yoderjac
Well-Known Member
Back during COVID, I was looking at an electric side by side, but I could not convince myself the technology was quite there at the time at a reasonable price. I ended up with a Honda Pioneer 700 and an e-bike instead. I use the UTV for deer retrieval and work on the farm and the ebike to drive to hunting stands. More discussion of this in this UTV Thread
Soon after I got the ebike, I began to equip it for hunting. I first added a rack on the back for my crossbow:
This mod was simple, just a commercial gun holders. I was learning to weld at the time, so I ended up welding a bracket on the front of the bike to put a gun rack for my rifles and shotguns. This worked out great.
For deer, I head back to camp on the ebike after a shot. This gives time before trailing the deer and lets me get out of my hunting clothes. However when I shoot a turkey with the crossbow, it would be nice to be able to make a single trip back. So, I recently decided to add a basket. I bought a commercial basket intended to be attached to the handle bars.
It came with the piece on the left. It is meant to go over the handle bars and the 4 posts go into the part on the right which has a quick release for the basket. Of course the problem is that I can't put the bracket on the handle bars or the basket would block the gun rack. The gun rack is made with 1" square metal tubing, so when I try to attach the bracket there, it is not tight enough and the basket just flops down.
3D printer to the rescue (More on the 3D printer here)! I decided to use the quick release for the basket and build my own bracket. I tried several times to get it right. Here is one of the early prototypes that connects to the quick release bracket:
Here is the latest prototype. It needs a few mods, but gives you the idea
This is just one of the first ways the 3D printer is creeping into my hunting.
Soon after I got the ebike, I began to equip it for hunting. I first added a rack on the back for my crossbow:
This mod was simple, just a commercial gun holders. I was learning to weld at the time, so I ended up welding a bracket on the front of the bike to put a gun rack for my rifles and shotguns. This worked out great.
For deer, I head back to camp on the ebike after a shot. This gives time before trailing the deer and lets me get out of my hunting clothes. However when I shoot a turkey with the crossbow, it would be nice to be able to make a single trip back. So, I recently decided to add a basket. I bought a commercial basket intended to be attached to the handle bars.
It came with the piece on the left. It is meant to go over the handle bars and the 4 posts go into the part on the right which has a quick release for the basket. Of course the problem is that I can't put the bracket on the handle bars or the basket would block the gun rack. The gun rack is made with 1" square metal tubing, so when I try to attach the bracket there, it is not tight enough and the basket just flops down.
3D printer to the rescue (More on the 3D printer here)! I decided to use the quick release for the basket and build my own bracket. I tried several times to get it right. Here is one of the early prototypes that connects to the quick release bracket:
Here is the latest prototype. It needs a few mods, but gives you the idea
This is just one of the first ways the 3D printer is creeping into my hunting.
