the rebuild: “I
had to work quickly with this part, [and]
glue and reassemble using the rings to
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Once the glue had set I then knocked the
rings off again so I could cut the parts out
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When it was time to reassemble key
parts of the barrel it was clear that
epoxy would be too expensive for a
project of this size, so he says he, “glued
everything with an exterior wood glue,
and then put the new steel rings on to
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to be honest, by the time I got the rings
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As you can imagine, at this stage there
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and forwards, a marrying-up process
that was time-consuming, but crucial
(especially with the absence of a barrel-
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The chassis came into its own at thispoint: “Structurally, the original chassis
was braced up until such a time that I was
comfortable with the aesthetic look of it
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The go-kart kit’s front and rear
suspension set-up was retained, and then
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“I just tacked the front and rear together
with a steel beam to test and set up the
length, and then built the chassis and
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The overall dimensions of the racer
squeak in at 1700mm long, 900mm
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More recycled steel was used elsewhere,The barrel racer boasts
a three-speed (plus
reverse) 110cc engine
and a 12V ride-on
lawnmower batteryAbove: The kitset donated vital organs
such as the steering wheel and starter
Above right: Stock shocks provide a
smooth — and steady — ride
Left: Chunky tyres for tight corners
Below: Three speeds of go-kart fury