Projects

My life is a sequence of projects, large and small.

I find it hard to imagine a life without projects.

I find it hard to imagine being satisfied with things I can buy.  Most things need to be Bobified.  Today after parkrun, somebody asked me if I made the running wheelchair.  My answer was ‘No, but I made a few changes to it – I:

1. Removed mesh from between the seat and the foot-holder so Antigone can stand within the wheelchair when transitioning into and out of it
2. Cut off part of the foot-holder to make it easier to get her feet in and out of it
3. Reconfigured the handles for less width to better accommodate parkrun crowds
4. Removed wheel push-rims to reduce weight and width
5. Created the 4-wheel-walker mode
6. Replaced the thin tyres with larger ones for comfort and puncture resistance
7. Added the flag with its two sockets – rear for bike trailer and front for parkrun
8. Added the transfer device to assist with getting in and out
9. Added sides on the arms to reduce the chances of arms and clothing rubbing on wheels. (They also keep the transfer device in place.)
10. Added the strap to assist Antigone to keep close to it when in 4-wheel-walker mode
11. Created the bike trailer mode, including seatbelt’

 A couple of months ago, we got a new car.  Changes so far include:

• Cruise control added
• English Language car head unit (=car stereo / reverse camera display / phone display)
• Polycarbonate (clear plastic) cargo barrier made and installed for safer carriage of equipment in the back.
• Towbar added for towing a trailer with our bike and/or running wheelchair

Plus, on the Porte’s special passenger seat, I have:

• Changed the foot supports so they can move out of the way of transfer devices
• Added a rigid seat (from an office chair) which is higher and deeper (both better for Antigone) than the original slung seat
• Removed wheel push-rims to reduce weight and width
• Changed armrests to be wider (keeping arms away from moving wheels) and longer (for comfort).  These also function as convenient drink-tables.
• Added a bike handlebar at a better height than the original push handles.

I also plan to reupholster it to match the car upholstery, in place of the bright aqua fabric which is a better match to Metro trains.

Now with a new intent to use Dan’s trailer semi-regularly to transport our bike, I’ll Bobify the trailer in a similar way that I created the bike carrier for the car roof – so our things can easily and safely be loaded and held in place. 

This week we replaced the hired Peak Shifty transfer device with a bought one.  Now that we own it, I can Bobify it to make it work better for us.  Plans include:

• Adding a stop to prevent Antigone’s feet poking through and interfering with the wheels swivelling (yellow circle below)
• Replacing the wheels with larger ‘Tente’ brand wheels which roll and swivel more smoothly, especially over floor-type transitions (such as green circle below)

On our electric transfer device, I added black foam pipe insulation over parts otherwise likely to damage walls and furniture.  I also intend to slightly modify the hooks over which  we hook the sling so the sling can be more easily removed.

And I have plans to make my second portable transfer device.  I discussed some of my needs with Jake, who just made the custom towbar for the Porte.  He’ll supply the small quantities of steel I need, including welding and drilling to my specifications.

On the home front, I started making a rear deck last Summer, but it was put on hold due to Antigone’s February hospitalisation.  Now that we are wheeling out the back door to and from our car, the small lip at the base of the back door has become a problem.  I had planned to replace the door.  I now hope to get one with no lip.  But more importantly, it is fortunate I did not make the deck last Summer at a height to match the top of the door lip.  Better to keep the deck on hold until after the door is replaced.  Also fortunate that I had made the rear deck last March.  Since Antigone’s March strokes (refer 2026 Festival Tour posts), we have been getting in and out of cars in our driveway and wheeling to and from the car using the ramp I just completed.

In 2025 – Our Year of Bikes, I outlined the many Bobifications to our side-by-side recumbent bike. 

With all my projects, it is a surprising omission that I didn’t have a ‘Projects’ category / menu on our blog website until now.

This blog is an ongoing project.  A related project is my two folders of blog-post printouts for my home and Mum’s.

Mum suggested posting on the website my write-up of my 2024 Anzac Day project – renovating our 100-year-old piano by installing an electric piano into it.  I’ll add than as the next post in this category.