THE DRUG STORE COWBOY

This pale rider was inspired by toys like Inchworm. For some time, the idea was rolling around and parts were slowy collecting in the garage until it demanded to be built. The heart of the horse is where you would expect a heart to be, but this one is a windshield wiper motor which pushes and pulls the back legs forward and back. 4 wheels for feet are free to roll forward but not backward, as they have one way bearings. The front wheels steer and the whole thing is radio controlled and battery powered.

Our noble steed is mostly scrap wood, sheetrock screws, a quick tube, witch hair and white house paint. 3 door hinges, 4 screw eyelets, 2 arrows, a nylon cutting board, and a thin rug were also used. Don't forget a plastic skeleton. There are always extra skeletons around here for some reason. I think this one was from Lowe's. Power provided by 16 volt litium ion battery pack salvaged from scrap communication backup power pack. Sorry, but there are bits and pieces that are found materials like wire, connectors, hand tools, screwdrivers and other shop stuff here too.

Wiper Motor

Skeleton

Servo

Radio

Speed controller

Hair

Wheels

Tube Form

These wheels are found Razor scooter wheels. They are modified with a rear bike hub locked as to allow them to turn only forward. A bike chain is screwed down holding the sprocket stationary. honestly, this was more complicated than needed as a one way bearing could hve been placed inside the wheel instead. This wheel is actually intended for a robot project so they are used here as a test. I would say this is the part that was the most challenging.

The steering is very basic and square. There is no toe in or camber but there is a little caster. Think like the front wheel of a shopping cart. The axle trails behind just a bit to make the wheel try to run straight if there is no turn input. At this slow speed, it may not matter. On second thought, maybe modeling it after a riding mower steering would be easier. No bushings other than a plate made from a nylon cutting board was used. The servo was plenty powerful enough to turn. A tie rod was fashioned from a scrap wood slat and eye bolts on each end. Eye bolts even with each wheel complete the tie rod assembly. A loose bolt through the hole joins them.

Once the wheels were figured out the frame came together suprisingly fast. There was a lot more of "That Looks About Right" kind of work going on. Keeping a plastic skeleton handy for comparison helps with size decisions. Pallets, discarded futon bed slats and dumpster shelving (orange) was the wood source. all screwed together with sheetrock screws. Always be sure no sharp points are protruding as they can really hurt. The "Horse Back" cardboard tube was cut and fitted. Final fitting had to wait until the drive system was installed, then everything got white house paint. (Get it? Horse Paint lol)

This is a strange way to drive a horse to say the least. Wiper motor is pictured "secured" to the center rail with long hose clamps. They can be repositioned as needed. Notice the nylon cutting board piece acting as a low friction bearing on the wiper arm. This part worked perfectly. The length of the stride can be adjusted by moving the cross piece joining the hinge with the back legs up or down. Raising it increases speed but loads up the motor more. Trick-or-Treaters like a more gentle pony.The radio receiver and speed controller are simple screwed onto the left front leg and power wires are secured to the servo, motor, and battery. At this point in development, a smart person would have taken the riderless/headless horse for a test drive. That didn't happen. Despite our best efforts, it worked fine.

A cardboard scrap pattern was hacked out and more looking and trimming was done until a passable head profile was reached. Then, the lady of the house came out and fixed the design so it didn't look so foolish. The pattern was traced onto more scrap plywood, cut out, and screwed into place. Space was left just in case the horses back had to come off for adjustments, but it wasn't needed. A hole was cut in the back and a pvc scrap was screwed onto the spine to secure the rider. A rug was sacrificed as we never ride bare back. The rider was zip tied to the pvc pipe. The pale rider's hat is just cardboard and is painfully screwed onto his skull. No wind is gonna take that hat off. A well worn green led strip is zip tied underneath. No switch is used, just plugged into an old drone 12 volt battery. The tail is pvc heated up and bent to be more tail like and secured with screws. A witch's wig is zip tied onto the mane area and another for the tail. If you look close, there are 2 arrows embedded. What tribe uses plastic fletching?

Operating the Drug Store Cowboy and his horse House Paint was so much fun. Thanks to everyone who participated in this Halloween Instructables season. I hope we made you smile.

I can't seem to get that song out of my head, "Like a Rhinestone Cowboy........"