John A. Morrison's Journal Scrounge Built

Digital101 Introductory

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 20:31:34 -0500

John A. Morrison's Journal Scrounge Built --

A friend of mine, a Professor at Cape Breton University, made a short film of him on his bike racing the Newfoundland Ferry into Sydney Nova Scotia’s Harbour. The little short film won several awards from different film festivals. He beat the ferry, it is on Youtube,”Man vs Ferry”. When I was displaying my Cyclekart at a local car show, He approached me to shoot a Sequel, “Man vs Cyclekart” https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IS39wQ0VzIJr6N-Re0_cILmS55yTdYRs/view We also did an edited short “Digital 101 Intrductory” https://drive.google.com/open?id=14TjEvSiwZ8MnkDYmfGBLYHuZZvbflp1w BUT CHECK OUT THE RACE. It’s a good chuckle.

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Posted 2026-04-19 20:31:34 by John A. Morrison

Just A Current Photo Of Kart

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 13:24:53 -0500

John A. Morrison's Journal Scrounge Built --

Just finished a faux exhasut system, looks good I think, got to scrounge a tail pipe yet.

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Posted 2025-08-15 13:24:53 by John A. Morrison

Jumping Torque Converter?

Sat, 09 Aug 2025 12:04:20 -0500

John A. Morrison's Journal Scrounge Built --

I seem to be having some difficultly with my Comet Converter, as I accelerate the converter starts to shudder, then go coast, back on the gas and it shudders again, when turning it shudders , not always but often. I’ve tried belt dressing ( same as we used on the roof of my building for the heat pump to stop belt drive squealing) I’ve tried to tighten the two axel bolts on the unit but they seem rock sold. Chain alignment is good and tension ok. ANY SUGGESTIONS PLEASE, just want a smooth eceleration. Photos enclosed.z

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Posted 2025-08-09 12:04:20 by John A. Morrison

Brake For Saftey

Mon, 27 May 2024 17:43:50 -0500

John A. Morrison's Journal Scrounge Built --

Got a Red Dot fighting me on this, so maybe we will not see IT. First photo shows the contact I”m getting after a few tests. Had to cut a shim to get the contact equal on both sides if possible, Re-bled the fluid, topped up the master, after test they improved but still not to my satisfaction. That little master cylinder just just doesn’t grab me. Next photo, I bought a mechanical kit. So I have to fabricate the cable, anchor and handle. Next photo: Slide out the rear axel disk / rotor chain etc. Fabricate the bracket to frame, mount the drum and route the cable. Found some junk, riding mower pulley & bracket lift handle on mower blade, some fibre glass guides, compliments the photo industry parts (Ya, there are even some parts from my wife’s Singer sewing machine in this Kart). Next photo; Went through several hours fabricating several brake handles and attachment combos that seemed to give me enough to stop solidly the rear axel wheel that locks. Maybe be good for parking (with a set ON to hold the kart), back up for hydraulic failure plus, might be a good drifting handle for better purchase of the Apex of the turn or get into better turf for traction. That all done lets go test, the brace over drum system is obviously more free in it’s movement , so of course mine goes sideways . Here is where the sewing machine comes in, a nice little cast steel cam on a balance shaft to counter the throw of the needle works perfectly. Welded on the side of the drum toy reduce the freedom on the thought so side that the brace was running off ! Off for the retest, it does grab! Great, next test it won’t! Can’t be one shot brake. Even took some brace friction material off, looks like I need another sewing machine, I wonder if Anita has a spare? Ha.

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Posted 2024-05-27 17:43:50 by John A. Morrison

BSA Rear Fenders

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 14:13:13 -0500

John A. Morrison's Journal Scrounge Built --

My friend John Cooke donated two BSA 1969 vintage, rear fenders for the car, I haven’t seen a lot of cycle karts with fenders but these could not be passed up. Rust whole in one, chrome shot so off we go into the world of thin metal welding to seal and patch the fender. For mounting them, you’ll notice the rod I attached a rod which is in fact a tie rod off the Craftmaster CTC lawn mower. A lot of shake rattle and roll was going on so had to change the bracing to attach both ends solidly to the chassis. Then total re prep for painting filling and sanding for the 6th. Time. Just finished priming them, they look good, Now the front ones, I have 3 donated, motorcycle front fenders but none match, two Harleys and a Yamaha. Got my scroungers out looking.

