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Roller for Track Wheelchair

by R. Layman

Weekend Welder Challenge Winner! My daughter joined an adaptive sports team. The track athletes were limited to spring and summer for practice. I asked the coaches about indoor training and was told that the rollers(like a runner would use a treadmill) that are available were costly and hard to find. After designing (it had to be adjustable for different sized chairs) and presenting the plans to the coaches the next step was the most challenging. Asking to borrow tools and a shop. I approached a friend with the idea, he asked if I had welded much? I told him not for quite a while. So he watched me on a few pieces of scrap. He said “that looks great” and gave me a key. The next day I bought the steel, cut and welded the first one. My daughter used it a few times to see if any changes needed to be made. The team asked for four. The next weekend my wife cut, I welded and we knocked out six more. The two extras we loan to athletes in rural areas with mostly dirt roads. The local powder coating shop and Chromer did the work at cost. Winter practice is now possible! There is the 200 word description. Now I would like to thank you for highlighting wheelchair rugby, the athletes, and the craftsmen that build the chairs in a recent newsletter. Materials and Tools: Millermatic 200, 36” band saw, 12” disc sander.2.5' 1”x2”5' 1 3/4”x1 3/4”2' 1” channel 6' 2”x2”6” 2” angle 32” 6” spouting 3' 1” solid. The pillow blocks, caps, collars, knobs and rubber feet were ordered online. The powder coating and chrome were done at cost by local shops. 6” wheels for end of spouting were purchased at a local shop.
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Great job! The commercially made indoor roller-trainers for wheelchair racers cost approx. $800! Many schools and universities have adaptive sports programs, in addition to non-school teams, and could use these. I'd like to build a variation on this.

Rich B • Saturday, January 16, 2010 @ 2:52 PM

That is what being handy is all about. What better way to utilize some skills and friendship than help someone out! Nice.

Chris O'Leary • Saturday, December 12, 2009 @ 7:16 AM

I think your design is awesome! I've met quite a few hand cyclists and I have a couple of friends who have suffered spinal cord injuries who are looking into different types of trikes. I think this can really open some doors for these athletes. COOL!

Laurie Jungst • Friday, May 29, 2009 @ 7:21 PM

Ditto on the plans. I know of a guy not from me that would love to have one of these and I would really enjoy making it for him. I'm betting there are a lot of us welders out there that would also be willing to help these athletes out.

Ronjohn • Tuesday, May 5, 2009 @ 9:35 PM

I am wanting to have a wheelchair treadmill built. How much would this cost? Do you have detailed plans?

Fraser • Tuesday, December 9, 2008 @ 11:44 AM

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