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Posted 2024-04-08 14:13:13 by John A. Morrison

Tractor Wheel

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 17:59:12 -0500

John A. Morrison's Journal Scrounge Built --

My neighbour gave me a Craftmaster riding mower. Yummy. Tore it down for parts, this is the steering wheel off that lawn machine and gets an Aston Martin logo my son sent me from Hfx. From his 3D printer. Not particularly period but I am a scrounger so you hear me mention this donor from CTC often. I also have the seat from this donor so we purchased some leather hide and di the drivers seat and after the body panels get painted we’ll see the cock pit get the leather treatment. Done in the middle of winter. Dining room table was a workbench more than a few times.

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Posted 2024-04-02 17:59:12 by John A. Morrison

Help Me Stop!

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 21:48:16 -0500

John A. Morrison's Journal Scrounge Built --

So you get the brake kit, master cylinder, rotor, calliper, reservoir and brake hose. Rather short as go karts put the master behind the seat and have a rod to go to the foot pedal. Ha, not us cyclekart fabricators, So I get suggestions that I should use the master cylinder in front of the peddle! Hmm, short hose for sale or giveaway, had to purchase a metal brake line and replace adapters on both ends, there would be two types of tube ends to deal so best look carefully. Tested the brakes and did not find them very powerful, then well I mean one rotor! So I bought a larger rotor to get more swept area, still not impressive. So we do test run, and pictures of the two sides tells a story. One side shows good contact while the other seems to be missing some swept area. I shimmed the bad side with a pattern cut piece of metal 3mm, swept area showed a bit of improvement but now have to wait till spring to break for a run. JUST IN CASE, I buy a mechanical drum and brace brake for safety with a fabricated up gear handle to set for park or one handed drifting. Just got to work out the cable to get the action without the brace clamp trying to jump off the drum. Great Fun.

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Posted 2024-03-26 21:48:16 by John A. Morrison

Getting Caught Up To 2024

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 18:43:48 -0500

John A. Morrison's Journal Scrounge Built --

Been a tough year to work in my little shed up here on the East Coast of Canada. Record snow falls etc. No different than many areas but cold fingers or cold feet really cuts into productivity. Keeping the old warm morning heater going can take a lot of ones attention. So I am going to try and pick up where I left off and post pictures as I work toward completing my kart. In our community Nova Scotia Power offers a work shop called the Makers & Space ( I call it the Make or Brake) fully tooled up, I took a night course to learn to weld and away we go. It’s getting better, the tread mill we scraped was the right size tubing a bit short but was able to overlap for the wheel base. My wife Anita, printed out in full size the frame layout which was a tremendous help. I hope to be putting up 4 phots every other day till I can show a few of my friends, what I have learned, the helpers from the Make & Brake can see my progress. Thanks guys for making this available. Still having fun.

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Posted 2024-03-21 18:43:48 by John A. Morrison

In The Begining

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 09:09:10 -0600

John A. Morrison's Journal Scrounge Built --

Steve, So, the frame is made from my wife’s treadmill, I’ve learned how to weld, well a lot of grinding afterward for cosmetic purposes but quite proud of my self. The metal seat plate and louvered cowling is from my neighbours lawn mower, rake steering, steering wheel, front axel and spindles, axel spliced for 39” min. springs are being fabricated by Ocean Spring Industrial, I have the rear bearings for the axel and hope to pick it up tomorrow. Notice the Kick up, the treadmill did not offer full-length but the two together got me 98”. The seating position is very critical so I don’t want to make any mistakes in positioning. I have my rear axel bearings, the yoke kind, so I can put them on top of or below the larger frame tubing on the rear section. I need to feel that the kart won’t profile well if I don’t get it right. I believe I may be able to use them on the bottom of the frame, on top would maybe an uphill look, which I want to avoid. Hence the importance of knowing the the axel to wheel rim radius, will allow me to gauge my seat box drop below the frame to get my wanted 4.5” or there about, off the ground. Then I can mock up with jacks the front to see if she sits flat. Any hints, if your time allows would be much appreciate. A loyal subscriber am I. Hope this gets to you. ----------------------------------------- John Morrison, CEO Quality Cameras & Computer Services Ltd., C: 902-304-4967 Sydney Nova Scotia http://www.quality-cameras.com

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Posted 2022-11-22 09:09:10 by John A. Morrison